We may earn a commission from links on this page, at no cost to you. Disclosure
The hotels nearest Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square are The Verb Hotel on Boylston Street, about a quarter mile away, and the Residence Inn Boston Back Bay/Fenway, The Eliot Hotel and citizenM Boston Back Bay, each about a third of a mile away; Kasa Boston at Fenway is just under half a mile. All of them are in Boston's Fenway and Back Bay neighborhoods, so all put Fenway Park within easy walking distance. Distances here are straight-line figures from Google's map coordinates, so allow a little more on foot.
That matters because older guides, including an earlier version of this page, padded the list with downtown hotels that are not near Kenmore Square at all. Pick from the cluster below if your trip is built around a Red Sox game, a show at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, a visit to Boston University, or the museums along the Fenway; pick a downtown hotel if it is built around the Freedom Trail.
Hotel Commonwealth itself
It helps to know what the benchmark offers. Hotel Commonwealth has 245 rooms at 500 Commonwealth Avenue, Kenmore station on the Green Line at the building, and a set of Fenway rooms and suites that face the ballpark, two of them with balconies. It sits about 0.16 miles from Fenway Park and even closer to MGM Music Hall. If it is sold out for a home game, the hotels below are your realistic fallbacks; see our Hotel Commonwealth listing for rooms, fees and parking. Rates for Hotel Commonwealth are on Expedia.
The Verb Hotel: the closest alternative
The Verb Hotel at 1271 Boylston Street is the nearest hotel to Hotel Commonwealth, about a quarter mile away, and at about 0.12 miles it is also the closest of this group to Fenway Park. It is the playful option: mid-century style, music memorabilia throughout, a record player in every room and a vinyl library to borrow from, plus an outdoor pool the hotel heats all winter. Its Backstage section adds a handful of stationary trailers between the hotel and the ballpark. Hojoko, a rock-and-roll Japanese tavern, is on site. Read more in our guide to music-themed hotels in Boston. Rates for The Verb Hotel are on Expedia.
Residence Inn Boston Back Bay/Fenway: all suites, breakfast included
The Residence Inn Boston Back Bay/Fenway at 125 Brookline Avenue is an all-suites Marriott about a third of a mile from Hotel Commonwealth and a few minutes' walk from Fenway Park, which Marriott says makes it the closest extended-stay hotel to the ballpark. A full American breakfast is included at Gatehouse, the on-site restaurant, and there is an indoor pool and a fitness center. It suits families and longer stays. Pets up to 50 pounds are accepted for a fee, and parking is valet only.
The Eliot Hotel: the quiet, classic choice
The Eliot Hotel at 370 Commonwealth Avenue is about a third of a mile east of Hotel Commonwealth along the same avenue, at the western end of Back Bay. It opened in 1925 and has 95 rooms and suites; the suites close off the living room with French doors, which makes it a good family pick, and pets of any size are welcome. Hynes Convention Center station on the Green Line is one block away. Chef Ken Oringer's Uni occupies the hotel's restaurant space, so a serious sushi dinner is downstairs. Rates for The Eliot Hotel are on Expedia.
citizenM Boston Back Bay: compact rooms, low fuss
citizenM Boston Back Bay at 408 Newbury Street, about a third of a mile away at the Kenmore end of Newbury Street, is the efficient choice. The citizenM brand builds every room around one wall-to-wall extra-large king bed controlled from a tablet, checks guests in at self-service terminals and runs a 24-hour canteen in the lobby living room. It suits solo travelers and couples who will spend little time in the room.
Kasa Boston at Fenway: apartments for longer stays
Kasa Boston at Fenway at 200 Brookline Avenue, just under half a mile from Hotel Commonwealth, rents furnished apartments rather than hotel rooms: each has a full kitchen and an in-unit washer and dryer, with a shared fitness center, lounge and arcade. It runs without a staffed front desk. Guests complete an online check with ID before arrival, a virtual team answers around the clock, housekeeping is extra and by request, and there is no luggage storage. That suits a week-long stay or a group cooking its own meals, less so a two-night first visit.
Hotels that are not near Hotel Commonwealth
A few names often appear on lists of hotels near Kenmore Square but are a different trip. The Four Seasons Hotel Boston faces the Public Garden at 200 Boylston Street, about 1.4 miles away. The former Kimpton Nine Zero at 90 Tremont Street, near Boston Common, is now Hotel AKA Boston Common and is about 1.9 miles away. The Fairmont Copley Plaza on Copley Square is about a mile away. Closer in Back Bay, the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street by the Prudential Center is about 0.6 miles away. All are fine hotels; they just do not put you in Kenmore Square.
Eating and drinking around Kenmore Square
On a game day, Bleacher Bar on Lansdowne Street is the bar inside Fenway Park, with a window onto the outfield and no ticket needed. Bukowski Tavern on Dalton Street is a beer bar about a 15-minute walk from the ballpark by its own reckoning. For a fuller plan of the neighborhood, see our guide to things to do in Fenway.