A guide to the city's best digs

Boston is a town of many firsts: the first subway system, the first public school in the US, and... uh... first city that starts with a B to have an eponymous band that was started in the '70s. But if you want to see said subway system, public school, and inventor/philanthropist Tom Schulz, you'll need plenty of rest. Here are our picks for the best lodgings in Beantown, so you can book a room with Peace of Mind. Omni Parker House60 School St; 617.227.8600 Billed as Boston's oldest and most storied hotel, this historic, 551-room landmark opened downtown in 1855 and lays claim to having hosted literature's legendary Saturday Club (Longfellow, Emerson, John Oliver Wendell Holmes) and inventing the Boston Cream Pie. Read the full review...The Lenox Hotel61 Exeter St; 617.536.5300 Boldly laying claim to the title of "Original Boutique Hotel", this 214-room Boylston Street institution, founded in 1900, was once proclaimed to be the "The Waldorf-Astoria of Boston", and blends historic charm with European style right in the middle of the Back Bay. Read the full review...The Liberty Hotel215 Charles St; 617.224.4000 Built in 1851 (and run until 1990) as the Charles Street Jail, this massive granite-and-brick structure situated off the Charles River at the foot of Beacon Hill now boasts 298 guest rooms, an "I'm totally staying in a prison" historical vibe, and five different spots where you can dine and imbibe. Read the full review...Onyx Hotel155 Portland St; 617.557.9955 Opened in 2004 while, by pure coincidence, Britney Spears was on a tour of the exact same name, this Bulfinch Triangle 112-room Kimpton property boasts a mod aesthetic, hosts an evening wine hour, and sits mere steps away from the TD Garden. Read the full review...Hotel Commonwealth500 Commonwealth Ave; 617.933.5000 Boasting choice views of (and a three-block walk to) historic Fenway Paaaaaahk, Hotel Commonwealth's a 149-room luxury Kenmore Square boutique that's connected to not one, not two, but three of the city's top restaurants & bars. Read the full review...Houseboat on the Harbor1 Pier Eight; Email for reservations Why stay at a hotel on the water when you can channel your inner Sonny Crockett and stay on the water, thanks to this "fun and funky" Airbnb houseboat that sleeps six, rocks exposed beams and dual decks, and is docked in a harbor marina that's within walking distance of both downtown and Old (but-not-Michael) Ironsides. Read the full review...Ames Hotel 1 Court St; 617.979.8100 Located in a historic 1893 building that's considered one of the Hub's first skyscrapers (13 stories!!!), this three-year-old, 114-room downtown hotel deftly pays homage to its 19th-century origins whilst exhibiting an uber-contemporary "minimal and sleek framework". Oh yeah, and it's right in the middle of everything. Read the full review...Revere Hotel200 Stuart St; 617.482.1800 Situated a stone's throw from Boston Common in the heart of the Theater District, this sleekly designed, 356-room boutique housed in a former much-less-sleekly-designed Radisson is the Hub's newest hotel, and houses a trendy lounge, a massive theater, and one of the city's scant few rooftop pools. Read the full review...