The 148-room Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay offers some of Boston's most luxurious standard rooms, plus a 16,000-square-foot spa and extraordinary service. It has no pool; and the views aren't as grand as those at the high-end properties on Copley Square. But it's as special as any hotel in Boston -- and a clear winner if you prefer contemporary to traditional decor and ambience.

One of the city's top hotels with amazing service, a parkfront location, a great health club with a beautiful pool, and an iconic restaurant, the 273-room Four Seasons offers luxurious and spacious rooms with stunning granite bathrooms. But there's no full spa on-site.

With impeccable service, some of the biggest guest rooms in Boston, and a phenomenal gym, spa, and lap pool, the 230-room Boston Harbor Hotel is among the city's most luxurious hotels. The restaurant is celebrated for its extensive wine collection, and the harborside location means gorgeous water views from many of the rooms.

A 63-room hotel with exquisite service, a genteel but easy-going vibe, and a beautiful location in residential Beacon Hill, Fifteen Beacon (or XV Beacon) blends historic New England elegance with modern, minimalist design and hi-tech amenities. A great fit for discerning business and leisure travelers.

The Boston Ritz-Carlton is refreshingly intimate with spacious, luxurious standard rooms and access, for a fee, to one of the city's best gyms, with its own spa, salon, and pool. But it doesn't thrill stylewise, service is uneven, and the restaurant is unremarkable.

With large, playfully furnished rooms, the 236-room Hotel Marlowe is one of Cambridge's most family-friendly hotels. Its neighbor, the Royal Sonesta Hotel, is cheaper and has a pool, but the Marlowe offers a boutique-like feel at a reasonable price, with personality to spare.

This cozy, 31-room boutique hotel has a stately Cambridge location a few blocks from Harvard Square, with easy access to the subway and several area colleges. Cozy rooms, though small, have refined decor and great amenities such as free Wi-Fi, Nespresso machines, and marble showers. Though on-site features are few (not unexpected for a small property), the hotel offers access to the neighboring fitness center and yoga studio, and in the evening the lobby becomes a lounge serving craft drinks.

This high-design property from the hip Morgans Hotel Group exudes sophistication. Period details -- the building, Boston's first skyscraper, dates back to 1889 -- are juxtaposed against sleek David Rockwell design. Rooms are gorgeous, with a black and white motif, comfortable beds, and modern technology. Bathrooms are similarly stylish, with Malin + Goetz toiletries and rain showerheads. The fitness center is small, but well-equipped, and meeting spaces are pleasant. There aren't any other features, but the service is solid and the location near Faneuil Hall and Beacon Hill is great. It's a first-rate choice for business travelers, trendy singles, and couples.

This cozy, 225-room hotel in a beautiful old building -- the former police headquarters -- is full of nice touches, from hot towels at check-in to free Wi-Fi in rooms. Sure, rooms aren't huge and the tiny fitness center disappoints, but beds are luxurious, the bar is lively, and service is lovely. Quite nice for the price.

A former Federal Reserve bank turned luxury hotel in the grey, sterile Financial District, the Langham boasts immaculate, distinctively Bostonian rooms (with flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi), spot-on service, and a stellar spa, but significant street noise keeps it from attaining perfection.