A FAB U Lous Hotel - 15 Beacon Street Hotel in Boston…

A FAB U Lous Hotel - 15 Beacon Street Hotel in Boston…

The "Cradle of Liberty" as it's known, has a diverse culture - from sleek skyscrapers to Colonial churches and buildings, from Beacon Street to it's blue-collar neighborhoods, from the beautifully manicured parks to the college campuses and from the neighborhood taverns to trendy, upscale eateries. This is the Boston of today.

Located in a 1903 Beaux Arts-style building in a very fashionable neighborhood in Boston stands this boutique hotel. XV Beacon is also a historic landmark and a member of the prestigious "The Leading Hotels of the World" group of hotels. The spectacular black and white lobby, and, all the up to their beautifully landscaped roof terrace show the TLC this property receives. The panoramic views of Boston are simply wonderful.

Each of its 60 rooms is different, has a gas fireplace, and there are only seven rooms on a floor. Every room is either a two-room suite, or, with adjoining doors, can become two bedrooms. In the rooms you'll find a queen poster bed with Italian linens, cable TV with HBO, a CD player (all controlled by a digital bedside panel), a minibar, work desk with a dual line speaker phone, voice mail, high speed Internet access, DID phone and fax lines, a cordless phone and a color printer/scanner/fax machine. You'll also find fresh flowers and commissioned artwork on the walls. They polish your shoes overnight for free and provide a complimentary newspaper every morning. Room service is available 24 hours a day.

The marble bathrooms are very luxurious with a small 4" LCD TV, a towel warmer, a whirlpool tub in the suites, and rainforest showerheads. They also provide robes and very upscale toiletries. Slippers are included in the suites.

A Mercedes or Lexus sedan, complete with chauffer, is complimentary for all guests and you are also given personalized business cards. There is a superb restaurant on the premises, The Federalist, which has the ambience of a private club and a menu with classic international cuisine and local favorites. This is accompanied by one of the country's best wine lists where some of the vintages go back to the 1700's. Check out their extensive bar menu - the Federalist Cocktail sounds very refreshing after a warm day visiting Boston's historical attractions.

Their Wine Cellar is a private dining room perfect for business meals, or private celebrations. This room was built atop the foundation of a magnificent mansion owned by a Bostonian, Edward Broomfield, Jr. His home harkens back to 1722. (Visit www.xvbeacon.com for more details or to make reservations.)

Boston is a wonderful if you enjoy American history as I do. There is so much to do and so much to see that I would recommend a basic city tour if it's your first time in the city. Afterwards, you can go back and revisit the places which really interested you. Historic Tours of America provides a 1 ½ hour tour, The Old Trolley Tour, which goes from Beacon Hill to Back Bay to the New England Aquarium. There are 16 stops and you can get off and on at you like. It also includes the Guided Walking Tour of Beacon Hill. This trolley tour can also be purchased for two days. On Saturdays and Sundays you might be interested in their "Boston Chocolate Tour" where they take you to three culinary landmarks and enjoy a variety of luscious desserts prepared by some of the city's finest chefs. (Go to www.historictours.com/boston for more details.)

Walking is a great way to see Boston and it has one of the first historic walking tours in the country called the Freedom Walk. It takes two to three hours to walk The Trail entirely and it takes you to 16 historical sites and covers over 200 years of American history. Or, as my British cousin tells me - gives the incorrect explanation of the English history of the British colonies! On the trail you can stop and see the former home of Paul Revere, the USS Constitution, the Bunker Hill Monument, and another dozen or so similar sites. You can easily devote an entire day on the trail seeing both yesterday's and today's Boston. The above-mentioned trolley tour also takes you to these same 16 locations so you might walk part of the trail and ride along other parts of it. (For more information visit www.cityofboston.gov.)

You won't want to miss one of America's best shopping and dining attractions, at Faneuil Hall Market Place For over two centuries this marketplace has been, and still is, an integral part of Boston. In addition to 100+ unique shops, you'll also find the Bull Market. This is a "fleet" of over 40 pushcarts selling items made from local artisans. You can enjoy a cool brew at a few pubs and enjoy dining at over 40 different eateries. These restaurants vary from pizza places to upscale dining establishments. You'll also find entertainment from comics, jugglers, and musicians. A few times a year, this is the location of festivals such as the Summer Celebration or Harborfest.

If there is a train aficionado traveling with you, be sure to visit the country's biggest train store in Malden, Charles Ro. When you spot the steam train, you'll know you're close to this store. Inside you'll find trains of every scale from tiny enough to fit in a briefcase to the G-scale models towering over 10 feet tall and almost three feet in length. (Check out this website www.theinsider.com/Boston/Hidden/charlesro.htm for more details.)

If you enjoy antiquing, you'll want to go to Essex about 30 miles from Boston. You might also take a 90-minute ride on the Essex River Queen II. The views you'll see are very unspoiled and you'll see an America similar to what the first settlers saw when they arrived.

Fall in the air? If so, it's the time of year when the trees here burst out in glorious colors of red, orange, gold and every shade in between. You can enjoy this brilliant color right in Boston itself. The Arnold Arboretum is only six miles from downtown Boston and it's over 260 acres of trees and shrubs. The "T," or, a bus line are easy ways to get to this park which is open daily from dawn to dusk.

Boston has many wonderful restaurants and if you enjoy Italian food you'll want to head over to the North End. Here you'll find a unique neighborhood full of wonderful little ethnic restaurants, and some of the best cannoli in the world. If you get a hankering for something to eat in the wee hours of the morning, visit Boston's Original Diner at Kneeland and South Streets. No, it's not the city's original diner, but it has a real diner "personality," from the waitresses sneaking cigarettes behind the counter to the 36 wooden booths. It's strictly diner fare - breakfast, hamburgers and the like.

This article has only mentioned a few things to do and see in Boston. There are a lot more and it's a city you'll want to visit several times.