THE BEST HOTELS WITH BOSTON HARBOR & CITY VIEWS

Views spark a little gasp at InterContinental Boston. Set right on the water along Atlantic Avenue, it sits between Boston Harbor and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Most rooms and suites use floor-to-ceiling glass, so you wake to harbor light or a sweep of the skyline—some sights even frame the unmissable Boston Children’s Museum as well as the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. The indoor pool looks onto the Greenway. Dining is plentiful, including a waterfront patio with fire pits and heaters when the weather cooperates; it’s an easy place to linger over sunset and watch the harbor go by. From the front door you can stroll the Greenway to Faneuil Hall, the North End, and TD Garden, or head the other way to the Seaport’s nightlife. South Station is a short walk for trains and airport connections.

From its perch on Summer Street in the Seaport, the Boston Convention Center fills the scene right across the way—sleek, enormous, impossible to miss. Beyond it, the old brick factories-turned-lofts keep a hint of old Boston in view. Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows frame either Boston Harbor’s glimmer or the South Boston skyline, while clean lines and warm wood keep things grounded. Head up to the rooftop pool for the best angle: city skyline on one side, the Convention Center on the other, with an open-air bar and restaurant steps away. Seven dining and drinking spots mean you rarely repeat a choice. Harborside promenades and nightlife are minutes away, and the Institute of Contemporary Art—with knockout water views—is an easy walk.

Sixty-one stories up, Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street stacks some of the city’s most commanding looks. In Back Bay, the glass tower looks across to the Prudential Center, Christian Science Plaza, and the Mary Baker Eddy Library, with Fenway’s grandstand peeking to the west. Rooms and suites run wall-to-wall glass; whichever side you draw, it’s the skyline. Corner seekers aim for the Back Bay Corner Suite, a sweep of the neighborhood in one frame. For a true showpiece, the Charles Suite adds a broad terrace with clear glass rails, nothing between you and the view. Even the indoor pool is a spectacle—doing laps while Back Bay floats past the windows. Step outside to shops and dining at Prudential, through to Newbury and Beacon Streets; Fenway Park and Symphony Hall sit close by.

Park to stage in a single glance—the Ritz-Carlton, Boston trades on its sightlines. From the upper floors, park-facing rooms look clear across Boston Common, a sweep of green edged by Downtown’s skyline. Face the entrance on Avery Street, and the Theater District answers back with bright marquees and late-night buzz. Guest rooms keep the city close with floor-to-ceiling windows. You’ll have direct access to the Equinox Sports Club and its spa for laps, facials, or a deep-tissue reset. Step out for a show, wander toward shops, or follow the aromas into Chinatown’s kitchens; the neighborhood energy never lets up. For views, choose higher floors toward the park—the money shot. Set at 10 Avery Street, the Theater District sits at your doorstep, and Boston Common is a two-block stroll.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Boston Seaport District was shaped with views in mind. The L-shaped tower spreads its glass toward the harbor channel, while the other wing looks back to Seaport and Downtown Boston. Suites put water on one side and skyline on the other; thanks to the footprint, you can pick a room orientation to match the view you want—harbor sunrise or city lights at night. Ground-level dining stays bright and airy with open sightlines to the waterfront, and the fitness center faces the water through broad windows. On Summer Street in the Seaport, you’re steps from the Leader Bank Pavilion and the waterfront’s bars and restaurants, with the Institute of Contemporary Art a leisurely stroll away.

At Moxy Boston Downtown the fun starts with the sightlines. On its corner plot, mid and upper floors clear the neighbors, giving near-360° looks: the downtown skyline straight ahead, the Charles River off to the side, and the Boston Public Garden a block of treetops away. Rooms lean into the theater address with playful names—Backstage, Center Stage—and floor-to-ceiling glass; corner “Theater” rooms are glass on almost every side, save a single concrete pillar. Warm-up drinks happen at Bar Moxy; a fitness studio and 24/7 grab-and-go keep momentum. Step out to the Wang Theatre next door, Chinatown around the corner, nightclubs on Tremont, and Boston Common one block north.

The Revere Hotel Boston Common earns its reputation from the rooftop. Up there, a full 360-degree sweep takes in downtown’s towers, the curve of the Charles River, and Cambridge laid out beyond. Back downstairs, rooms carry the same spirit of spectacle: uniquely dressed spaces with broad, panoramic windows and a choice of outlooks—river, Boston Common, Back Bay, or the city core. Most guests end up living on the roof anyway: cushioned lounges for sun or conversation, a bar when the mood strikes, and morning yoga that feels almost cinematic against a skyline backdrop. Step outside and Boston unspools in every direction—the Theater District right there, Chinatown a few minutes’ walk, Newbury Street within strolling distance, and the Orange Line T next door for easy hops around the city.

Ask any Boston local: the city’s rooftop to beat is The Colonnade’s RTP. From this perch, Back Bay’s skyline feels close enough to tap, and sunset is a nightly ritual—cocktail in hand from the bar steps from the water. Down below, rooms and suites trade in daylight and perspective, with broad windows framing Back Bay and the brick townhouse ribbons of the historic South End. A sleek fitness center stands ready, though most guests count their cardio as pool laps with a view. Prudential T Station sits across the street for quick hops, and the Prudential Center’s shops and restaurants make dinner decisions easy. Symphony Hall and Newbury Street are an unhurried walk away on Huntington Avenue.