We check-in early on an October Sunday into the XV Beacon. Our home for the next 25 hours in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the 5-star luxury hotel’s beautiful Bromfield Suites, a 970 SQ FT one bedroom suite. It’s an impressively sprawling space, overlooking pretty Bostonian rooftops and streets; complete with a studio bedroom with a cosy sitting area in front of a fireplace, and a separate parlor living room with a second fireplace and dining table, as well as two closets and two full bathrooms with jetted tubs.

I was looking for a historic hotel in Boston, and XV Beacon has plenty of its original historic building features combined with specifically curated modern art and furnishings. XV Beacon’s interiors are designed in dark woods and stainless steel, yet incredibly welcoming and warm with accents of taupe, cream, and espresso tones. The boutique 64-room hotel is in Beacon Hill, located in the heart of Boston. As we soon discover, we couldn’t have asked for a better spot to soak in the sights, especially on our first trip ever to Boston.

And why Boston? Why not? When you’re looking for history in America, this is an obvious place. It dates back to 1630 as one of America’s earliest municipalities. I could go on and on, but maybe just start your research here. Now, back to XV Beacon and our 2023 trip…

Red wine and chocolates await us. The wine will have to wait for later, it’s only 11:30a; so we relax in front of the bedroom suite’s fireplace and have chocolate for brunch. We wander up to the rooftop deck next for a great view of the city, and consider using the gym …. but nah. That can wait.

It’s time to go explore the city. But what we didn’t know we needed (but definitely do) is an upgrade from our rental car, at least for the day.

I’ve told my better half TJ that I made reservations with the concierge team to use XV Beacon’s courtesy car for the afternoon. What TJ doesn’t know is that XV Beacon’s Lexus Experience Car isn’t just any Lexus. It’s a Lexus LC500. Our doorman Fernando hands a speechless TJ the keys, asks if we have any questions, and then, “Have fun!”

So, off we go for the afternoon, whipping around the unfamiliar city in our little luxury sportscar. This is something unique to any of the other properties we’ve stayed at before, and a highlight of our trip.

The top place to experience in Boston on my list is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, named after its founder. Its construction was started in 1899 by local architect Willard T. Sears and opened to the public in 1903. You can read more about Isabella and her art collection here. It’s in the Fenway Neighborhood of Boston, about a 15 minute drive from XV Beacon.

There are many, many more galleries of art to explore, so do yourself a favor and go on your next trip to Boston.

Next up, we drive to the Back Bay neighborhood to see the Boston Public Library. From BPL’s website, “Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large free municipal library in the United States, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room.”

It’s as beautiful as it is functional. So, if you go to site-see, be respectful of those who are actually studying there.

The library closes and we walk back across Copley Square and around Trinity Church. We decide to head back to XV Beacon, knowing the best spot to watch the sunset is most certainly on the rooftop deck. But first, TJ needs to take the Lexus LC500 for a bit of spin. We don’t know the freeways of Boston well, so we pop onto the 90 freeway for a few exits, enough to experience the car at proper speed, and then we make the U-turn back into the city (which is a great view, I might add). He’s thrilled.

After that, we opt for a low-key dinner, as XV Beacon’s Mooo…. is all booked for the evening. We walk around the corner to 21st Amendment, a wee pub that definitely makes us feel at “home” – like we do when we’re in the UK… but the university students speaking in American accents during Trivia Night assure us that we are absolutely in the States. There’s also a wedding party there, so it has all the workings for a great local pub.

We wind our way through Beacon Hill after dinner, taking a stroll from one picturesque historic residential building to the next. We walk down Acorn Street and make our way back to XV Beacon. The streets are nearly empty – and quiet.

Once we get back to the hotel, it’s time to relax. I take a soak in the spa tub, which I can’t emphasize enough as a big bonus for me – it seems it’s becoming a rarity in some luxury hotels. And, XV Beacon has the added luxury of the jets.

Then, before we know it, our alarm clock goes off at sunrise. It’s time to walk down to Acorn Street again to get a photo before the crowds arrive. We also want to check out the public garden and a few other sites on the Freedom Trail before heading back for breakfast.

Alas, noon has arrived and we must embark on the next leg of our New England road trip, onward to Maine. XV Beacon’s warm reception has shown us there’s so much more to Boston that we have to come back to experience.

Book direct here and support boutique properties: https://xvbeacon.com

A bit of background directly from the XV Beacon site:

FOUNDED ON TRADITION, BUILT FOR THE FUTURE

Art embraces our luxury downtown Boston hotel’s guests. XV Beacon Hotel’s turn-of-the century Beaux Arts building, designed by architect William Gibbons Preston (1842-1910), features two cast iron stories ornamented with gilded shields, and a third story limestone band supporting upper levels of Roman brick. The actual foundation dates to the pre-Revolutionary era, when the mansion was home to merchant Edward Bromfield, an “uncorrupted patriot” eulogized in 1756 as quick “to defend the invaluable liberties of the people.” Former 15 Beacon Street tenants include the developers of the nation’s first subway, the Boston Transit Commission (1905), Rapid Transit Commission (1906), and the Boston School Committee, which occupied the building from 1923 until 1999 when it became XV Beacon Hotel. Our property is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.  Xv Beacon is also a member of Historic Hotels of America®, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across America.

*This was a paid partnership for photography assets. However, all opinions are my own and I do not receive commission if you book at this wonderful hotel.