Many cities love their sports teams, but Boston takes its fandom to another level. When its squads win big championships — since the turn of the century, Boston’s four major professional teams (the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots and Bruins) have won 13 titles — there are parades in the streets. Kids skip school and adults play hooky from work to celebrate. And when they lose, the city may as well be in mourning.
Whether it’s the big four pro teams, area colleges and universities (like Harvard and Boston College), annual sporting events (see: April’s Boston Marathon and October’s Head of the Charles Regatta) or major one-off happenings like the upcoming FIFA World Cup, fans show up in a major way.
High-end hotels around town know this, which is why many of them cater to sports fans with all sorts of special perks and amenities. Keep reading for some of the overnight packages we can’t stop cheering for right now.
Encore Boston Harbor
A convenient perk for guests at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Encore Boston Harbor is complimentary round-trip shuttles to TD Garden, where the Bruins and Celtics play. If you prefer a more scenic route to watch Jayson Tatum or David Pastrnak in action, hop on the hotel’s water shuttle instead, which goes back and forth from Long Wharf.
Sports fans can also take advantage of exclusive room rates tied to each team. If you don’t have game tickets, no problem; you can still catch the action at the onsite Sportsbook, which boasts dozens of televisions, along with a 10-foot-high, 123-foot-long video wall.
If you are watching a game at the hotel, spend breaks in the casino, trying your luck at one of the many games on hand, checking out the hotel’s outstanding art collection or indulging at the 26,000-square-foot Five-Star spa, where superstitious fans can help their team to victory with the spa’s signature Good Luck Ritual.
Fairmont Copley Plaza
Forbes Travel Guide-Recommended Fairmont Copley Plaza offers a convenient location in the Back Bay as a base for many of the city’s top attractions, with the subway and commuter rail stations steps from the property. Its Boston Sports Fan Package includes fun amenities, such as local beers, peanuts and Cracker Jacks. And if the game goes late, you’ll appreciate the 1 p.m. late checkout the next day, too.
Pre-game at the gorgeous OAK Bar + Kitchen, where the bartenders are MVPs of their craft. Try a signature cocktail, like the Merry-Go-Round, made with gin, pomegranate syrup, curacao, foaming bitters and lemon, which pays homage to a real merry-go-round bar that used to be a showpiece at the historic hotel.
If you’re in town for the marathon, carbo-load with Oak Bar + Kitchen’s marathon pasta special and thematic cocktail, the 26.3 Shandy, made with Lalo tequila, Sam Adams 26.2 beer, agave and lemon juice.
Boston Harbor Hotel
College hockey fans should take note that Five-Star Boston Harbor Hotel is a sponsor of Hockey East, New England’s highly competitive college conference. Games in Boston are typically scheduled from October through March at venues such as TD Garden and city campuses.
The hotel offers a special 40% off package (use the code HOCKEY) so fans can enjoy the luxurious property when they aren’t rooting on their favorite teams. And its waterfront location, across from the Rose Kennedy Greenway, delivers plenty of places to enjoy the views.
If you prefer to relax indoors, Rowes Wharf Health Club, which recently underwent an $8 million transformation, boasts an indoor pool, hot tubs and saunas.
World Cup Packages That Will Wow You
As one of the hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the city will be the scene for seven matches between June 13 and July 9 at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium — Boston is gearing up to be in the spotlight this summer, and some of the top hotels are getting in on the fun with over-the-top packages to maximize enjoyment.
Raffles Boston offers an exclusive Sky to Stadium Presidential Experience package. A three-night stay in the hotel’s Presidential Suite, where guests will be greeted with international bites inspired by the competing teams, comes with a dedicated match-day butler, private helicopter transport to the stadium and a 90-minute Equilibrium Ritual at Guerlain Spa to unwind after all the excitement.
Forbes Travel Guide Recommended The Liberty Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel presents its GOAL-den Legendary Experience, which also includes a private helicopter ride to the game, plus tickets, autographed jerseys, two nights in the Ebersol Presidential Suite, a champagne toast and hospitality access before and after the game.
Additionally, Forbes Travel Guide Recommended XV Beacon’s World Cup Experience package includes a multi-night stay in a signature suite, a dedicated concierge team to handle all the logistics, luxury transportation and a champagne reception we’re sure you’ll get a kick out of at the stadium.
