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A posh Boston hotel makes babies as welcome as businessmen, and offers all ages a homebase from which to explore this great walking city.

Housed in a former Federal Reserve Bank building dating to 1922, the Langham Boston reigns over the city's Financial District, a part of town that boasts many other historically significant buildings and monuments. A 10-minute walk from the park at Boston Common or the Amtrak station, the shops of Faneuil Hall or Quincy Market, and 15 minutes from the theatre district, this location is easy on strollers yet too quiet for teens. Families interested in an elegant getaway sprinkled with sightseeing will find it perfect.

As part of a long established luxury group, the Langham Boston does indeed present a posh appearance. The subdued Franklin Street entry and creamy marble lobby dim in comparison with the lushly decorated salons upstairs. In the Julien restaurant and bar, an imposing square room crowned with gold coffered ceilings, are two restored murals by N. C. Wyeth, one depicting Abraham Lincoln and the other, George Washington meeting with Alexander Hamilton, America's first Treasurer, to discuss the banking business of the day. A collection of old New England and Canada maps and charts decorate other public rooms.

Be sure to walk the family through the Café Fleuri, the hotel's more casual restaurant, which hosts a Sunday Jazz Brunch, some Peg Perego highchairs, and the hotel's most popular event for local families, a chocolate feast.

After 19 years, the hotel's legendary "Chocolate Bar" presents an assortment of more than 125 chocolate desserts. There's something for everyone in the family: pastries and bonbons – even low-cal ones made with Splenda; a creperie and a table for bunuelos; another full of fruit, brioche and other dipping items at the base of a "fountain" oozing chocolate syrup; and adult beverages with chocolate infusions. You can order a chocolate strawberry brioche panini or other special treats created by the hotel's executive pastry chef Alejandro Luna, who, incidentally, credits his baking skills and love of chocolate to his grandmother. Priced at $35/adult, $17.50/ages 5-12 and free for under-4s, this Bostonian tradition (held midday each Saturday from September to June) is a fun outing for families not staying at the hotel.

Family Welcoming Guestrooms

During its conversion from bank to hotel in 1981, the Langham's guestrooms were built under a three-story glass mansard roof, creating spacious upper floor rooms with angled windows. Each room's unique layout and traditional European décor, embroidered bedspreads, and brocade and tasseled drapery in colors ranging from navy and gold to mint green or plum, enable the contemporary addition to blend easily with the historic structure.

Within the attractive family rooms are two queen beds; larger families should request suites like 815 that connect to 819 through an outer hallway, or simply the one-bedroom suites with sofabeds. Welcome touches include a small nightlight built into the foyer wall, bathrobes and slippers for those using the pool downstairs, a coffeemaker, and fine toiletries from Bulgari (surprisingly, neither was replenished during our stay.) The sunlit fitness club, with a range of workout machines and a good-sized pool, is open to hotel guests as well as local members, so it can get busy during the weekends. Family guests will enjoy the noodles and waterwings at the pool, and the large hot tub, off limits to those under 16-years.

The Langham Boston coddles new parents with a V.I.B. program, essentially a weekend getaway package that includes infant supplies, a helpful amenity made even more useful by the airlines' latest carry-on luggage restrictions. The V.I.B. guestroom is stocked with a house crib made up in crisp pink or blue linens from Jacadi, stuffed toys, complimentary baby foods from Apivita or the guests' choice, and boutique baby toiletries. Loaner strollers and high chairs are available, as is a Concierge to arrange the pre-ordered food, diapers, and other amenities for parents and their Very Important Baby. V.I. big brothers and sisters are entitled to snacks, and a copy of the terrific guide, "Kidding Around: Boston." Year-round, the hotel provides a fun children's menu at its restaurant that is much more reasonable than room service, and parents may opt to substitute fresh fruit for French fries with meals.