Hotel Review • North America • United States • Massachusetts • Boston
Revolution Hotel: Boston’s Coolest Mid-Century Stay for Budget-Conscious Travelers
Read our review of The Revolution Hotel in Boston’s South End, featuring loft suites, vibrant street art, Cal-Mex dining, and an ultra-walkable location.
Courtesy of The Revolution Hotel
BY LULU CHANG
Why it works
Hotel Snapshot
Boston has a habit of selling its past to visitors in costume, which is part of why The Revolution Hotel is such a relief. The 177-room property sits at the corner of Berkeley and Appleton in the South End, on a site that has been quietly radical since 1884, when it opened as one of the first YWCA buildings in the country. The hotel that occupies it now doesn't reenact any of that; it just puts it on the walls, in spray paint, and gets on with being one of the more interesting places to sleep in a city where interesting usually costs a great deal more.
Design & Character
The building itself is a 1953 mid-century structure, put up after the original YWCA came down, and it wears that plainness well: exposed concrete, a sweeping mezzanine, a bank of original resident mailboxes left in place like a fossil. Against all that restraint, the art does the shouting. A 65-foot Tristan Eaton mural wraps the lobby interior, folding Clara Barton and Malcolm X into something closer to a psychedelic city portrait than a history lesson. An "innovation tower" assembled from Brimfield antiques anchors the space. Upstairs, guest room murals carry lyrics from Boston musicians. I'd braced for a hotel that mistakes a photo op for a point of view; instead the pieces make the space come alive, and they're specific enough that you find yourself stopping in hallways.
The Rooms
We’re personal fans of the lofts, which sit across Berkeley Street in a South End brownstone rather than in the main hotel. It’s an unexpectedly chic way to feel like a local for a weekend; key in your own door, and come and go without crossing a lobby. The lofts run 230 to 290 square feet with an en-suite bath, premium bedding, and a kitchenette outfitted with actual cookware and plates, which matters more than it sounds when you'd rather make coffee in a robe than get dressed for it.
One thing to mention: much of the main building is given over to Bath: Down the Hall rooms, 115 to 150 square feet with ten private, single-occupant bathrooms per floor. It's a European setup with a Boston shrug. If it isn't for you, the Bath: In Room category, the lofts, and the top-floor suites all solve it.
Courtesy of The Revolution Hotel
Food & Drink
Cósmica, the Cal-Mex restaurant off the courtyard, is meaningfully north of the border in the best sense; the cooking is confident, the tequila list is long, and it's a legitimate destination rather than a hotel restaurant guests settle for. One floor down, Spy Bar is the property's newest and coolest asset, a hi-fi listening lounge from the team behind the Beehive, with low light, a carefully tuned system, live music, and cocktails engineered to be sipped slowly while you listen. It's effortlessly cool and an excellent nightcap without leaving the building. Kohi Coffee Co. handles mornings from a walk-up window.
Amenities
There's no spa, and the hotel doesn't pretend otherwise. What it has instead is useful: a fitness center with Peloton bikes, a garden-level workspace that I used on both ends of the stay and was glad to have, loaner Public bikes at the front desk, a water station on every guest floor, and a concierge team you text rather than approach. Dogs are welcome for a one-time $25 fee.
Location & Neighborhood Recs
You are in the middle of one of Boston's best and most walkable neighborhoods, and the correct move is to take advantage. Aquitaine and B&G Oysters are a short stroll down Tremont; Myers + Chang is worth the walk for dim sum brunch. Wander Union Park for the brownstones alone, and if you're here on a Sunday between May and October, the SoWa Open Market is four blocks away. Back Bay Station is walkable, and Copley Square, Newbury Street, and the Public Garden are all within reach on foot. One logistical note: there's no on-site parking, but the garage at 100 Clarendon runs about $30 per 24 hours with a hotel coupon.
Fast Facts
Location: 40 Berkeley Street, South End, Boston, MA
Vibe: Street-art energy in a mid-century shell; historically literate, never kitschy
Rating: 4.5/5
Room Count: 177
Pricing: From roughly $110/night for Bath: Down the Hall; lofts and suites priced higher and seasonally
Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The lofts across the street, which let you play South End resident for a weekend
Dining: Cósmica (Cal-Mex), Spy Bar (hi-fi listening lounge), Kohi Coffee Co.
Amenities: Fitness center with Peloton bikes, garden-level workspace, complimentary Public bike rentals, text concierge, dog-friendly ($25)
Nearby Attractions: SoWa Art + Design District, Union Park, Copley Square, Newbury Street, the Public Garden, Boston Center for the Arts
Airport: Boston Logan International (BOS)
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Gallery
A closer look
Courtesy of The Revolution Hotel
Courtesy of The Revolution Hotel
Courtesy of The Revolution Hotel
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