Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston

Location 

Boston is compact, navigable and steeped in history, making it one of America’s finest and most interesting walking cities. Fairmont Copley Plaza is located in the heart of Boston’s historic Back Bay, steps away from Beacon Hill, the Charles River Esplanade, Copley Place, the Prudential Center, the boutiques of Newbury Street and the Hynes Convention Center. Boston airport is just a five-mile drive away.

Accommodation 

Before we get to the rooms, a word must be spared for the grand 5,000-square-foot lobby, above which soar gilded, coffered ceilings displaying tromp l’oeil paintings, and whose period antiques would not look out of place in a city museum. The guest rooms are almost as grand and are certainly sumptuous. A $20 million renovation and restoration project in 2012 updated each and every one with modern amenities, adding 17 suites in the process. The height of luxury, however, is reserved for the club level rooms of Fairmont Gold, a hotel within the hotel occupying the whole of the fourth floor, whose guests enjoy a private reception, dedicated staff, an exclusive lounge serving breakfast and evening appetisers, as well as complimentary Wi-Fi, newspapers and magazines.

Dining 

The 2012 renovation, which was done to mark the centenary of the hotel, saw the old Oak Room restaurant emerge anew as well. The new OAK Long Bar + Kitchen is a trendier affair, though the attention to detail in the farm-to-table menu is as rigorous as before. Between the food and the made-to-order cocktails it’s become one of the area’s most popular watering holes. Outside in the Back Bay area you’ll find everything from fine-dining restaurants to quaint cafes and casual eateries.

Facilities 

Never judge a book by its cover. What appears at lobby level to be the model of grandeur and old world finery has transformed into a paragon of modernity by the time you reach the roof. It’s here that you’ll find the 3,000-square-foot top-of-the-range health club, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Back Bay, an outdoor deck and the latest cardiovascular and weight machines. If you prefer to do your jogging before scenery that changes, Boston has miles of popular jogging trails, with the famous Boston Marathon finishing minutes from the hotel.