Where: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Boston, USA
Why: Let’s face it – if you’re staying at any Mandarin Oriental hotel, you pretty much know you’re in for five-star luxury: gorgeous décor, excellent service, fine dining and brilliant bars, all put together in a great part of town. So it’s no surprise that the Mandarin Oriental Boston, with its imposing stone façade, elegant rooms and super-luxe spa, ticks all these boxes and more. And by more I mean the surprising attention to the smaller details: the sumptuous 400-thread-count Frette bed linen and robes in every room (the Frette store is next to the hotel and one can but dream of owning these heavenly sheets), the chocolate strawberries or fondants left by my bedside each evening and the lovely wood-handled body brush gifted to me after a ridiculously relaxing spa treatment. We all know these things count.
Opened in 2008, The Mandarin Oriental knows how to do true old-school hotel luxury: marble floors, warm wood panelling and tasteful art greet you in the expansive lobby, while rooms (I stayed in a Premier Suite) take advantage of walk-in wardrobes, enormous marble bathrooms with oversized tubs and rainforest showers. And, of course, there are the gorgeous views over this jewel of a city. But let’s be clear about one thing: this is not an edgy hotel – there’s no trendy colour schemes or hipster décor here. While other, more au courant hotels have opened in Boston recently, the Mandarin Oriental Boston simply does what this luxe hotel group does best: five-star class all the way.
Located in the heart of Boston’s hip Back Bay area, you can hit the city’s finest shopping hotspots in minutes: it’s one street away from the boutiques and high-end designer stores on Newbury, has direct hotel access to ‘The Pru’ (The Prudential Center to you and me) and is a short walk to Copley Place (both mall-style shopping centres with designer stores and high-end restaurants). And shop you must – unlike other US cities, there is literally no sales tax in Boston on clothing under $175 and only a 6.25 per cent sales tax on everything else, so it’s like there’s a sale on every day – why rest your shopping-weary feet anywhere else?
What’s hot: The Spa – it really is five-star. I spent hours hopping from the jacuzzi to the essential-oil scented steam room and back again before indulging in the hotel’s signature, ultra-pampering New England Retreat: a 1hr 50min massage treatment that melted away tension, leaving me totally relaxed but revitalised. The M Bar & Lounge is also great – filled with Boston’s beautiful people on a nightly basis, indulge your palette with brilliant food and cocktails in this lively bar. Stumbling home after a night out has never been so easy.
What’s not: If you’re after a home-away-from-home experience, this is not the hotel for you – the Mandarin is definitely more corporate than cosy. And there’s no swimming pool, but if you ask nicely, the concierge desk can help arrange a swim at a nearby private pool.
Number of rooms: 136 rooms and 12 suites
Check in/check out: 24-hour reception
Swimming pool: No
Spa: Yes – and it’s a good one! Take advantage of the Vitality Pool and the Quartz Crystal Steam Room to rejuvenate shopping-weary limbs – as a hotel resident, it’s free to use and is open every day.
Best room: Any of the upper floors – the views are better.
Who stays here: Celebrities and royalty. Don’t ask who, though – the staff are way too discreet to ever reveal the names of their rich and famous guests.
Eating & drinking: By day, the chic Asana dining room offers a sunny haven for sit-down breakfasts and lunches: the Buttermilk Pancakes and the Maine Lobster Omlette are breakfast favourites while the Chilled Maine Rock Shrimp salad is a best-seller for lunch. By night, the lights are dimmed and tables are elegantly set to provide an intimate dining experience. For pre-dinner drinks (or a light bite), head to the stylish M Bar & Lounge for super-fancy cocktails or a glass of top-vintage vino from the extensive wine list. And if you get the chance, book the Chef’s Table: a private, glassed-in dining room with a bird’s-eye view of the kitchen, the food is out of this world.
Best dish: The menus are seasonal, so the dishes are ever-changing, but the locally sourced seafood is always a favourite – definitely try the Lobster Roll if it’s on the menu.
Near to: Everything! The hotel is brilliantly located for designer and boutique shopping, is a short walk to museums, galleries and the start of Boston’s famous Freedom Trail, five minutes from the historic Federal-style rowhouses of the historic Beacon Hill district and a fast, cheap cab ride over the river to the hipster bars of Boston’s adjoining city, Cambridge.
Address: 776 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02199 USA
Getting there: British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to Boston and is a very manageable 6-hour flight.
Website: mandarinoriental.com/boston
*Written for ELLE UK
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