4th of July

Help! I%26#39;d like to surprise my husband with a trip to Boston during the 4th of July festivities -especially the fireworks display. Can someone suggest the best area to stay in close proximity to the celebration? Price is not a factor.....Thanks!

4th of July

Any of the major hotels in the Back Bay such as the Boston Sheraton, Back Bay Hilton, or Marriot Copley Place are good. The Long Wharf Marriot, the Boston Harbor Hotel offer easy access to Charter Boat cruises to view the fireworks. The Hotel Sonesta on the Cambridge side of the Charles River is another option, right in the thick things.

4th of July

Some other hotels which would be convenient:

The Cambridge Marriott in Kendall Sq. You can walk onto the Longfellow bridge from the hotel and get a great view of the fireworks. or walk all the way across and go to the Hatch for the concert.

The Government Center Holiday Inn. Not a luxury hotel, but very nice and again, a short walk to the hatch shell and the festivities.

The Ritz Carleton on Arlington St. (the older one, not the Boston Common one), which is a short walk to the Fiedler footbridge and the hatch shell as well.

XV Beacon St., a small luxury boutique hotel, which is also a short walk to the Esplanade and all the action.

While I agree with the previous posts regarding hotels in the area, my personal preference would be to stay on the waterfront (harbor), or in a high-rise hotel with a view of the ';celebration';. ';Close proximity'; may not be all that it%26#39;s cracked up to be when you try to navigate the surrounding streets either on foot or by car on the 4th. Personally, I%26#39;d look for a harbor or river cruise to view the fireworks and book early... and stay in a hotel away from the mayhem.

I mourn the days when the 4th on the Esplanade was a fun, stress-free event. Now it%26#39;s a mob scene, with all the best seating fenced off and reserved for exclusive use of ';sponsoring'; companies and foundations and their executives, clients, etc.

Close hotels include the Ritz, the Four Seasons, Omni Parker House, Nine Zero, and OXV Beacon. The last two are pretty neat, if not pricey boutique hotels.

Additionally, the Marriott Long Wharf is a great hotel.

Boston is a small city, but make sure you get a good map! Our streets don%26#39;t always make sense.

The Esplanade is a little crazy and crowded, but there is something refreshing about seeing all those people out there to celebrate the US. I can%26#39;t think of any other city I like to spend the 4th in.

You might might want to check out www.bostonusa.com

This site has a lot of good info.

and

http://ussconstitutionlottery.com/

The second is the link to enter the lottery to be aboard the Constitution for its annual turnaround.