Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
There’s nothing that the city of Boston is more known for than its image and noise. Music and art have been at the core of what makes the city run for about as long as it has existed, and this can be seen to this day in the amazing array of museums, hangout spots, and gardens it is home to.
Massachusetts as a whole is well known for the strength of its culture and the uniqueness of its food, and – as the state’s capital city – it’s no surprise that Boston follows suit directly, even when it comes to queer issues.
Even though the state has garnered some negative attention in the press recently regarding queer rights thanks to extremist groups holding so-called ‘Straight Pride’ rallies, Massachusetts’ affinity with queerness is much older, more prominent, and much more positive than that. It was the first state in the USA to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004 and the first state to have an openly queer state representative Elaine Noble.
If you’re looking for an amazing, colorful, and loud LGBTQ scene while visiting Boston, the South End is the place for you – full to the brim with all manner of trendy eateries and top-notch restaurants, as well as a long line of well-established gay clubs and queer bars. Interested in a more wide-ranging and less specific experience? No problem!
The nearby neighborhoods of Jones Hill, Melville Park, and Savin Hill are perfect for mixing a queer holiday experience with sampling the wider culture of the city and allow visitors to truly get hands-on with the sense of what makes Boston special as a city and cultural center.
But now, on to the true point of this list – accommodation. As much of a shame as it is, one cannot simply spend one’s entire holiday out on the streets of a city getting to know it better and enjoying what it has to offer, and as such, we come to doing our best to find the gay hotels for all possible tastes so that travelers such as yourselves can make the best possible experiences in Boston.
Obviously, in most cases, there aren’t going to be hotels out there marketed directly towards gay people or queer people in general. We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of them have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to, for, and by queer people in general, as well as being highly rated.
So, with that laid out as clear as day, it’s time to get your chic hat on and get out into the noise of Boston’s streets! What awaits is an adventure unlike any other, and what better way to get things started than with a trip through the top eight best queer-friendly and gay hotels in Boston has to offer?
In this article we will cover...
Boston Harbor Hotel
Although it’s a bit of a high-shelf start for this list and certainly not one of the more affordable options, the Boston Harbor Hotel is perfect for those looking for a luxury gay hotel experience in Boston and goes about what it does with unrivaled expertise.
This hotel has all five stars, which shows with just about every space that forms part of it. The Boston Harbor Hotel perfectly represents what Boston is all about – quaint, well-maintained nooks for socialization, a sense of deep culture, and wonderful views out over a colorful, lively city.
Just like the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, which comes next in second spot, the Boston Harbor Hotel enjoys positively wonderful views out over the Boston Main Channel and the wonderful neighborhood in the surrounding area.
The Waterfront district is famous for its wide variety of natural spaces and parks and an amazing concentration of seafood restaurants and other food joints to sate your hunger after long walks through the scenery and city streets. There is also the unique opportunity of taking sightseeing cruises out onto the water if that’s something you’re interested in, or even going to the New England Aquarium’s IMAX Theatre.
Sound a bit tame to you? No problem. Some of the best reviews for the Boston Harbor Hotel mention its proximity to the Waterfront’s nightlife as one of the hotel’s highest winning points, so if it’s a queer night scene, you came to Boston looking for, this is one of the best places to find it. The South End area is remarkably near this hotel, and the fun starts there. Clubs, bars, and hangout spots are all yours to explore and fully enjoy.
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
Located in the very heart of the South End district discussed at the beginning of this text, the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport lives up to the promise made by its name with its exquisite sea and harbor views, as well as its four-star rating and incredible dedication to service and attention to detail.
The vast majority of the rooms are incredibly well positioned for a perfect eyeshot out over the best parts of the city, and the rooftop pool leaves absolutely nothing to be desired.
All of this is without mentioning the hotel’s wonderful common spaces, such as its lounge, its bar space, and its in-house restaurants, it is hard to stress how truly beautiful the Omni Boston Hotel’s common spaces are, and so we recommend that you go and check it out for yourself so that you can fall in love with what there is to see.
There’s also a spa and fitness center duo in this hotel, which is always an excellent opportunity to relax and put your feet up. Not everyone will use these facilities while they’re on holiday and busy exploring, but – once more – we recommend you try it before leaving the hotel for good if you decide to stay here, as it is truly an experience to remember.
