Boston, MA, known for its vibrant history and cultural aura, also offers accommodations catering to families seeking friendly, inviting, and fun-filled surroundings. As a city with many activities geared towards kids and adults alike, finding the right place to stay can greatly enhance your family’s overall experience.
Among all the family-friendly hotels in Boston, these 3 are clear winners: the Fairmont Copley Plaza, The Marriott Courtyard Boston Downtown/North Station, and the Hotel Marlowe. These superb family-friendly hotels in Boston offer high-quality accommodations and tailor their services to ensure a memorable trip for every family member.
They provide amenities like special kid’s menus, rooftop health clubs, intriguing welcome gifts, and dog-friendly policies. All this, coupled with their strategic locational advantages, near top-rated sites like the Boston Public Library, Boston Common, the New England Aquarium, and the Children’s Museum.
Our 3 Family-Friendly Hotels in Boston For Tourists
Fairmont Copley Plaza – An Elegant Family Getaway in the Heart of Boston
Stepping into the Fairmont Copley Plaza is like entering a page from Boston’s rich history. This luxury hotel is set in the historic Back Bay, a neighborhood of Boston that is as rich in culture as it is in American history. But don’t let its history fool you – there’s nothing out-of-date about the Fairmont Copley Plaza.
You’ll find a wealth of modern amenities making your family stay truly comfortable and unforgettable. This hotel goes beyond just accommodating families – it welcomes them. Forget about the standard meal options that most hotels offer. Here, they’ve crafted special kid’s menus, ensuring young ones experience dining as delightful as adults with favorites like the funfetti breakfast pancakes, chicken tenders, and the hotel’s Mac and Cheese.
If you’re feeling even more adventurous, this location is also nearby some of our favorite family-friendly restaurants in Boston, including Fogo de Chao.
The rooms here are very well appointed and offer between 200 – 350sqft of space, so while you won’t find separate sleeping rooms for everyone, you won’t feel like you’re tripping over everyone’s things. We have pictured their deluxe room with a two-double bed split instead of the traditional king.
Does your family include a four-legged member? If so, this luxury hotel is also dog-friendly, so you won’t have to worry about leaving your beloved doggo at home. But perhaps the crowning benefit of staying at the Fairmont Copley Plaza is its location.
Right on the doorstep, you’ll find many family-friendly things to do, like visit the Boston Public Library with its treasure trove of children’s books. You can also enjoy a lovely morning stroll through the Boston Common, pick up a game of frisbee, or hop in one of the Swan boats if you’re visiting in summer.
In short, if you’re looking at family-friendly hotels in Boston and prefer more of a luxury experience, you’ll want to keep this one on your list of potential options.
Marriott Courtyard Boston Downtown/North Station
An urban oasis for families nestled deep in the heart of Boston, the Marriott Courtyard Boston Downtown is a comforting retreat from the hustle and bustle of the action-packed city life.
Marked by an immediate warmth upon entering, the ambiance resonates and strikes the perfect balance between the city’s exciting energy and a tranquil place to rest. The ample bedrooms offer more than enough space for families, with their traditional doubles, but also the 1 bedroom 2-room suites that have a small kitchenette.
This type of space is hard to come by in the city, and that’s one reason why the Courtyard Downtown Boston is our top pick for family-friendly hotels in Boston.
However, comfort isn’t the only priority here. Adding an extra magic touch, Marriott Courtyard Boston Downtown extends a special welcome to its youngest guests. Upon arrival, children are invited to explore a ‘treasure chest’ filled with fun surprises, turning a simple hotel check-in into a memorable moment of their Boston adventure.
Located just a stone’s throw away from some of Boston’s most iconic family attractions, the city’s vibrant energy is at your fingertips. This location sits in Boston’s North Station district and gives easy access to public transportation, a plethora of dining options from Italian, Pizza, and pub food, and is a stone’s throw to The Garden for all you sporting fanatics.
Kimpton Hotel Marlowe
The final spot on our list of family-friendly hotels in Boston isn’t actually in Boston; it’s in Cambridge. Billed as a boutique luxury hotel, Hotel Marlowe is unique in many ways and is my family’s go-to spot whenever we visit the city.
The hotel is behind the Cambridgeside Galleria, less than a 10th of a mile from the Lechmere T stop and the Museum of Science. It’s a small hotel that’s always had a funky fun vibe to it, and while I’m sad that the telescopes were removed during the hotel’s recent remodel, they’ve managed to maintain the mid-century feel while modernizing the decor.
The hotel offers two room types ideal for families visiting Boston on vacation: a 1 king studio with a pullout couch, and a 1 bedroom suite with a pullout couch in the living room, for families looking for a little more privacy during their stay. At 530 – 620 sqft, these rooms are larger than my first city apartment was.
Another area where this hotel shines is the on-site restaurant, Bambara, which offers incredible breakfast, lunch, and dinner options for all ages. The food is and always has been incredible here, but if you visit during the colder months, ask for their grilled cheese and tomato soup. It is to die for.
This hotel also offers an exciting list of amenities for kids, so be sure to ask the front desk about the following if you decide to visit:
- Little Reader’s Club– children’s library at the front desk
- Family-friendly courtyard games and board games
- Weekly activations and pop-ups
- Children’s menu in the restaurant
- Scooters
- Go pro and Polaroid for the older kids
- Bathrobes
- Toys at the front desk
- Children’s activity books
- Pack and plays
- Little Free Library
- Strollers
- Rubber duckies for the bath
- Kids in-room movies
- Bikes, kayaks, paddle boards
Finding family-friendly hotels in Boston, or in any big city, can be a challenge, especially if you still have kids on the younger side, and every hotel will likely offer at least some of these amenities for traveling families, but if you’re planning to stay in the city for more than a couple of days, these are the hotels that my family and I find ourselves coming back to time and time again.