The Langham, Boston

"A luxurious hotel located in the historic Federal Reserve Bank building, offering sophisticated rooms with leather furnishings, plush bedding, and marble baths. Known for its indoor swimming pool and award-winning restaurant, Grana." - Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of Be a Travel Writer, an online course for the next generation of travel journalists. Her photos, videos, and words have appeare

"In the heart of Boston’s Financial District, this Langham offers as much style as it does comfort. The ground-floor cocktail bar and a cavernous Italian restaurant in the former bank’s grand hall, located off picturesque Post Office Square, have had Bostonians eager to get back in the building for cocktails or a brunch reservation since the property closed in 2019 for a two-year facelift. But the real treasures are in the rooms, where creature comforts like velvet-soft robes and a heavenly bed can make you forget the busy world outside. Book a Chairman Suite for top-floor views and a massive white-marble bathroom. Rooms from $425. —Shannon McMahon" - Shannon McMahon, Todd Plummer

"Why book? For truly opulent yet thoughtful digs in a renovated historic site that offers as much style as it does comfort; think local art in all 312 rooms, not-so-mini bars stocked with Massachusetts-sourced goodies, 18 suites with heated bathroom floors, and chic dining (and imbibing) options that have long attracted locals. Set the scene: In the heart of Boston’s Financial District, this Langham sees a well-heeled clientele that includes both suited businessmen off-the-street as well as established families, creatives, and couples just passing through town. The ground-floor cocktail bar and a separate cavernous Italian restaurant in the former bank’s grand hall, both located off picturesque Post Office Square, is usually full of busy Bostonians passing through downtown, especially after work hours. The backstory: Originally built in 1922, the building was once Boston’s U.S. Federal Reserve Bank—a fact easily discernible from the landmark-designation plaque outside, and the many Fed crests adorning the property’s original entryways and floors. Langham took over the building in the 1980s after the Federal Reserve moved down the street to a skyscraper, although the bank left behind two towering early-20th-century N.C. Wyeth murals (one of Abraham Lincoln with Solomon Chase, mirroring one of George Washington with Alexander Hamilton) apparently too big to fit in the new building. Known for its service-oriented hospitality, Langham welcomes visitors (guest or non-guest) to pay them a visit. Classic furniture and New England-chic decor throughout the property includes banquette seating, moody art and photography clustered on every wall, dollar-bill-inspired flooring, and banker’s-box drawers adorning the walls of the lobby. Most art on-property (and in every room) was purchased from the Copley Society of Art, the oldest non-profit arts association in the U.S., which supported 350 local artists during the pandemic. The rooms: The real treasures are in the rooms, where creature comforts like velvet-soft robes and a heavenly bed can make you forget the busy world outside. Book a Chairmain Suite for top-floor views and a massive white-marble bathroom complete with heated floors and a steam shower. And don’t mistake the massive minibar for an armoire; it’s stocked with local beers and craft ciders (plus the obligatory French wines) and the Langham’s own special-edition Bully Boy Gin—all available for surprisingly reasonable prices. For even more space, ask about the loft-style suites you can book on the second floor: Their original two-story bank windows make them duplexes complete with a seating area looking out onto the lush green and pergolas of Post Office Square. Food and drink: The Langham’s two on-site dining options have Bostonians buzzing. The Fed, a street-level bar that serves elevated pub fare, raw-bar seafood, and inventive cocktails draws those who work in the area for after-work drinks—and has maintained some regulars from its pre-renovation days. (For something special, ask for the Vault spirits list, offering shots ranging from a slight splurge to $800-dollar pours of limited edition whiskeys.) Build your own seafood tower of all the crudos and local oysters your heart desires, or go for the signature toastie, and don’t miss the malted-whiskey frappe on the dessert menu—a perfect pairing with the grass-fed burger, if you dare. Grana (appropriately meaning ‘cash,’ in Italian slang) is housed in the building’s spectacular former bank hall, a grandiose atrium adorned with French chandeliers, original stone floors, and a three-dimensional Lady Liberty head watching over the dining room. The Italian restaurant is open for breakfast, weekend brunch, and lunch service—if you go, find the original Federal Reserve Bank of Boston seal, adorned with two mermaids and the Fed crest, at the center of the room. The spa: While there's no spa, the bilevel 24-hour fitness center with Peloton bikes, Echelon mirrors, a heated indoor pool, hot tub, and saunas offers a place to unwind. The neighborhood/area: The property is walking distance to the city’s biggest attractions: Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, the North End, Boston Harbor, and Seaport are all a stone’s throw away. Plus, every T (subway) line intersects here for ultra-easy access to virtually every outer neighborhood. Bustling during the day, the area becomes relatively quiet at night, while still promising walkable access to all the city’s best bars and restaurants. The service: The property’s warm staff spares no time or effort in their assistance: Order in-room breakfast for speedy white-tablecloth service at your door in minutes. Langham is known for its top-tier yet unpretentious service: Boxed waters are doled out on-sight at check-in (on top of the free ones stashed in your room). Don’t hesitate to ask the front desk for anything you may have forgotten to pack; it'll be hand-delivered in no time. For families: Families would have plenty of space in the property’s Family Rooms, and two-bedroom or loft-style suites. The area lends to kids with a nearby Children’s Museum and field-trip-famous offerings like the historic Freedom Trail. Accessibility: ADA-compliant, with wheelchair-accessible rooms and elevators." - Shannon McMahon

"A historic hotel providing upscale amenities and a refined atmosphere in Boston." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"“We were treated extremely well, and the Langham is proper luxury where you feel elevated,” wrote one voter of the No. 6 Langham, Boston. “The small touches are where they shine.”" - Travel + Leisure Editors