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.

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.

Boasting the city's only rooftop pool, this 285-room Back Bay hotel offers spacious standard rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, a fitness center with South End views, and an affordable French brasserie. Score a cheap rate, and it's worth it -- despite the lack of 24-hour room service and the daily Wi-Fi charge.

The 148-room Hotel Commonwealth is one of the most well-rounded boutique hotels in Boston. With its classical (but slightly dowdy) furnishings, large rooms, and impressive array of services, it captures the spirit of the city like few others.

Just around the corner from Newbury Street, this French-inspired, 95-unit Back Bay boutique offers mostly spacious, elegant suites with (smallish) marble bathrooms, a well-regarded French restaurant and sashimi bar, free passes to Boston Sports Club, and in-room touch-screens through which guests can make lots of service requests.

Occupying a former jail, the 298-room Liberty Hotel is truly unique, with a playful design that incorporates the incarceration theme in fun ways. The stunning lobby, comfortable rooms and quality on-site restaurants make this hotel a good choice -- but mediocre service and amenities keep it from being a great one.

With large, stylish rooms, a Jean-Georges restaurant, a happening bar, and a Bliss spa, the sleek, 235-room outpost of the trendy brand offers a striking, modern alternative to Boston's historic hotels and traditional chains. Too bad it lacks the unique charms of smaller boutique properties.

On a barren street in the desolate West End, the once-stylish Onyx Hotel is affordable and convenient if you're catching a Celtics or Bruins game at TD Garden or visiting nearby Mass General Hospital. But otherwise it's fairly removed from prime tourist attractions. And while the rooms are comfortable (if small), amenities are slim and the service could be more polished.

After a thorough 2008 renovation, this historic 143-room hotel in Back Bay features cutely decorated (if tiny) rooms, a fun martini bar, free Wi-Fi, and free wine and coffee in the cozy lobby. The fitness center is small and the restaurant doesn't serve lunch unless requested for a private function. Low prices make it a solid value choice, however, especially for the central Copley Square location.

This 190-room boutique hotel from the off-beat Kimpton group has a great location across the street from the Boston Common, an excellent on-site steakhouse, and an open-arms policy toward pets. The amenities are modest, and the service is middling, but otherwise a decent midpriced option if you like this kind of aggressively contemporary design.