Boston delights locals and travelers alike with everything from history and shopping to art and dining. There's so much to do and see in this charming city that its hotels -- some of which are notable destinations in their own right -- get overlooked. One such gem is the Omni Parker House . This 161-year-old, 551-room hotel in downtown Boston is the longest continuously operating hotel in the country -- the first in Boston to offer elevator service and running water. The hotel has played host to every American president since Ulysses S. Grant. However, none has had stronger ties to the upscale hotel than John F. Kennedy. He made his first public speech at the age of seven in the Press Room while attending his grandfather's birthday party. The Press Room later became the place where he announced his candidacy for U.S. Congress and where he held his bachelor party. Moreover, Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier at the Parker’s Restaurant, Table 40. The Saturday Club, a ...

Halloween is only two days away! The fifth and final hotel in my series of haunted hotels is Omni Park House in Downtown Boston. Founded by Harvey D. Parker in 1855, this historic gem is longest continuously operating hotel in the United States. It was here where such 19th century luminaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow convened in the Saturday Club. Baseball legends met like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams wined and dined at the historic property. What's more, a slew of respected politicians --from Ulysses S. Grant and Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Deval Patrick -- gathered here for press conferences and meetings. Here are some other fun facts: John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie Onassis at Parker's Restaurant, where Malcolm X once worked as a busboy  With its close proximity to Boston's Theater District, the Omni Parker House played an important role in the careers of a wide range of performers, inclu...

Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy encompasses a wide range of outstanding achievements – from overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal to helping root out public corruption to dissolving monopolies as a so-called “trust buster.” However, there’s a lot more to this majestic figure than what's detailed in the history books. Below are several fascinating facts about the 26th U.S. President that run the gamut from special awards he received to his personal pet peeves.  Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) was a man of varied interests and notable accomplishments. His name alone conjures up images of a stout, bespectacled man with a brown mustache and larger-than-life personality. Indeed, this revered figure who famously exhorted Americans to “speak softly and carry a big stick” is remembered as an ebullient politician who pledged to crack down on trusts and corruption, an outdoorsy explorer deeply committed to the conservation of natural resources, and an intrepid Colonel who commanded the 1st ...