02108 Travel Guide
Tags: Hotel Openings / Morgans Hotel Group / Boston Hotels / Hotel Construction / → All Tags
The Ames Hotel Boston is Almost There
The Ames Hotel from the Morgans Hotel Group was initially expected to open this month but according to the website's reservations system, guests cannot book a room until November 19th. Rooms will start at $299 for a standard room but HotelChatter got a glimpse at some of the construction last night and we wouldn't be surprised if this opening date got pushed back a little further.
The hotel is going up inside the historic Ames building which is rather stately and grand in its appearance but working within old buildings tends to delay hotel opening dates quite a bit. And we just can't imagine how they will finish everything up in time.
Tags: Kid-Friendly Hotels / Boston Hotels / Historic Hotels / → All Tags
Embarrass Your Kids With Costumes at Boston's Omni Parker House
Since we assume one of the main joys of parenthood involves dressing your children in embarrassing outfits, the new suite at Boston’s Omni Parker House Hotel is particularly intriguing.
The country’s longest continuously operating hotel, the Omni Parker House just unveiled a suite called the Freedom Trail, which invites kid travelers—and their parent escorts—to learn a little about Boston’s role in American history while also bunking in style.
Tags: VIP Hotel Reviewer Series / Boston Hotels / Boutique Hotels / Kimberly Murgatroyd / → All Tags
Boston's XV Beacon Hotel Still Passes The Jet Set Test
Once again, Jet Set Life's Kimberly Murgatroyd returns with another VIP Hotel Review. You may recall her last visit to the exotic Belvedere Hotel in Mykonos, Greece. This time she's landed stateside to revisit the XV Beacon Hotel. Enjoy.
Maybe I keep returning to Boston's XV Beacon Hotel because I'm a true New England girl at heart, or maybe it's that XV Beacon just gets what operating a luxury boutique hotel is all about. When you first walk into this, turn-of-the-century federalist meets modern hotel, there is an immediate feeling of warmth and a definite welcoming vibe.
Without a doubt, what makes this hotel so welcoming is the extraordinary staff that has turned anticipating a guests needs into an art form. From the front desk to the chauffeur, the staff could not have made us feel more at home. It's an obvious reflection of outstanding kindness and leadership from the general manager and the hotel's owner. The staff at XV Beacon are the heart and soul of this operation.
Tags: Hotel Hype / Hotel Openings / Boston Hotels / Morgans Hotels / → All Tags
Ben Franklin + Supermodel = Ames Boston, Opening This Fall
So if Ben Franklin had a child with a supermodel and then that child grew up to be a sorta-effeminate, chic-looking playboy with a Boston accent, we imagine it would turn out to be the human version of what Morgans Hotel Group's latest addition, Ames Boston, is hoping to be.
The hotel, opening in October or November of this year, will be located at 1 Court Street in a "Romanesque-Byzantine inspired structure" that was once the corporate headquarters for the Ames families' agricultural tool company, which the hotel's design team is incorporating into the theme and decor.
The lobby will have a mosaic, barrel-vaulted ceiling, a marble and brass staircase, and something called the “Mirror Chandelier” or “Mirror Cloud” installation — there will also be a two-story restaurant called Woodward.
The Ames will have 113 rooms that "are simple, serene, and quiet." Think light oak flooring (so no coffin-esque darkness), 10-foot high ceilings, and a bed upholstered with white cream-colored leather.
We'll keep our eyes peeling for opening date and rates — and as for that Ben Franklin/supermodel thing...we'll let you know how that turns out; but first we'll let you know that the partnership is actually how the Morgans people are marketing this thing. We didn't come up with that on our own.
Tags: Hotel Hype / Morgans Hotel Group / Boston Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
The Ames Boston Will Debut in October
Is Boston the new hot tourism market (or as much as a city can be "hot" in this economy?) On the heels of new airline routes starting out of Beantown by Virgin America and Southwest, we learn that Morgans Hotel Group--the folks behind the Mondrians and The Delano--will open The Ames this October.