The Omni Hotel isn’t just all pretty looks, either. It also has more than its share of practical and functional benefits, the first of which is a fully operational event hall open for hiring for both business and personal purposes. This means that if you’re looking for a place to hold that get-together or maybe even that wedding between you and your special someone, then this is the place to do it.
Boston Park Plaza
Those of our readers who are looking to remain a little pocket- and wallet-conscious while holidaying this year will be thankful for the Boston Park Plaza’s inclusion into this list, both thanks to the hotel’s comparatively low rates when one takes the first two hotels into account, and also because its central nature in the heart of Boston makes public transport cheaper and easier to access.
Although it doesn’t try to make a grasp at being ‘luxury for cheap’ like the YOTEL, which comes up next on this list, the Boston Park Plaza nevertheless presents a very reliable and pleasant accommodation experience that is perfect for those who would rather have a little more to spend on activities, bars, and food while on their trip rather than putting it all down on the hotel for just a few extra fittings and amenities.
Suppose you are willing to drop a few more pennies. In that case, however, the hotel offers extended suites with separate living and dining rooms as well as kitchenettes and superior views out over the stunning vista of the harbor and the surrounding streets.
The Boston Park Plaza is well-known and highly reviewed thanks to its amazing service and proximity to public transport and many of Boston’s most important urban areas, including the South End district. If you’re looking for a location central to the city’s queer culture and access to almost everything there is to experience in Boston’s nightlife, then this is the place for it.
Even if you’re not looking to immerse yourself in the queer scene of the city, however, the extended Downtown region makes for an amazing experience both day and night thanks to its wide variety of shops, restaurants, and hangout spots.
YOTEL Boston
YOTEL Boston is yet another one of the hotels on this list to take advantage of both the harbor district and proximity to the South End – rising high above both the water and the buildings around it to present an almost uninterrupted view of the bay and the upstate streets.
There are a lot of options for travelers that like port views here, but not a lot of them keep up as well inside nor have rates as low as the YOTEL Boston, and that is where this hotel pulls up in front of the pack, even though it only has four stars, and even though it may not have the same level of charisma that locations charging twice its nightly price have.
Another marked positive about the YOTEL Boston is its status as one of the three or four explicit LGBTQ+-friendly hotels on this list, which is always a massive relief. This makes it a perfect retreat for couples looking to share a romantic getaway on a budget, thanks to the fact that the lower rates truly don’t cause any important part of the hotel’s accommodation experience to suffer.
The Fort Point area is well known for its Industrial-Chic style and strong connection to art and music culture, making it a must-visit for any travelers interested in that kind of niche.
There are a lot of boutique and exclusive dining locations in the nearby region as well, meaning that no matter what your taste in food is, you’re going to have very good chances of finding the perfect luxury restaurant for you to truly sink your teeth into something divine. In truth, however, you needn’t even leave the hotel to enjoy wonderful fare thanks to the YOTEL’s very own classy bar and restaurant ensemble.
Club Quarters Hotel Faneuil Hall
Although it’s one of the more affordable options on this list, that doesn’t take away anything from the Club Quarters Hotel Faneuil’s sense of style and the fashionable energy in the building that it seems to pick up from the living, breathing streets outside.
Boston has that effect on hotels and also on people, and as such, this particular location represents the accommodation scene of the city wonderfully without having to take too much out of travelers’ pockets. The Club Quarters is truly the epitome of chic culture and trendy spaces and is a perfect example of why fashion doesn’t have to come at the expense of sky-high rates.
The Club Quarters isn’t explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly, unlike the YOTEL Boston before it, but this fact is remedied by the healthy amount of positive reviews that it has earned from queer travelers in the past. Boston is a city of laid-back atmosphere and class, and as such, it is very little surprise that queer travelers taking a holiday here are in for a good time.
The South End and Downtown – as we’ve discussed heavily earlier in this list – are perfect spots for experiencing this specific side of the city, and if that’s the kind of scene you’re looking to explore, then the queer quarter is sure to welcome you with warm, welcoming arms.
