Best of Boston

Once the big chains got wise to the fact that people like to stay in quirky, independent places when they travel, the term “boutique hotel” started to get watered down: Suddenly, any place with a Louis Ghost chair or free cookies in the lobby was branding itself with the B-word. Columbus Hospitality Group’s 63-room XV Beacon hotel, however, is the real deal—a locally owned gem that’s straight luxe, from the cashmere throws to the complimentary car service.