According to the MHG website, the Ames will:
Inspire modern style and sophistication in the beautiful and historic Ames building. An experience rich with intelligent interpretations, completed by innovative new design, the Ames will give Boston and its visitors the dynamic experience for which Morgans is known.
The hotel, located near the Faneuil Hall shopping center, will have 120 rooms and the suites will have original fireplaces. Also on site will be a fitness center and a "vibrant" restaurant and bar.
We had some scoop on the hotel back in June which you can read here. Summer hasn't even arrived and already we're excited for Fall.
Tags: James Bond Hotels / Boston Hotels / Hotel Packages / → All Tags
Nine Zero Hotel Zeros in on Bond Mania
Boston’s Nine Zero hotel may well have conquered the unthinkable--rolling every James Bond cliché we’ve ever heard into one hotel package. That said, this is Bond, James Bond we’re talking, so we’re gonna go ahead and swoon anyways. (Sorry, we’re simply pawns in his plan!)
On the heels of the U.S. release of the new Bond flick, “Quantum of Solace,” the Kimpton hotel wants you to “Strengthen Your ‘Bond’” while enjoying a “quantum of solace” in the hotel’s plush lodgings.
Tags: Kimpton Hotels / Hotel Packages / Election 2008 Packages / Political Hotels / Hotel Penthouses / Boston Hotels / → All Tags
Celebrate an Obama or McCain Victory in Nine Zero's Cloud Nine Penthouse
Let's be real, here: you're going to stimulate the economy in some way after the election. You're either going to go out for a nice champagne dinner to celebrate the election of your fave candidate, or you're going to invest in a bottle of Jack Daniels and spend lots of money to gas up your car to run away to Canada.
We cannot offer you an alternative (or a better idea, really) if you find yourself in the latter situation, but we can recommend that you go all out if your fave candidate does win and you want to contribute to the ol' economy by celebrating presidential-style: yet another election-themed package! This one's a post-election celebration, though: The "Cloud Nine" package at Nine Zero Hotel in Boston.
This one involves a penthouse, secret-service-style security, plentiful champagne, and possibly donuts, ABBA and pistachios as well -- depending on who wins.
Tags: Movie Set Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Get Smart / Geek Hotels / Insane Hotel Packages / → All Tags
Movie Set Hotel :: Get Smart at Nine Zero
Technically, Boston's Nine Zero Hotel wasn't used as a set for the new Steve Carrell movie Get Smart, but the hotel has put together a wicked package for the fumbling spy enthusiast in all of us.
Making good use of the tech-laden penthouse suite, Cloud Nine where an iris check is essentially your room key, the Get Smart Weekend Package includes:
· Two nights of luxury in Nine Zero's Cloud Nine 19th floor penthouse suite featuring 1,200 square feet of luxury and comfort
· Two tickets to Get Smart starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway
· Two Spy Kits
Before we get on to the price of this package, we had to inquire--what is included in the Spy Kits? However, our efforts at cracking the code were confounded. Apparently, the Spy Kits are top-secret and are for hotel guests only to find out.
As for the price, well you might have to have Steve Carrell's paycheck for such a whimsical weekend. Total cost is $3,999.
The Get Smart Weekend package is available from now through September 30. Call (866) 906-9090 and use code PSMT to book.
[Photo: Eonline]
Tags: Boston Hotels / Hotel Renovations / Baseball Hotels / Omni Hotels / → All Tags
The Omni Parker House Now Offering New Rooms and Red Sox Tickets
We've paid attention to Boston's Omni Parker House Hotel in the past because of its free WiFi and abundance of pillows, but there's actually a lot more to get excited about here, and it's been getting better.
Omni Parker House has just finished a $30 million restoration which includes a cherry-wood refit of the guest room furnishings, a new gym and new meeting room décor too. But they say they've still tried to keep the old spirit of this historical hotel there--did you know that JFK, Babe Ruth and Winston Churchill have all stayed there? And while we can't imagine Winston Churchill having admired a new gym, it sounds like the rest of the renovation is historically suitable enough to be to their liking.