On paper, the Club Quarters is supported well by its very own restaurant and bar combination on the ground floor, and the cherry on the cake is undoubtedly its fitness center, gym, and spa section. Some of the rooms at this hotel have kitchens, and if you’re in doubt, an upgrade to an elevated suite with the biggest spaces and better views is just a few extra dollars away.
Oasis Guest House
We don’t have many guest houses on these lists, but when a gay-owned and quite wonderful place of accommodation such as this one presents itself, it’s hard not to give that location the attention it deserves.
We strongly believe that you will be surprised to the highest degree by exactly how luxurious and well-trimmed this place of accommodation is, especially when considering its independent management and isolation from usual hotel services.
The Oasis Guest House passed its 40th year of service to the community and gay and straight travelers from all around the world last year, and the rest of us can only watch on and hope that this legend perseveres into the future, so important as its contribution to queer culture and the energy of life in the Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood.
Now for some of the on-paper benefits of this lovely queer-owned location. Speaking of place, the site of the Oasis Guest House is excellent and is linked closely to all forms of public transport.
The free breakfast is highly praised for its elaborate and amazing nature, and there are no less than nine types of rooms to choose from depending on your preference, ranging from suites with decks, full house-like bathrooms, and separate dining areas and living areas.
Common areas are also well-polished, albeit small in number, with the most notable being the central lounge with a cozy fireplace, a guest computer, and plenty of sitting areas to catch up with fellow travelers or meet new people.
Service is well-lauded as a whole, and the historical structure of the Oasis’s brownstone building is sure to give many guests just that right amount of charm while remaining in touch with the modernity and forward-thinking nature of the city all around it.
Eliot Hotel
Proudly packing four stars and a sterling base of customer reviews across all major platforms, the Eliot Hotel strikes the perfect balance between experiencing luxury and remaining casual, making for a much more relaxing experience overall than hotels with a higher price tag and a more exhausting level of decadence.
Eliot’s casual, respectful, and easy air continues to its guest policy, which is one of the few in the city to allow pets to be brought into rooms and one of the only to explicitly provide support to parents with children of all ages.
If you fit either of these groups – pet owner or parent – this hotel is a natural choice for you, thanks to the sheer level of comfort and privacy you’ll be afforded to care for your small companion and yourself. There’s also a bar and restaurant ensemble for all your food and drink needs and more than enough space for socialization and hanging out with fellow travelers.
Suppose there’s one thing that Boston excels the most at. In that case, it’s the city’s uncanny ability to make casual, friendly contact feel natural and engaging, and this aspect of Boston’s culture makes it such an excellent location to visit.
However, this talk of casual accommodation and lenience doesn’t take away from the fact that this is still a luxury hotel. There is a valet service and free parking if you arrive with a car, as well as laundry, room, and event hosting services that present all of the main benefits held by the other, more costly hotels on this list. While the Eliot Hotel may not be so over-the-top as the other options in Boston, it certainly makes every cent of its affordable rates count.
W Boston, a Marriott Hotel
Anyone who has read our lists of gay hotels for other cities will know that we admire the quality and stature of W Hotels, which most absolutely extends to the brand’s Boston location!
The W Hotel franchise also has a top-shelf reputation regarding its treatment of queer travelers and its status as a gay hotel, which is one of the main reasons the individual locations belonging to the brand are so often seen on these lists.
The Boston location is no different story, and this fact is easily proven thanks to the hotel’s official LGBTQ+-friendly badge and the sheer amount of satisfied reviews from queer travelers who have stayed here in the past.
Some of the more easily quantifiable benefits that the W Boston offers are its proximity to public transport, its central location, and the sheer amount of money- and time-saving services it possesses. There’s breakfast on offer every morning, complimentary parking in the hotel’s surroundings, and room service to keep you well-fed and happy around the clock.
If you’re interested in personal training or simply in keeping your regime going, you’ll be glad to know that there is a fitness center and gym in this particular location, and if you value your relaxation time and your self-health, you’re sure to find yourself chilling and putting your feet up in the hotel’s spa not long after arrival.
Much like a few of the hotels we covered right at the beginning of this list, W Boston’s practicality is strongly supported by a business center and event space open for hire. Once more, if you’re looking to hold a get-together or a wedding, this would most definitely be the luxurious option to choose.
Gay Hotel Map Of Boston
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Boston? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Boston! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Boston.
