Well, 2026 is shaping up to be a pretty epic year for one of the oldest cities in America.
Nearly 400 years old, Boston will take center stage when the World Cup soccer tournament comes to the U.S. in June and July; the city will host seven matches at 65,000-seat Gillette Stadium.
And in the middle of all that, Boston will join Philadelphia and New York as the historic centerpieces for America 250 celebrations that will happen on land, in the air, and on the water—including the iconic and world-famous at most famous body of water, Boston Harbor.
In fact, a slew of meetings-focused hotels are along or very near the harbor, including Boston Harbor Hotel; Boston Marriott Long Wharf; InterContinental Hotel Boston; Omni Hotel Boston; Renaissance Boston Seaport District; Seaport Hotel Boston; and Westin Boston Seaport District. And just beyond the harbor, on the banks of the Charles River that separates Boston from Cambridge, there’s the Hyatt Regency Boston Cambridge, the Kimpton Marlowe and the Royal Sonesta Boston.
For planners looking to host onsite receptions with panoramic water views or to entertain attendees on a chartered vessel that’s docked within walking distance from the host hotel, Boston has more such possibilities than virtually any other North American city.
Popular with Meetings Large and Small
In mid-September, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) is coming to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s lively, historic Back Bay district for its annual meeting of nearly 3,500 attendees plus a few hundred exhibitors. Ariel Litewka, director of meetings and education for ASSH, noted that “Boston has always been a successful city for us, enough that we return every four years with this meeting,” said Ariel Litewka, director of meetings and education, ASSH. “Attendance here always far exceeds that at our meetings in other locations.”
Hynes is the centerpiece of the “3-2-1 Connect” concept promoted by Signature Boston, the events-focused division of the city’s DMO, Meet Boston. The concept refers to three hotels (Marriott Copley Place, Sheraton Boston, and Westin Boston), two upscale shopping malls and one convention center all under one roof, with a total of nearly 2,800 guest rooms on site.
Hynes itself has 176,480 square feet of space across four exhibit halls, a 4,000-seat auditorium for general sessions and a 24,540-square-foot ballroom. Including the hotels’ meeting space, there’s another 60,000 square feet across 38 breakout rooms that are a short walk from the exhibit halls and ballroom.
In addition, “the Hilton Boston Back Bay and Fairmont Copley Plaza are right there, plus two five-star properties: the Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons One Dalton,” said Greg Power, director of sales, for Meet Boston. “Overall, it's a great setup for conventions.”
[Related: 5 Art and Cultural Venues in Boston That Inspire]
And along with the many cozy brownstones, interesting galleries and highly regarded restaurants in the Back Bay neighborhood, there’s yet another five-star property: the only Raffles Hotel in North America.
A true rarity among even the biggest cities, Boston has a second convention district: The Seaport neighborhood that’s home to the Menino Convention & Exhibition Center (MCEC). The 2.1-million-square-foot building’s modern, glass-lined interior features a 40,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom overlooking the Seaport and harbor. MCEC also has 82 breakout rooms and 516,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space, plus a new lawn space that can host up to 4,000 people in open air or under large tents.
“There are two hotels connected to MCEC, the Omni and the Westin, with nearly 2,000 guest rooms total,” Power noted. “There’s also an Aloft and an Element adjacent to the building, while the Renaissance is an easy walk to MCEC, as are several select-service properties. All of this allows for a huge potential room block.”
As for the industries that are keen on meeting in Boston, pharmaceutical and life sciences along with legal and educational associations are longtime mainstays. More recently, many high-tech companies have been coming to the city, particularly with meetings of less than 100 attendees.
“Our small-meetings manager recently ran a performance report, and we see that meetings of about 50 attendees on peak are incredibly strong for the city,” Power noted.
Like the Back Bay neighborhood that’s near the Hynes, another neighborhood where smaller groups prefer to dine is the North End. It’s near MCEC, with dozens of Italian, steak and seafood establishments that garner high praise. One restaurant group with five outlets in the North End that feature private dining areas is Depasquale Ventures (DV). In addition to a recently built covered-rooftop bar and dining space for up to 75 people at DV’s Umbria restaurant, its Aqua Pazza restaurant is presently undergoing a full renovation while Bricco and Trattoria il Panino continue to host private events. And a larger private dining space will be part of a new DV restaurant coming to the North End’s bustling Cross Street by late 2026.
