HotelChatter

The Boson Globe spoke with one of the designers who executed the flamboyant look of the bar, and learned that though the hotel had originally only requested a simple jewel theme, BBG-BBGM, the design firm responsible for Emerald, decided a few Wizard of Oz references thrown in the mix would make the place more "wicked" (in a good way):

"The name of the bar is Emerald, and the idea presented was that it was the wicked jewel of the city. [The hotel] had emeralds in mind — the jewel — but I heard “wicked” and thought Wizard of Oz. The next thing you know me and my team were going silly with witches and flying monkeys on the walls."

Of course, there are no actual flying monkeys (the closest you'll get to that is probably LA's Culver Hotel), but there is a twisted metal sculpture in the center of the space that's intended to represent a tornado.

The Revere also posted a link on their Facebook wall recently of a video interview with General Manager Simon Mais, who dropped another hint about the Emerald concept: it will have a secret bar within a bar. Huh? Mais wouldn't go into any more detail, preferring instead to merely pique our curiosity with the bizarre notion.

But, we have to admit, he succeeded. Knowing what huge Wizard of Oz fans we are here at HotelChatter, we now have two more reasons to check out this place, in addition, of course, to the "livable glamor" rooms themselves.

[Photo: Erik Levin / Boston Globe]