The Newbury Boston (née The Taj Boston)| 15 Arlington St | Back Bay

From reading a Wiki history of the Ritz / Ritz Carlton branding, it was a convoluted history in Boston with a second Ritz being opened etc. From the history, the Taj being able to retain the Ritz name wasn't in the cards.
 
Czervik.Construction said:
The Ritz/Taj bar off the lobby is one of my favorite places for a drink on the planet.
Click to expand...

Agreed, it is a phenomenal place to enjoy a glass or two of single malt. And though I have no reason to ever stay there, I'd love to get a chance to experience the in room fire place service. There is a lot to be said for the property, and hopefully this new investment will bring back some of the faded glory.
 
Taj renamed.
Now The Newbury...

www.bostonglobe.com

Don’t call her the Ritz. She’s the Taj no more. Say hello to the Newbury, Boston’s grand dame of hotels - The Boston Globe

When the newly christened Newbury hotel opens this spring, the nearly 100-year-old gem at Newbury and Arlington streets will emerge looking to attract a fresh generation of guests.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com

kmp1284 said:
Regardless of the Tata family's successes and philanthropy the Taj name has become synonymous with the property's decline. They would do well to consider a rebranding, perhaps under the Dorchester Collection flag if they want to keep it independent of a major chain, otherwise Edition or St. Regis would seem logical.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Puttin on the New-Berry -- hat...cha!!

What would the ghost of Howard Hughes say to this?

Hughes was smuggled into and out of the Ritz Hotel [where he took over a full floor] while being treated at Mass General
at one time a Saudi [very very high up in the hierarchy of the Kingdom] was also staying at the Ritz incognito for medical reasons

of course not even the Ritz with its illustrius heritage*1 had Charles Dickens [that would be the Parker House]

No the Newbury doesn't quite have that cache

*1 -- from the hotel website devoted to history:
especially for itchy
Even if the Ritz was never HQ'd/founded/etc., in Boston, I'll give Rifleman that the Ritz was a name generations of Bostonians knew as one of the city's fanciest hotels.
Click to expand...
Company History
Click to expand...
The history of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. originates with The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The standards of service, dining and facilities of this Boston landmark serve as a benchmark for all Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts worldwide.
The legacy of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston begins with the celebrated hotelier Cesar Ritz, the “king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.” His philosophy of service and innovations redefined the luxury hotel experience in Europe through his management of The Ritz Paris and The Carlton in London.
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston revolutionized hospitality in America by creating luxury in a hotel setting:
  • Private bath in each guest room
  • Lighter fabrics in the guest room to allow for more thorough washing
  • White tie and apron uniforms for the waitstaff, black tie for the Maitre d’ and morning suits for all other staff, conducive to a formal, professional appearance
  • Extensive fresh flowers throughout the public areas
  • A la carte dining, providing choices for diners
  • Gourmet cuisine, utilizing the genius and cooking methods of Auguste Escoffier
  • Intimate, smaller lobbies for a more personalized guest experience
Cesar Ritz died in 1918 but his wife Marie continued the expansion of hotels bearing his name. In the United States, The Ritz-Carlton Investing Company was established by Albert Keller who bought and franchised the name. In 1927 The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, opened and other hotels followed in New York (at Madison and 54th), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City and Boca Raton. However, by 1940 none of the hotels were operating except The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The hotel embodies the vision of Cesar Ritz, Yankee ingenuity and Boston social sensibilities.
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston
In 1927, Edward N. Wyner, a local Boston real estate developer, was asked by Mayor Curley to build a world-class hotel. Wyner, who was constructing an apartment building and was up to the second floor at the time, agreed and changed the apartment building into a hotel. Because of the reputation of Ritz in Europe and the cosmopolitan society in Boston, Wyner knew The Ritz-Carlton name would secure immediate success. He received permission from The Ritz-Carlton Investing Company and The Ritz Paris’ for use of the name and set out to create luxury in the heart of Boston. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston opened on May 19, 1927 with a room rate of $15.
In the tradition of Cesar Ritz, Wyner was meticulous about maintaining the privacy of his guests; a policy strictly adhered to today in all Ritz-Carlton hotels. And thus, the elite were drawn to his hotel. However, he was also very aware of the role and reputation the hotel had in the community: during the Depression Wyner kept the lights on in vacant hotel rooms to portray an aura of success.
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston was regarded as a private club for the very wealthy. Up until the 1960s, the hotel was very formal. Guests were regularly checked to see if they were in the Social Register or Who’s Who and the hotel sometimes went so far as to examine the quality of writing paper on which the guests wrote to the hotel requesting reservations (if it wasn’t of high enough quality, they were refused).
Dress codes were enforced for all guests, in great part due to the formality of Boston society. Restaurants were also very stringent with regard to whom they admitted. Women were not allowed to lunch alone in The Café. Unescorted women were not allowed to enter The Ritz Bar until 1970.
Cuisine in the hotel restaurants was created in the hallowed tradition of Cesar Ritz’s partner Auguste Escoffier. The cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton has always been classic but never boring, innovative but never trendy. The popular entree Lobster au Whiskey was served on the hotel’s opening night in 1927 and remains a favorite dinner item today.
The combination of cuisine and atmosphere ensured the restaurants were “the place” to swing, previewing such musical greats as Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. The Roof closed in 1944, but was reopened to great success in the summer of 1995. Today, guests can enjoy gourmet dining and dancing under the stars to a live big band.
More plays were written or reworked at the Boston hotel than anywhere else in the United States. Richard Rodgers composed “Ten Cents a Dance” on a piano in a Ritz-Carlton suite, Oscar Hammerstein wrote the lyrics to “Edelweiss” in the shower during an overnight stay and Tennessee Williams wrote part of “A Streetcar Named Desire” while a guest at the hotel. In addition to hosting numerous famous personalities, the hotel also entertained an extraordinary number of animals including: Rin Tin Tin, Morris the Cat and Louis the Swan (the central character in E.B. White’s classic children’s book “The Trumpet of the Swan”).
The hotel maintained its own upholstery and print shops and even had a craftsman in-house whose sole job was to paint the gold stripes on the hotel’s furniture. As a result of this convenience, the hotel often catered to the whims of important guests. A suite for Joan Crawford was decorated with peppermint Lifesavers because it was her favorite candy and the guest room furniture in Winston Churchill’s room was reupholstered in red, his favorite color.
Edward Wyner died in 1961. The land developers Cabot, Cabot & Forbes and their chairman and major shareholder, Gerald W. Blakely, owned and managed the hotel. However, the Ritz legacy endured with Charles Ritz, son of Cesar Ritz, who was an active board member of The Ritz-Carlton until his death in 1977. In 1983, Blakely sold the hotel and the rights to The Ritz-Carlton name to William B. Johnson, who established The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top