CONCIERGE GUIDE TO BOSTON

Good hotel concierges can steer guests to top restaurants and attractions. Great concierges know the city intimately, and offer insider tips on attractions and excursions loved by locals. We’ve asked Seamus Murphy, Director of Guest Services at the Omni Parker House, to share some of his favorite Boston pleasures.

Q: Where do you send guests for a great view of the city?
A: The Skywalk Observatory on the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower [800 Boylston St.] is the classic place for great views, but I also send guests to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Most people go there because it’s the site of the first major battle in the American Revolution, but there’s also a great view of Boston and waterfront from there. [The Bunker Hill Monument is on the Freedom Trail, a 3-mile walking tour linking 16 historical sites in downtown Boston and Charlestown.]

Another great spot, when the weather’s good, is George’s Island in Boston Harbor. Ferryboats go there, and there are great views towards the city from the harbor and from the island.

Q: How about an unusual evening excursion?
A: During summer, I tell our guests about the free outdoor movies at the Esplanade, on the banks of the Charles River. The movies are shown at the Hatch Shell, which is also where they have free concerts during summer, and our famous Fourth of July party. I tell folks to bring a blanket—and some bug spray.

In winter, I encourage folks to bundle up and take a walk around the residential areas of the Beacon Hill and Back Bay neighborhoods to see how everyone has decorated their houses for the holidays. Many houses have tall bay windows, which make it easy to see the decorated trees inside.

Q: What are some city surprises?
A: Architecturally, the Boston Public Library Public is one of the prettiest buildings you’ll ever see. The “surprise” is the restored interior courtyard. It’s very peaceful there and they have benches where you can bring your lunch and have a picnic. [The McKim Building, 700 Boylston St. in Copley Square.]

Another special place is the Courtyard Garden at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. It’s one of the city’s major museums, filled with paintings, sculpture, and other works of art that. From the outside the building looks a little drab, but inside, three floors of galleries surround a beautiful garden courtyard. It’s worth the price of admission just to see that courtyard. [280 The Fenway. Anyone named Isabella gets free admission to the museum.]