By Holly Rosen Fink, GoGirlfriend Contributor

Getting Our Culture and History Fix at Royal Sonesta Boston

My family travels wide and far during most school breaks, but during a recent one in February, we decided to lay low and stay close to home and head to Boston. For one thing, we are determined to see more of America as we typically travel abroad during school vacations. Plus, my teenage daughter is gearing up to look at colleges, so we would be able to make that a part of our travels. After all, there are one hundred and fourteen colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Lastly, we have a really good time as a family exploring cities offering a good dose of history and culture. We like to shop, visit museums, explore landmarks, and experience different types of cuisine.

Our destination: Royal Sonesta Boston, a centrally located hotel on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge, Ma.  The hotel is within walking distance to historic attractions, museums and Kendall Square, Boston’s new internationally recognized innovation district. In addition, the hotel has been renovated, offering a more modern design, has an award-winning culinary team behind its restaurants, and an indoor pool.

The end result? A relaxing, enjoying weekend for us all. I’m a city girl at heart, and so is my daughter. My husband and son have a penchant for exploration, both in and out of the city, so the combination of everything the Royal Sonesta and Boston has to offer satisfied all of us.

Here’s the low-down on our weekend activities …

Family-friendly accommodations

Our River View Guest Room at the Royal Sonesta was spacious, nicely decked out, and fully equipped with a grand view of the Charles River and Boston skyline.  Contemporary and so very 2019, we had all the amenities we needed including complimentary wireless high-speed internet access, roomy bathroom, electric drapes, a closed-captioned television, and a bottle of wine – all beautiful rooms should come with wine, in my opinion, even on a family holiday as kids do whine!

Although we were tempted to hunker down in our room and soak in the ambiance, the hotel offers a gym, pool, complimentary wine in the later afternoons, and on-site restaurants so it was very compelling to leave to explore and utilize the hotel. In addition to our city explorations, we had plenty to do. But the best part about our room and stay? It had to be that view of the Boston skyline.

Nice to know: We aren’t dog people (yet!), but it’s important to mention that the hotel is very welcoming toward dogs and there is a path along the Charles to walk your family canines, or simply to take a walk as a family. Plus, there is also impressive art in the hotel, including Andy Warhol, Aaron Fink, Dennis Croteau, and others lining the walls as part of a corporate initiative.

A culinary experience ... or two at ArtBar

There are several restaurants at the Royal Sonesta Boston which we were lucky to experience during our visit - and talk about deliciousness. The onsite chefs put a lot of thought and time into the planned menus. And fortunately, for me as a vegetarian, there were plenty of options for all of us. We had dinner at ArtBar, a small restaurant with a great vibe. We happily munched on hummus and crispy chicken wings as starters and dined on steak, salads and roasted salmon as our mains. The fish was cooked just right and the wine was perfect to boot. Best of all, there were ample options for the kids. We also had one breakfast at the ArtBar, and there were plenty of kid-friendly options including blueberry ricotta pancakes and avocado toast. Another piece of good news is that the hotel offers egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, whole grain baked goods, and artisanal breads.

We also made several stops at Studio, the lobby coffee shop, which serves pastries and coffee from Starbucks. We are a coffee and tea drinking family after all, so the spot was very convenient to quench our thirst at various times during our stay. The hotel also offers Studio Express, its indoor room service, which is something that could mean a lot to traveling families.

Exploring Boston with the kids

Boston is a walking town. We managed to walk everywhere, pretty much right from the hotel, and we left no stone unturned. Given our short time in the city, we started in Boston Common and the Public Garden. Then we walked a great bit of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile red brick path that takes you to sixteen of Boston’s most important sites. It took us around three hours to walk the trail while stopping in at some of the attractions like the Paul Revere House and the U.S.S. Constitution.

We grabbed lunch at Quincy Market in Faneuil Hall Marketplace and then sat on the steps and took in some of the local entertainment. We ended up at Cheers, the bar the TV show was based on where I channeled the characters Sam Malone and Diane Chambers. Our day had a bit of history and a bit of entertainment.

A highlight of the day for the family was Boston’s Museum of Science, which is adjacent to the hotel. The museum features over 700 interactive exhibits and several live presentations daily. My son, a science and technology junkie, was riveted by the experience. We also loved exploring the North End, Boston’s Little Italy, the city’s oldest residential community, which is full of Italian restaurants and coffee shops, and historic sites such as the 1680 Paul Revere House and the Old North Church.

And yes, we did manage to visit a few colleges. Boston University tops the list at the moment. It’s one of 35 colleges, universities, and community colleges in Massachusetts, so there is a lot to see.

What we like about Royal Sonesta Boston

• Complimentary parking in onsite garage on select days and weekends.
• Free afternoon wine tastings from 5-6pm.
• Indoor pool for kids to burn off steam.
• Comfortable, newly renovated rooms with modern technological features.
• The path on the Charles River to walk down and take in the wonderful views.
• Friendly staff at reception.
• Close proximity to Boston’s Museum of Science.
• Location, location, location!

Check out their property online at the Royal Sonesta Boston, their reviews on TripAdvisor, their Facebook and Twitter feeds and find the Royal Sonesta Boston specials here. We always recommend you book early to reserve your next getaway opportunity.

Have you stayed at the Royal Sonesta Boston as your base of travel while exploring Boston? We'd love to hear about where you've based your Boston explorations. Drop a comment below and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Disclosure: Holly’s stay and meals were provided by the hotel to facilitate this review, but all opinions are her own.

About Holly Rosen Fink

Holly Rosen Fink is a Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Branding and Social Media expert and writer based in Larchmont, New York. She is a current contributor to Trekaroo, OffMetro, Family Vacation Critic, and Women and Hollywood.