What it is

A 273-room gem overlooking Boston Public Garden, with an 8th-floor pool and intimate spa.

What it isn't

Leaving you stranded. They have a gratis house car at your disposal.

What we think

Well-heeled Bostonites have long flocked to the hotel’s gleaming wood-walled restaurant, The Bristol—it’s been a mainstay of power lunches (and dinners, and drinks) for decades. When you can order a Seafood Tower with abundant lobster, New England oysters, and shrimp on ice and a note-perfect signature martini, what do you expect? The rooms upstairs here are equally legendary, thanks to top-notch finishes like marble-lined bathrooms and gauzy window treatments. Traveling en famille? It’s worth booking the 625-square-foot Executive Suite for a seperate living area tucked behind frosted glass French doors.

You're here because

Kids are king (and queen). The hotel offers cookie-making classes, children’s movies, and (phew) babysitting services, if you’re craving a rare date night.

The Moment

There’s only one thing you love more than breakfast—and that’s a Four Seasons breakfast. At The Bristol, you can’t help but order everything that suits your fancy, which is how you ended up with a spread before you that will put all other breakfasts to shame: cider glazed apple fritters; lemon poppy French toast with Tahitian vanilla; Catskill Farm smoked salmon bagels; and, just for good measure, a half dozen crab claws with jalapeno emulsion. Diet starts tomorrow.

Restaurants & Bars

The Bristol - Seasonal ingredients to create the best in upscale comfort food

Bristol Bar - Cocktails and appetizers

Location

Right on Boston’s tony Boylston Street, across from the 19th-century Boston Public Gardens. Your neighbors here: Tiffany & Co., Burberry and Chanel.