Highlights: XV Beacon

•The Fifteen Beacon Hotel is tucked inside a grand 1900s Beaux Arts building in downtown Boston

•Dazzling, contemporary décor in the public and private spaces

•With just 60 guest rooms and suites, the hotel has an intimate, private residence ambience

•Guests are treated to complimentary chauffeured Lexus service

•Located near historic Beacon Street, Fenway Park, and other attractions and restaurants

Amenities: XV Beacon

• 60 rooms. High-speed Internet access. Restaurant. Fitness center

General Impressions: XV Beacon

Boston is better known for its stately hotels with traditional architecture and classic style, but Fifteen Beacon Hotel turns that perception on its head. This hip hotel ramps up Boston’s style quotient with its dazzling, contemporary décor tucked inside a stunning 1903 Beaux Arts building. With just 63 guest rooms, Fifteen Beacon Hotel looks and feels like a boutique hotel, yet this smaller-scale property delivers big-time service. The decor eschews the philosophy that modern design lacks warmth or personality, instead providing guests with a style that’s at once eye-popping and soothing.

Decidedly sophisticated with a cool vibe, this hotel is not an ideal choice for travelers with young children. The lack of family-friendly amenities, the somewhat off-the-beaten path location, and the adult crowd might make some young families feel out of place. This hotel attracts singles, couples, business travelers, and vacationers with its panache. Its laid-back luxe is equally suitable for romantic trips, anniversaries, or special occasions, yet this hotel is also great for hip executives who don’t want to stay in the old-world temples often found in this city.

(+) Hip boutique hotel with gorgeous contemporary design appeals to adults on business or pleasure
(-) Lack of children’s activities discourage family stays

Guest Services: XV Beacon

The Fifteen Beacon Hotel spoils its guests with superior level of service. Guests feel like members of an exclusive club at this intimate hotel. Upon arriving, they are provided with a business card for their stay that includes their name, a private phone number for their room, and the hotel’s address. A chauffeured Lexus is available to shuttle guests around Boston.

The hotel not only meets the standards of a Mobil Four-Star hotel, including 24-hour room service and 24-hour concierge service, but the warm and knowledgeable staff makes guests feel as if they are in a more luxurious lodging. Guests are greeted by name at virtually every turn.

The Federalist, the hotel’s restaurant, has an equally talented staff that is well versed in the menu and the wine collection. The wait staff is involved and attentive without being intrusive, and diners feel well taken care of. While the hotel is known for its hip vibe and clientele, the attractive, young staff has no trace of an attitude and seems genuinely concerned with guest satisfaction.

(+) High levels of attention and service from a capable staff

Guest Rooms: XV Beacon

One of the best reasons to stay at the Fifteen Beacon Hotel is its guest rooms, which are showpieces of contemporary design. Style reigns at this hotel, where the 63 rooms pop with rich, chocolate browns, blacks, and creams. Geometric-patterned carpets and striped fabrics offset the simple furnishings and design. Chrome-accented gas fireplaces add an inviting touch, while unique decorative objects enhance the contemporary space. The rooms are dazzling, yet sedate. Four-poster beds are dressed with fine, custom 300-thread-count Italian linens and the gorgeous marble bathrooms are even equipped with LCD televisions.

The classic rooms are the smallest at 325 square feet, and the bathrooms are equipped with rain showers (no bathtubs). Studios are larger at 485 square feet and have separate living and sleeping areas, as well as bathrooms with both rain showers and whirlpool tubs. The suites are the hotel’s largest accommodations, maxing out at 900 square feet, and boasting lovely views of Beacon Street.

The rooms are equipped with business amenities, including color copier/fax/printer, five-disc CD player with surround sound, and high-speed Internet access, and the accommodations also feature charming fireplaces and relaxing living spaces.

(+) Stunning contemporary design with luxurious details

Facilities & Activities: XV Beacon

Dining & Lounge: XV Beacon

Business Services: XV Beacon

The Fifteen Beacon Hotel is often chosen as a home-away-from-home for business travelers visiting Boston. While the hotel doesn’t have a staffed business center or meeting rooms, its luxurious rooms, equipped with high-speed Internet access, copier/printer/fax machines, and multi-line phones with voice mail, are easily converted into remote offices. The helpful staff and 24-hour concierge ensure that no need goes unmet.

The Fifteen Beacon Hotel provides chauffeured service throughout the city, making it convenient for travelers doing business in various parts of Boston. The hotel even provides cell phones for those visitors who may have left theirs at home.

Business travelers who may need large lobbies for meeting clients will not find the Fifteen Beacon Hotel right for them, but cool execs who want a clubby ambience fit right in at this hotel.

(+) Individual business travelers are accommodated with in-room amenities and a knowledgeable staff
(-) Since there are no meeting rooms and the hotel is relatively small, this is not a good fit for corporate groups or meetings