The Hotel Portsmouth

You don’t have to go very far outside of Boston to find a perfectly idyllic seaside town — Portsmouth, New Hampshire is full of shops, restaurants, cafés, and at least one delightful little boutique hotel. Massachusetts-based Lark Hotels took over this 1881-vintage Victorian house and turned it into The Hotel, whose 32 rooms effortlessly blend the 19th-century charm of the existing structure and a light, contemporary, modernist-inspired style that’s a breath of fresh air in a region where tradition, in hotels and design alike, still reigns supreme.

Rooms range from cozy queens to more expansive kings and on up to some downright expansive suites, but at all levels they come with thoughtful touches like USB charging ports and iPads loaded with information about Portsmouth’s various attractions. There are no end of restaurants to explore, but The Hotel will supply a small-plates-style breakfast and occasional bites during the day. Meanwhile the location, on the edge of the historic city center, places you within walking distance of all the best that Portsmouth has to offer, from Market Square to the waterfront and beyond. The Hotel isn’t literally the only hotel in town, but it might be the only one you need.