But if your trip to Boston is for another reason than following history (read: seeing the Red Sox) then we quite like the Boston Baseball Package they've got. You can get center field bleachers tickets, a double room and breakfast starting from just under $400, depending on the game. New reno, neat history, chance to see the ball game: sounds like a hotel with something for everyone.
Tags: Kimpton Hotels / Stuart Emmrich / Boston Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Nine Zero Gets NYT Stamp of Approval
The first line of Stuart Emmrich's review for the NY Times of the hotel Nine Zero goes like this:
Finally, a hotel for dog-loving, yoga-practicing, environmentally conscious history buffs.
If that's not enough to let you know it's a Kimpton Hotel, then we don't know what other clues you would need.
Nine Zero's been open for a while but in this day and age everyone seems to be look for a green hotel during their travels and Nine Zero definitely lives up to the expectations with its eco-friendly cleaning products and fair trade coffee.
Emmrich loved the place from top to bottom. This was actually one of the most positive reviews of a hotel we've seen from NYT all year. Not that they are too harsh on hotels in the first place but still, Emmrich only mentioned one thing to avoid: hanging out in the lobby during the hotel's daily wine-tasting hour.
However, judging from this picture we may make our own suggestion: Avoid the lobby during the week when business travelers of the male persuasion are hanging out in the lobby. Sheesh, where are the ladies at?
[Photo: Jodi Hilton for NYT]
Related Stories:
· Check In, Check Out: Nine Zero [NY Times]
Tags: Hotel Staff / Hotel News / Boston Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Providence's Crook Mayor Gets a Luxury Hotel Job
Oh you gotta love the America. Where else can you be the mayor of Providence, head up a city racketeering scam, go to jail and then have a luxury hotel job awaiting you upon your release?
Vincent "Buddy" Cianci will get out of federal prison next week where he has been serving a five-year term for corruption during his term as mayor of Providence. Cianci will be released to a halfway house on May 30 but he is already set to assume a role at the Fifteen Beacon Hotel in sales and marketing, thanks to his part in revitalizing much of Providence. Said George Regan, a spokesman for hotel owner Paul Roiff:
"He's going to have an office right inside the hotel. He's obviously an expert in sales and marketing. Look what he's done for downtown Providence," Regan said. "We think he'll be a great addition."
Cianci will have a celebration party on his first day and should be a good candidate to understand Fifteen Beacon's luxury status (rooms start at $400 a night) since he was known to camp out in the Presidential Suite of the Biltmore Hotel during his term as mayor. Let's hope he doesn't force his marinara sauce on everyone.
[Photo: Riggenransom]
Related Stories:
· Cianic snags job at luxurious Boston Hotel [Boston.com]
Tags: Hotel Deals / Kimpton Hotels / Boston Hotel Reviews / Hotel Technology / Hotel Packages / → All Tags
Nine Zero Hotel Offerring One Five Percent Discount on Rooms
Kimpton Hotel's latest acquisition, the Nine Zero is offering a 15 percent discount off room rates from now until March 2007, because hey, who wants to visit Boston in the winter?
Nine Zero made waves a few years ago by offering iris scans instead of room keys to the penthouse Cloud Nine Suite. Its been favored by celebs from Christina Aguilera to Adam Duritz and is also pet-friendly. If you love this joint so much, you can take it home with you by shopping the Nine Zero retail store.
As for the Kimpton takeover, it looks like they left this place pretty much untouched, except they added the Kimpton staples like complimentary WiFi, the Kimpton Wine Club and some silly Kimpton-branded packages that all start with IN. For example, IN the car ($25 gas card for the ride home), IN the doghouse (for Fido) and INgenuity (VIP passes to a museum.)
Too bad, we avoid being IN Boston unless its IN the summer.
Related Stories:
· Viewlicious: Nine Zero Hotel [HotelChatter]
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