After more than two years of closure and $200 million in investments, The Langham, Boston is set to reopen at the end of June. The renovation includes all-new guestrooms and public spaces and an incredible curated art collection (including 59 commissioned pieces within its overall collection of 268 works). The hotel will also show off a new Club Lounge and a new bar and restaurant.
Dyer Brown is the architect of record for the project and collaborated with Richmond International, who will execute the interior design, which will reflect the history of The Langham, Boston, highlighting the architectural elements of the building, the former Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. (Richmond International was also the team behind the interiors of The Langham, London and The Langham, Chicago.) Design nods to the building’s history include lobby lamps crafted using green banker's glass and marble countertops that mirror those in the old bank. Even the original bank chandeliers were removed, cleaned and reinstalled.
When guests walk in, they will be greeted by a new lobby, decorated in jewel tones, with a fireplace, ample seating and “high-design” concierge area and check-in desk. A new Club Lounge on the eighth floor will offer a private space for guests who have purchased Club access to meet, eat and socialize; it will also have multiple food and beverage offerings throughout the day.
The Langham, Boston will also have completely redesigned guestrooms and suites, with brand new marble bathrooms and New England-inspired décor. Tip: The hotel’s signature Loft Suites will have two-story, brass-embossed windows accenting the bi-level living and sleeping quarters that were left from the hotel’s days as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The Chairman’s Suite is a penthouse offering a king bedroom, hardwood floors, a living room, complete with a baby grand piano and a “generous” dining room that seats eight people.
As for F&B, The Fed will be the hotel’s new “destination bar,” reminiscent of a 1920s-era private cocktail lounge. It will also have an outdoor terrace. A separate restaurant concept, Grana, created in collaboration with London-based Gorgeous Group (responsible for The Wigmore at The Langham, London) will serve signature items like house-roasted porchetta, along with shareable plates, seafood staples and locally inspired dishes. Grana is set in the former grand hall of the bank and led by executive chef Stephen Bukoff. Prior to joining The Langham team, chef Bukoff spent 16 years with Four Seasons, starting in Boston before taking his talents across the Western United States and Canada.
As for that art collection: As a historic Boston landmark building, The Langham put special effort into the locality of the art, working with The Copley Society (the oldest non-profit artist member society in the country) to source 126 pieces, including commissioned works by acclaimed Boston artists. The goal is for the property to function as a private permanent collection, representative of the city.
Guests can expect a commissioned sculpture in the lobby restaurant (Grana), a 3D metal floating head from the Lady Liberty coin, while Debra Keirce was commissioned to paint eight portraits of former presidents of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, in the style of colonial New England portraiture. Sculpture artist Richard Erdman is responsible for the bronze Belladonna sculpture that’s found on the outdoor terrace of the hotel restaurant.
A 24-hour fitness facility will remain, along with a glass-enclosed indoor pool and pool deck, available to all guests. After the official opening, The Langham will also re-introduce the Wilson Ballroom. Other updated meetings and events spaces include The Governor’s Room, a boardroom with a mahogany table, plaid carpeting and decorated with an array of historic area maps sourced from the Boston Public Library, as well as the new Lincoln Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 200 guests, and will have natural light by way of a skylight flanked by chandeliers.
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