Want the weekend escape without dealing with the airport? Forget TSA lines and lost luggage — this trip is trunk-packed, playlist-ready and friendship-fueled. For us, the perfect girls’ getaway was Boston — a drive-in, park-it escape with waterfront views, spa time we could actually sneak away to and dinner just an elevator ride from our room.
Friday Arrival: Champagne O’Clock
We rolled in on a Friday and checked into the InterContinental Boston on the waterfront, a stay that feels equal parts glam and cozy. The hotel sits between Fort Point Channel and the Rose Kennedy Greenway, giving us water on one side, city on the other and Seaport shops just a short walk away. We parked the car and didn’t need it again.
Step one of any girls’ trip? Kick off the heels, pop some bubbly and start plotting outfits no one will actually wear.
Rooms were bright and chic, with floor-to-ceiling windows and marble soaking tubs — the kind you’ll be texting your group chat about when the weather turns gray back home. Room service made it easy to call it an early night, ordering dessert in robes while catching up on stories we were “saving for the trip.”
Walk, Talk, Shop, Repeat
Our rhythm was effortless: walk, eat, talk, repeat. We strolled the Greenway, ducked into stores when the wind picked up and saved our energy for the evenings.
Night one, we kept it simple but celebratory. Matria, the hotel’s Piedmont-inspired restaurant, served up pasta worth writing home about. After, we lingered over espresso martinis at Bar Fellini — because girls’ trips always require at least one signature drink moment.
The Spa Pact
Here’s the move everyone loved: a midafternoon sneak-away to the spa. Massages, facials — even just the quiet — were enough to reset us for round two of late-night laughs. A float in the indoor pool made us feel like kids again, while the 24/7 fitness center, complete with Pelotons, appealed to the friend training for a marathon who insists balance means one sweat for every pastry (from Mike’s, of course).
If you’re rolling in with your girls, book spa appointments in advance. Whether you opt for a group reset or a solo escape, it’s the kind of indulgence that makes a girls’ weekend feel next level.
Saturday Glow and City Lights
Boston in December does the rest — twinkling lights, chilly streets that justify a third coffee stop and window glow that begged for group selfies. Breakfast was quick — coffee, something hot, something sweet to split — before we wandered the Harborwalk until our cheeks stung.
That’s the beauty of this getaway: no rigid itineraries, just a flow that lets laughter fill the gaps.
Why It Worked
Location and options made this the ultimate girls’ trip. From the InterContinental, we could reach Seaport, downtown and the Greenway on foot, pivoting with weather and mood. No overthinking, no Uber spreadsheets, no stress.
Our group’s rules of the weekend: window-shop, find soup, book the spa.
If You Go
-
Arrive, park, exhale. You won’t need the car again.
-
Book the spa early — holiday weekends fill up fast.
-
Plan one dress-up night. Matria is perfect, and on-site makes it easy.
-
Swimsuit and real coat — indoor pool for warmth, big coat for wind.
We drove home with clear heads, sore cheeks from laughing and camera rolls full of city lights, pasta and “one more selfie.” Turns out the perfect girls’ getaway didn’t require passports or crazy planning — just a good home base, friends who get you and time carved out for connection (and maybe one too many espresso martinis).
We drove home with clear heads, sore cheeks from laughing and camera rolls full of city lights, pasta and “one more selfie.” Honestly, that’s the best part of a girls’ weekend — piling into a car with your gal pals, leaving the chaos at home for a bit and turning a simple, low-stress escape into a core memory.
InterContinental Boston by IHG
Address: 510 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02210
Phone: (617) 747-1000
Website: ihg.com/intercontinental