What it is

A 22-room retreat partly housed in an 1888 home, with a locally loved Sunday Champagne Brunch Buffet.

What it isn't

Waiting for a tip. Aside from restaurants, staffers here can’t accept gratuity.

What we think

For anyone who wants to feel at home, Hastings Park—the only Relais & Chateaux property near Boston—is a kind of heaven. Complimentary amenities include continental breakfasts, parking, afternoon refreshments, loaner bikes (with helmets) and even test-drives of Volvos for self-guided tours of this particularly storied corner of Massachusetts. (Each guest room is pre-stocked with a gratis drink and snack center in a Smeg fridge, to boot). But the coziest aspect of all here are the rooms, each one adorned in neutral patterns and plush velvet and linen upholstery, and fitted with luxe touches, including Frette linens, Molton Brown amenities and iPhone docking stations. Book the 450-square-foot Barn Suite for a semi-private entrance, sunlit reading nook, soaking tub, rain shower and a gas fireplace practically tailor-made for late nights reading up on the Revolutionary War.

You're here because

The inn is happy to arrange some lovingly curated local thrills, including cycling the 11-mile Minuteman Bikeway.

The Moment

Whenever you see an afternoon tea offered at an inn, you stop in your tracks and book yourself a table. This one is particularly lovely, with cucumber and minted goat cheese and oaked smoked salmon and dill tea sandwiches, and scones and clotted cream aplenty. Pinkies out!

Restaurants & Bars

Town Meeting Bistro - Traditional bistro fare with a focus on New England flavors

Artistry on the Green *opening soon* - Fine dining using seasonal and local ingredients

Location

6 miles from Walden Pond—yes, the 64-acre body of water made famous by Henry David Thoreau—near downtown Lexington. While you’re here, it’s well worth driving 10 minutes away to Orchard House, Little Women writer Louisa May Alcott’s perfectly preserved home, where she lived with her family until 1877.