Where to Stay - Boston 2009 - page 82

Planning Pointer
If your trip involves a cultural event—for example, a big museum show—look
into a hotel package that includes tickets. Usually offered on weekends, these
deals always save time and can save money.

Tips

stay free in parent's room. Senior discount, weekend, and family packages available. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet park-
ing $38. T: Green Line to Arlington. Amenities: 3 restaurants; nightclub; exercise room; concierge; business center;
salon; 24-hr. room service; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room:A/C, TV w/pay movies, high-speed Internet
access ($10/day), coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
COPLEY SQUARE/HYNES CONVENTION CENTER
VERY EXPENSIVE
The Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental chain's first New England property was
under construction on Boylston Street at Fairfield Street as this guide went to press.
The 148-unit Mandarin Oriental, Boston ( & 866/526-6567 or 617/531-0888;
www.mandarinoriental.com/boston) is slated to open in the fall of 2008. The prop-
erty is part of a 14-story hotel-condo development connected directly to the Pruden-
tial Center. It has a 16,000-square-foot spa, two restaurants (including the relocated
L'Espalier), a lounge, and the ultraluxurious brand's over-the-top appointments and
service.
Estimated to reopen late 2008, the Copley Square Hotel, 47 Huntington Ave.,
Boston, MA 02116 ( & 800/225-7062 or 617/536-9000; www.copleysquarehotel.
com), isn't just under renovation—it's closed, with walls in much of the seven-story
building stripped to the studs. Opened in 1891, the 143-unit hotel is leaping straight
from elaborate Edwardian decor to $14 million worth of streamlined style executed in
tasteful neutrals. After the overhaul, guest rooms—some of which are quite snug—
will have pillow-top beds and the latest tech accouterments; expect prices to match.
Colonnade Hotel Boston Adjacent to Copley Place and the Prudential
Center, the independently owned Colonnade is a luxurious spot of European-style
calm in the Back Bay's retail frenzy. The attentive, gracious staff caters to an interna-
tional clientele of businesspeople, sightseers, shoppers, and families. An $18-million
renovation completed in 2008 made the 11-story concrete-and-glass hotel even more
desirable—the large guest rooms, decorated in muted earth tones, have pillow-top
beds, marble-clad bathrooms, and sleek residential-style furnishings (a round table
with two chairs on casters replaces the desk). Light floods through floor-to-ceiling
windows, which open on the bustling Prudential Center or the South End's urban
patchwork. The seasonal “rooftop resort” and swimming pool are a welcome change
of pace in warm weather. Suites have dining rooms and sitting areas; my favorite is the
Conductor's Suite (a nod to nearby Symphony Hall), which holds a baby grand piano.
120 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02116. & 800/962-3030 or 617/424-7000. Fax [phone]. www.colonnade
hotel.com. 285 units. $175-$459 double; $575-$1,750 suite. Children under 12 stay free in parent's room. Weekend,
family, and other packages, winter and other discounts available. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $36. T: Green Line E to
Prudential. Pets accepted. Amenities: Restaurant (Brasserie Jo, p. 127); bar; heated outdoor rooftop pool; fitness cen-
ter; concierge; 24-hr. business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; laundry service; same-day
dry cleaning; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room:A/C, TV/DVD w/pay movies, wireless Internet access, mini-
bar, hair dryer, iron, safe.

Kids