Established by the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 1927, Ritz-Carlton, Boston, was renamed Taj Boston in January 2007, when Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces bought it for $170m.
Taj Boston is a 12-storey four-star luxury hotel, located 4.8 miles from Logan International Airport, at the intersection of the famous Arlington and Newbury streets.
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The hotel has been a host to illustrious guests including Prince Edward of Britain, Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Taylor.
History
The history of the Ritz-Carlton hotel dates back to 1927, when real estate developer Edward Wyner was asked by Boston mayor Curley to build a world-class hotel in the city. Wyner converted an apartment building, which he was then developing into a hotel. He named it Ritz-Carlton after taking permission from The Ritz-Carlton Investing Company and The Ritz Paris.
After Wyner’s death, the hotel was managed by land developers Cabot, Cabot & Forbes and its chairman Gerald Blakely. In 1983, Blakely sold the hotel to William Johnson, who established The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Hotel renovation
In its 75th year of operation, the hotel underwent a complete renovation. The $60m renovation in 2002 was planned by Childs, Bertman & Casendino, along with famous interior designer Frank Nicholson, who ensured that the heritage of the hotel was maintained.
Renovation gave the hotel a new exterior, a new fitness centre and a dining room. All the rooms were redone with new furnishings, carpeting, wall coverings and improved bathrooms. New services and amenities were added, apart from displaying the 19th century collection of artwork and antiques on the first two floors of the Taj Boston’s public space.
The entire hotel is divided into four levels. The first level, which is the Taj level lobby wing, comprises the petite ballroom and the petite ballroom lower foyer. At the Taj wing second level is the grand ballroom, the balcony, the Taj rooms and the boardroom. The second level comprises the French room and lounge, the Adam room and the dining room. The third level, also the last level, consists of the Arlington room, the garden rooms, the back-bay rooms, the Commonwealth rooms, the Newbury room, the Berkeley room, the wine cellar and the roof.
Rooms at Taj Boston
The hotel has 273 guestrooms, with 45 suites. Rooms are traditionally furnished with antique-style sofas, armchairs, large cabinets and desks with chairs. Rich fabric wall coverings and crystal chandeliers decorate the rooms. Painted either in harmonious blues, gold, celadon greens, beiges or soft rose, all the rooms open to the panoramic view of the Public Garden and the Commonwealth Avenue mall.
The hotel consists of deluxe rooms, deluxe rooms with garden view that differ in size, décor and view, and Commonwealth rooms.
Ranging from 325ft² to 410ft², each room offers its guests a choice between a king bed and two double beds. The rooms have an attached bathroom with bath tubs, bath robes and luxury toiletries.
Ranging from 540ft² to 1,540ft², each suite has a plush bathroom, residential parlour and a fireplace. To create a perfect fire place, guests are provided with the complimentary service of a firewood butler and a firewood menu that lists wood of different aromas.
Facilities and services
The hotel has a business centre, two restaurants, a health club, meeting and event facilities, a lobby lounge, a cafe, a bar and a health and fitness facility. On request, guests can also benefit from in-room massages and babysitting services. For a one-off fee of $150 per pet per stay, guests are also allowed to keep their pets with them.
Guests at the Taj Boston are offered a range of dining facilities and flavours. Fitted with a wall of windows, the cafe, which is the place for power breakfasts, business lunch and fine dinners, offers a breathtaking view of Newbury Street. It has vintage photos of famous guests.
The hotel’s bar has ceiling-length windows and offers many cocktails. While a pianist plays from evening till midnight, from Tuesday through Saturday, on Fridays a jazz trio plays till midnight.
Every guestroom has access to high-speed internet connectivity, overnight shoeshine, overnight laundry service and complimentary car service.
Additional facilities and services are offered at the club level rooms and lounge. This includes packing and unpacking services, daily ironing of two garments, an early morning coffee service, wake-up call and wireless internet connectivity.
Meeting space and ballrooms
To organise corporate events or celebrate any special occasions, the hotel has a meeting room, roof, dining room, and a ballroom. The 17,000ft² function and meeting space comprises 15 private rooms and has the capacity to accommodate 500 people. The roof, which is open from April through November, has an area of 3,400ft² and can accommodate up to 130 guests for a private dinner.
The recently renovated ballroom can host up to 260 guests. Surrounded by a balcony on its three sides, the 3,825ft², 12ft-high ballroom has a staircase coming down to the ballroom.
The 13ft-high dining room accommodates up to 180 guests for weddings, family celebrations and dinner dances. Inspired by the dining room of King Ludvig I of Bavaria, the rooms have lavish interiors including cobalt blue and crystal chandeliers.
Awards
In November 2008, the hotel was ranked 22nd among the top 100 hotels in Institutional Investor magazine, up from 65 in 2007, when the hotel was awarded the Conde Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Award. In 2009, the hotel received the Mobil Four-Star honors, US.
