Living in Boston, I could never understand why there were so few hotels taking advantage of the waterfront setting. For years, The Marriott Long Wharf and the Boston Harbor Hotel were the only two hotels that rewarded guests with ocean views. Then the Seaport Hotel opened near the new convention center in the burgeoning Fan Pier neighborhood of South Boston, and the Intercontinental joined Boston Harbor Hotel along the new Rose Kennedy Greenway, the former large-scale construction site known as the Big Dig. But my favorite of all the new waterfront lodgings in the city is the Fairmont Battery Wharf.

Once owned by Paul Revere's son and only a short walk to Paul Revere's house in the North End, the Battery Wharf is simply a long dock and the hotel juts out onto the wharf like a docked ship. In fact, your room could very well sit across from the U.S. Coast Guard ship on the next dock or allow you to see all those large freighters being escorted in and out of the harbor by tugboats.

Yet, it's not merely the property's ocean locale that makes this small gem stick out from the pack, but its proximity to some of Boston's favorite family sites. Within a short walk, you can be at the New England Aquarium saying hi to Myrtle the Turtle, dining on clam chowder and shopping in Quincy Market, grabbing pizza, pasta, and cannolis in the Italian neighborhood of the North End, and walking on the Freedom Trail to all those historic Revolutionary War Sites like Old North Church and the Bunker Hill Monument. It's the ideal locale for a family vacation in the city.

More Information

Family Activities

Rooms

Map

Family Dining

Planning & Tips

Reviews