Tapping Local Assets
Besides cuisine, another standout element of Boston for meeting groups is the concentration of human intellect, not only from the corporate sector but from the many prominent universities in the immediate area.
Consider this: Within five miles of Hynes, MCEC and downtown Boston lie the campuses of Harvard, M.I.T., Boston University and Northeastern University. And just a few miles beyond that lie Boston College, Brandeis University, Tufts, and Wellesley.
As a result, planners looking to bring in speakers or presenters who will leave a lasting impression on attendees are blessed with abundance.
“This is an area we’re looking to get more involved in,” noted Power from Meet Bostonnoted. “Many universities are our members, so we want to work with event clients seeking speakers or who want to conduct part of a meeting at a university venue. In fact, we recently partnered with Sodexo Services, which operates many university spaces.”
A Newly Enhanced Off-Site Venue
Near the spot where the Charles River meets Boston Harbor, the city’s Museum of Science is already a popular reception venue for convention groups. By late 2026, however, construction will be complete on a 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art space called the Public Science Common.
The museum' event space will feature 270-degree views of the river and the city through a three-story-high wall of windows on one side, with the ability to host 400 for a sit-down meal or 700 for a reception. In addition to the panoramic views, “it's going to be a very high-tech space,” Power noted.
[Related: How to Host a Sustainable Event in Boston]
Hotel News
The past year has brought several upgrades to Boston’s business-hotel market:
- The newest hotel in town is Atlas Hotel Allston, opened this past January. Set right next door to Harvard University’s conference center, known as The Rubenstein Treehouse, the 246-room hotel also has its own flexible, light-filled meeting spaces for up to 100 attendees.
- Boston’s oldest continuously operating hotel, the Omni Parker House completed a $65 million renovation in 2025 to celebrate its 170th anniversary this year. The 551 guest rooms and 57 suites now feature marble bathrooms, bespoke furnishings, and custom carpets, while the lobby and event spaces blend historic architecture with modern elegance.
- Renaissance Boston Seaport District recently completed a significant renovation, updating all 471 guest rooms and suites with urban design, plush bedding, and waterfront or skyline views. The reimagined lobby and exclusive Club Lounge feature rich textures and modern finishes which create a stylish retreat, steps from the MCEC and the Seaport’s shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions.
- Sheraton Boston, part of the “3-2-1 Connect” offering in conjunction with the Hynes Convention Center and the Marriott Copley Place, marked its 60th anniversary in late 2025 with the unveiling of a $100- million renovation that updated all 1,220 guest rooms, public spaces, dining outlets and its 70,000 square feet of event space with a modern, residential-inspired style. Its new restaurant Henderson offers globally- inspired dishes and a lively bar, while the refreshed pool deck features cabanas and city-skyline views.
- Two other hotels near the Hynes Convention Center recently celebrated their centennials with full renovations. The 225-room Hotel AKA Back Bay was updated by blending the building’s 1926 Bostonian heritage with modern luxury: airy, residential-style rooms and suites, a light-filled lobby with a Murano chandelier, and a lounge/library for work or socializing. There’s elevated dining at The Berkeley, a French-inspired bistro with indoor/-outdoor seating and a seasonal terrace, offering classic fare with New England touches. And the Eliot Hotel, a 1925 landmark, completed a redesign of its 95 guest rooms and suites to blend timeless elegance with elements of modern luxury.
To create one more lasting impression of Boston, planners can offer attendees the option of arriving from or returning to the airport via water taxi. The 15-minute ride charts a path between Logan International Airport and locations in the Seaport and Long Wharf/North End neighborhoods. And for those attendees flying Delta, they’ll welcome the news that the airline’s dedicated terminal at Logan recently received a full renovation.
Connections
Meet Boston
MeetBoston.com
Signature Boston
SignatureBoston.com
