Raffles Boston (40 Trinity Place) | 426 Stuart Street | Back Bay

On Mass Ave between MIT and Central

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Has anyone stayed at a Raffles hotel? How does it compare to Four Seasons, Mandarin, Ritz etc? If price is comparable or higher as the Globe article suggests, will anyone pick Raffles over the Four Seasons or Mandarin? Locations are similar so that should not be a factor.
 
I've been to the Raffles in Singapore. I would say it is on par with Four Seasons, Mandarin is a slight level up.

The Raffles Boston will attract the Ritz/Four Seasons/Mandarin crowd that is familiar with the brand from either traveling to Asia or are from Asia initially. I think it will also attract people as it is a brand new building, like the Four Seasons at 1 Dalton. It will also attract the lux hotel geeks that want to see North America's first Raffles.
 
Has anyone stayed at a Raffles hotel? How does it compare to Four Seasons, Mandarin, Ritz etc? If price is comparable or higher as the Globe article suggests, will anyone pick Raffles over the Four Seasons or Mandarin? Locations are similar so that should not be a factor.

I've stayed at the Mandarin in Boston, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, and at Raffles in Singapore. The Mandarin in Boston is not on par with Tokyo's or HK's, and it's a whole tier below the Singapore Raffles. It was a disappointment. The Singapore Raffles maybe the best hotel experience I've ever had. The Grand Lobby is from 1887 and has atmosphere on top of atmosphere, probably not something you could replicate in Boston's Raffles.

Take this with a grain of salt; I've never stayed in any of the top-end suites at any of these places, which is where Mandarin Oriental supposedly shines.
 
I've stayed at the Mandarin in Boston, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, and at Raffles in Singapore. The Mandarin in Boston is not on par with Tokyo's or HK's, and it's a whole tier below the Singapore Raffles. It was a disappointment. The Singapore Raffles maybe the best hotel experience I've ever had. The Grand Lobby is from 1887 and has atmosphere on top of atmosphere, probably not something you could replicate in Boston's Raffles.

Take this with a grain of salt; I've never stayed in any of the top-end suites at any of these places, which is where Mandarin Oriental supposedly shines.

The only Mandarin I've stayed at is Santiago, and it was just really superb. Haven't been inside the Boston one but it looks kinda unremarkable on the outside and is easy to miss.
 
My first time up close. I almost missed it! Unless you look up…it sorta blends into the environ. That being said the glass is a great color (especially in contrast/complement to the Hancock) and of high quality it appears to me. Are the glass panes curved, I can’t quite tell?

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Looks like the highest priced unit so far(29C - $8.066m) has gone to an LLC associated with David Desmond, a nephew of Donald Trump and son of his sister Maryanne.
 
Darn the other half! Bought 4 units to make into one.

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“July 11, 2023By Greg Ryan

The founder of the Boston-based investment firm Abrams Capital and his wife have purchased a residence at the new Raffles Boston in Back Bay for $18.2 million.
David and Amy Abrams bought a residence on the 35-story mixed-use tower’s 28th floor, according to a deed recorded Monday. The couple is combining four of the building’s units, the deed shows.
The sale is one of the largest residential transactions in Boston so far this year.
Condos at Raffles Boston began closing in mid-June, with the first residents moving in at the same time. Most of the tower’s 146 residences already had commitments at that point. The development, the first mixed-use property in North America for the Raffles brand, includes both a hotel and condos.
David Abrams runs Abrams Capital, one of the better-known hedge funds headquartered in Boston. He also sits on the board of MIT’s investment management arm.

The couple also bought a 15th-floor pied-à-terre at Raffles for $1.67 million, according to a separate deed. Raffles has 38 of the studio residences.”
 
I am thrilled that this guy turned a 3-dimensional box of air atop Back Bay into tax revenue for the city of Boston and didn’t buy another yacht or third place in NYC instead. Probably anchors him to the millionaire tax as well.

Selfishly I really just want them to start doling out Singapore Slings…
 

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