HotelChatter

Lots of other fun facts abound about the hotel, like the fact that the third floor, where Charles Dickens once stayed, is supposedly haunted. Apparently, the elevator constantly gets called to the floor without anyone being there (though that may say more about the ancient pulley system than any potential ghost activity).

The lobby itself is a pretty ornate affair: chandeliers, wooden pillars, vintage copper elevator doors, and incredibly detailed wood molding on the ceilings. We probably got in the way of a few people as we simply stood in the middle of the bustling lobby just staring up at the the ceiling.

Adjacent to the lobby is the elegant Parker's Restaurant, which has quite a few historic claims to fame under its belt: in 1855, it hired America's "first celebrity French chef, Chef Sanzian"; Emeril Lagasse, Lydia Shire and Jasper White all started out here; Malcolm X was a busboy here in the 1940s; and the infamous Boston Cream Pie supposedly originated here.

After walking through Parker's Restaurant, we came upon Parker's Bar, which is closed during the day (Mon-Fri 5pm–12am; Sat and Sun 12pm–12am), but was kind of fun to walk through with no one else around. Its dark, empty dining area and deserted tables and chairs all added to the spooky, haunted feel of the 157-year-old hotel.

Needless to say, after we'd finished taking pictures, we were glad to get out of there and back into the world of the living!

[Photos: HotelChatter]