The Newbury Boston Masters The Art Of Romance With Fireplace Suites

The Newbury Boston has a romantic antidote to February’s cold shoulder with its novel Fireplace Program, available in 42 suites featuring wood-burning fireplaces serviced by dedicated Fireplace Butlers.

The fireplace is the focal point of each suite’s spacious living area that is adjacent to a king-size bedroom with an elegant marble bathroom. A menu on the hearth lists a variety of woods that guests can choose from, including birch, cherry, oak, or classic New England, maple. Once the wood has been chosen, guests ring for a Fireplace Butler to get the fire going, instantly transforming the space with a cozy ambience.

The hotel’s culinary team even curated a special room-service menu exclusively available in the Fireplace Suites that offers sweet and savory snacks, such as a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato bisque, as well as creative house-bottled cocktails, including one dubbed Campfire—a smoky mix of Don Julio Reposado, Montelobos Mezcal, toasted marshmallow syrup and chocolate mole bitters garnished with a tableside-torched marshmallow.

Even guests who don’t book a Fireplace Suite can warm up by the fire in The Street Bar, overlooking the city’s historic Public Garden. While the ambience is a throwback to the 1920s with dark wood accents and leather and velvet furnishings, the contemporary artwork on the walls reflects the carefully curated collection on display throughout the hotel’s public spaces.

Mike Carroll and Lynne Kortenhaus—who have more than three decades of experience in curating, producing, advising and managing fine art collections—took inspiration from Europe’s legendary art salons to create 21st-century gathering spaces that spur a sense of connection and stimulate conversations.

Selected works represent a diverse range of artists who are shaping the art world with new technology and innovative techniques. Overall, the collection reflects on the rich history of the city and property, considering both as a source and stage to showcase works that illustrate the story of the property with elegance, style, rich visual flavor, and a bit of wit

Hanging over the fireplace in The Library, a hideaway just off the lobby, a wood and fabric “trophy head” by the Cape Cod artist Breon Dunigan offers a playful wink to guests who come to relax over tea or a cocktail. The shelves are lined with books selected by the Boston Public Library and Trident Booksellers.

On one wall hangs a series of Yousuf Karsh photographic portraits of mid-20th-century art and culture icons including Ernest Hemingway, Le Corbusier, Jessie Norman, Georgia O’Keefe, IM Pei, Paul Robeson and Tennessee Williams. The silver gelatin prints have never before been displayed outside of a museum or private collection.

Opened in 2021 after an extensive renovation and redesign of the former Taj Boston hotel, The Newbury Boston occupies a landmark building in the heart of Boston’s tony Back Bay neighborhood, known for its upscale shopping and dining. Sited on the corner of Newbury Street, the stately building dates back to 1927 when it opened as one of the first Ritz Carlton hotels in the United States.

Under the management of Highgate, the historic property has been transformed into an artful luxury hotel with 286 rooms and suites. In designing the hotel’s new entrance and public spaces, internationally recognized architect Jeffrey Beers, of the interior architecture and design firm Jeffrey Beers International, invokes the spirit of the building’s rich heritage by incorporating historic details into the new design.

The acclaimed interior design firm Champalimaud Design infused the rooms and suites with a soothing palette of blues, grays, and creams enhanced with tactile materials and custom furnishings to convey a residential ambience that is further enhanced by a crackling fire in the hearth.