NEWBURY BOSTON
Designers: Alexandra Champalimaud, Ken Fulk, Jeffrey Beers
Location: Boston
On Offer: Formerly The Ritz Carlton then The Taj, the rebranded Newbury Boston restores one of the city’s treasured properties in Back Bay to its former glory with a tasteful makeover by Alexandra Champalimaud, Ken Fulk, and Jeffrey Beers International. Champalimaud is no stranger to the delicate task of re-energizing heritage hotel spaces with contemporary ideas, having done just that for the likes of The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Plaza, The Carlyle, and others.
The 286 rooms at The Newbury possess the designer’s signature residential aesthetic with blue velvet window nooks, original artworks by illustrator Veronica Lawlor, and a color scheme of blues, grays, and creams. One of the city’s beloved watering holes, the Street Bar, returns with a spruce courtesy of Jeffrey Beers, though regulars can count on the same finely mixed classic cocktails and ground-level views of the Public Garden across Arlington Street. Mike Carroll and Lynne Kortenhaus of C + K ART ADVISORY curated the art collection, which strikes up a dialogue between past and present. The standout works might be celebrated photographer Yousuf Karsh’s original portraits of historical creative figures such as Le Corbusier and Ernest Hemingway—the first time his works have been shown outside of a museum or private collection.
Standout Features: Crowning the hotel’s rooftop is Major Food Group’s (Carbone, ZZ’s) first concept in Boston, Contessa. Local resident and designer Ken Fulk was the driving force behind the interiors, imbuing the space with the Old-World glamour of an Italian trattoria: sumptuous trompe l’oeil velvet drapes, jewel-toned mosaic tile floors, and a wooden bar inspired by a vintage Riva speedboat. Overlooking the Public Garden, floor-to-ceiling windows and retractable glass roof panels equip the dining room with an indoor-outdoor flexibility and sets the stage for executive chef Matt Eckfeld’s northern Italian menu. Standouts include butternut squash carpaccio, spicy lobster capellini, and dry-aged bistecca fiorentina for two.
