Freedom Trail: Historic Hotels in Downtown Boston

“Boston’s revolutionary heritage and long-held status as a seat of learning and culture make it one of the USA’s most historic cities all-round. If you have a passion for history then Boston’s famous Freedom Trail in the heart of Downtown should be on your bucket list – complete a history-themed trip to Boston with these historic hotels.

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The Ames
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Hard to top in Downtown’s historical significance stakes, the Ames Building was the city’s first skyscraper, built in 1889. The former office building is on the USA’s National Register of Historic Places thanks to its importance as an example of Romanesque Revival style, and a physical marker of the period when American architecture was progressing in leaps and bounds, as well as its ties to the successful Ames family. Today it’s the Ames Boston Hotel, having been converted to a luxury boutique hotel in 2007. Though the rooms are thoroughly modern, details like the recessed, arched windows mean you never forget you’re staying in a true Boston landmark.

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Omni Parker House
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The original Parker House Hotel was built in 1855, before rebuilt in the 1920s and becoming Omni Parker House. It’s considered the longest-continuously-operating hotel in the country, and its elegant rooms are just as striking as the building’s exterior. It’s right on the Freedom Trail and has a prominent place in American political history. There’s a long list of presidents and statesmen among its former guests, from Ulysses S. Grant to Bill Clinton, and the hotel has produced more than one revolutionary alumnus; former staff supposedly includes Malcolm X and Ho Chi Minh.

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Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at Custom House, Boston
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One guess at this aparthotel’s place in history; the oldest building on our list is a dominating presence in Boston’s skyline and heritage, as a neoclassical tower that used to house the city’s important duty-collecting operations. It’s now the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at Custom House, Boston, and remains an imposing presence from the outside, towering over Downtown. That height means you can get remarkable views of the waterfront and city from your room, but the best is from the 26th-floor observation deck.

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The Langham
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You know you’re in a special building immediately on entering the Langham, Boston. The polished marble flooring and statement chandelier lighting hint at its former occupation as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The conversion from historic finance hub to luxury hotel is impressive, with elegant touches of early-20th-century style throughout the Langham’s rooms, which have some excellent city views.

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Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall
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Another former office skyscraper, the Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall couldn’t be more Art Deco if it tried. With the boxy lampshades and polished walnut furniture in this historic four-star’s rooms, you might think you’d woken up in an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel if it weren’t for the flat-screen sitting on the sideboard. Classy all the way, the hotel also has its own oyster bar and grille, where you can splash out on New England’s famous seafood.”