The Hotel Salem

Coastal New England is mostly known for sleepy seaside towns full of charming Victorian houses. But Salem, barely half an hour outside of Boston, is properly urban, perhaps nowhere more so than Essex Street, the pedestrian shopping district that’s home to the 44-room Hotel Salem. With its loft-style rooms and its mid-century modernist décor, it’s something of an ode to the downtown department store, in an era when there was still plenty of glamour associated with the concept.

The rooms vary widely in size and plan, from the hyper-efficient Micro Kings to the signature Lark Suite, stretching out to nearly 500 square feet. Though stylistically informed by the state of the art circa 1960, in functional terms they’re totally up to date, with USB outlets, Tivoli bluetooth radios, mini-fridges, and LED smart TVs.

Thanks to the Essex Street location there’s no shortage of dining, drinking, and shopping options nearby. Hotel Salem, however, gives you plenty of reasons to stay in. During the season it’s home to the city’s only rooftop bar, and its restaurant, Counter, serves regional New England fare in a space that features an open kitchen and seating that spills out onto the patio.