Omni Parker House

Established in 1855 as the Parker House, this is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the country. No opportunity is missed to remind guests that Charles Dickens once stayed here, holding court in The Last Hurrah bar—which became a famous literary hangout for the likes of Longfellow, Hawthorne and Emerson. And that's not all: Ho Chi Minh and Malcolm X were both among the staff, and romantics can dine at the very corner table where JFK proposed to Jackie (it's best to book it in advance).