Editorial score of 8.8 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why does InterContinental Boston rank seventh in the city?
InterContinental Boston ranks seventh because it is the most reliably corporate luxury hotel in the city, and it does that job with unusual clarity. The building at 510 Atlantic Avenue is a full glass curtain wall on the Fort Point Channel, so the water and the skyline behave like the principal decorators: from a harbour-view room you fall asleep with the working port in one window and the Custom House Tower in the other. As an IHG flagship it holds four stars rather than the five that the Four Seasons and the Newbury carry, and the interiors read as clean and current rather than storied. That is precisely why it sits just outside the top tier, and precisely why the right traveller prefers it.
What holds the score up is location and consistency. The Rose Kennedy Greenway is across the street, South Station is a short walk for the Acela to New York, the Seaport is across the channel, and the Financial District begins one block inland. The 424 rooms are larger than Boston's historic-luxury average, the 45-foot indoor lap pool and the 6,600-square-foot Spa InterContinental are genuinely good for a downtown business hotel, and the service is the well-drilled, points-aware hospitality that IHG flagships deliver day in and day out. Set expectations for a modern waterfront business hotel rather than a five-star grande dame, and it delivers the assignment cleanly.
Business travel is the obvious use case, but the hotel quietly suits two other guests. Families gain a rare combination of a real indoor pool, rooms large enough for a rollaway without contortion and a Greenway address that walks straight to Faneuil Hall and the New England Aquarium, with connecting rooms available on request at booking. Couples marking an anniversary who prefer a working harbour at dawn over Beacon Hill nostalgia can book the harbour side, dine at Matria and then walk ten minutes into the North End for a cannoli. The common thread is walkable convenience with real space and a proper pool, which is exactly what the historic addresses uptown tend to sacrifice.
Which rooms should you request?
Request a premium harbour-view room or suite on a high floor, because the outlook over the Fort Point Channel is the reason to book here. The 424 rooms and suites are larger than Boston's historic-luxury average, with floor-to-ceiling windows that genuinely reach the floor, and the harbour categories look straight over the working port, the early ferries to Long Wharf and the Seaport skyline rising across the water. Suites add separate living rooms and, on the higher floors, two-aspect glazing that flatters every photograph. The furnishings are contemporary, neutral and unobtrusive, so the room reads as a frame for the city rather than the picture itself.
One honest caveat: the harbour-view categories carry a real price step above the city-side rooms, and the city-side rooms look inland over the Financial District rather than over the water, which is a duller outlook for the money. Because this is a modern glass tower rather than a period building, guests who want carved cornices and Old Boston atmosphere will find the interiors current rather than characterful. Treat the room as a glass frame, book the harbour side and the highest floor your budget allows, and there is very little to fault.
Ask for a high-floor harbour-view room for the port at dawn, and book a lane in the 45-foot lap pool before the morning rush. If you take early calls before sunrise, request a quieter city-side room instead, then move to the water view for the weekend. The concierge team can arrange a private harbour cruise on request.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
The hotel rebuilt its dining in 2024, so ignore older reviews that still list Miel Brasserie and the RumBa bar, both of which have closed. The signature restaurant is now Matria, a Northern Italian steakhouse built around the cooking of the Piedmont region, with premium cuts, housemade pastas and an old-world wine list, plus waterside tables on the Fort Point Channel for the warmer months. Its companion is Bar Fellini, a cocktail bar that reworks Italian classics such as the Negroni and the Martini alongside boards of meats, cheeses and olives. Between the two you can run a working breakfast, a long celebratory dinner or a late drink without leaving the building.
Does it have a spa and pool?
Yes, and the wellness offer is one of the strongest for a downtown Boston business hotel. Spa InterContinental runs about 6,600 square feet on the second level, with six treatment rooms and a full menu of massage, body and facial care, plus steam rooms and locker facilities. Alongside it sits a 24-hour health club with cardio and weight equipment and, the real anomaly, a 45-foot indoor heated lap pool long enough for genuine laps. Most Boston luxury hotels treat wellness as an afterthought, so a proper pool and a full-size spa in the same building is a real point in the InterContinental's favour.
Signature amenities
On the Fort Point Channel waterfront
Fort Point Channel · waterfront edge of the Financial District
What's nearby
- Rose Kennedy Greenway
Linear park2 min walk - Financial District
Business core3 min walk - Boston Tea Party Ships
Museum & ships5 min walk - South Station
Acela & Red Line6 min walk - Seaport
Waterfront district10 min walk
The waterfront, the rooms, the pool
Waterfront
Harbour-view room
Indoor pool
Matria diningHow does InterContinental Boston compare with the city's other business hotels?
Against the field, InterContinental Boston is the modern waterfront choice for a corporate stay, and the decision comes down to what you want a short walk from your door. Boston Harbor Hotel is the higher-ranked Waterfront alternative at Rowes Wharf, five-star and built around its landmark arch, with arrivals by water and a stronger harbour setting. Boston Marriott Copley Place trades the waterfront for Back Bay, plugging straight into Copley Place shopping and the convention centre. The Colonnade Hotel sits at the Prudential Center end of Back Bay with a well-known summer rooftop pool. The InterContinental's own trade-off is that it is a four-star modern glass building rather than a five-star or a storied address, and the city-side rooms miss the water view.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| InterContinental Boston | Modern waterfront business hotel | Harbour views, pool, IHG points | Four-star modern; city-side rooms miss the water |
| Boston Harbor Hotel | Waterfront at Rowes Wharf | Harbour setting, arrivals by water | Away from Back Bay shopping; higher rates |
| Boston Marriott Copley Place | Back Bay convention hotel | Copley shopping, meetings, transit | Large and corporate; less waterfront character |
| The Colonnade Hotel | Back Bay near the Prudential | Rooftop pool, Prudential access | No harbour setting; quieter dining |
Frequently asked questions
How many rooms does InterContinental Boston have?
InterContinental Boston has 424 rooms and suites across a glass-curtain waterfront building at 510 Atlantic Avenue. The rooms are larger than Boston's historic-luxury average, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the harbour-view categories look straight over the Fort Point Channel and the working port.
What are the restaurants and bars at InterContinental Boston?
The hotel's dining was rebuilt in 2024. The signature restaurant is now Matria, a Northern Italian steakhouse focused on Piedmont-region cooking, premium cuts and an old-world wine list, with waterside tables on the Fort Point Channel. Its companion is Bar Fellini, a cocktail bar reworking Italian classics such as the Negroni and Martini. The earlier Miel Brasserie and RumBa bar have closed.
Does InterContinental Boston have a spa and pool?
Yes. Spa InterContinental runs about 6,600 square feet with six treatment rooms, steam rooms and a full menu of massage, body and facial treatments. Alongside it sits a 24-hour health club and a 45-foot indoor heated lap pool, which is unusually good for a downtown Boston business hotel.
Where is InterContinental Boston located?
The hotel is at 510 Atlantic Avenue, on the Fort Point Channel edge of the Financial District. The Rose Kennedy Greenway is across the street, South Station is about a six-minute walk for the Acela, and the Seaport and the Boston Tea Party Ships are a short walk across the channel.
Is InterContinental Boston good for business travel?
It is one of the most practical luxury choices in Boston for business. The Financial District begins one block inland, South Station and the Seaport are both a short walk, IHG One Rewards earning and status apply, the meeting facilities are properly equipped, and the in-room desks are large. Request a city-side room if you take early calls before sunrise.
Other luxury stays in Boston
#4 · WaterfrontBoston Harbor Hotel
#8 · CopleyBoston Marriott Copley Place
#9 · Back Bay