The Newbury Is A Boston Gem

The Newbury opened as the country’s first Ritz-Carlton in 1927 and has what is arguably Boston’s best hotel location, across the street from the manicured Public Garden. It’s at the corner of Arlington Street and Newbury Street, the city’s upscale shopping boulevard.

Check your expectations at the revolving door on Arlington Street. This is not your great-grandmother’s staid old Ritz-Carlton. The Newbury is exciting, vibrant, and youthful.

The property became a Taj Hotel in 2007 and was reborn as The Newbury in 2021 thanks to Highgate, a real estate and hospitality management company. The 286-room hotel has undergone a stunning and energetic transformation and has now hit its full stride.

On a recent afternoon, the lobby buzzed with business travelers and well-heeled parents visiting their offspring in this ultimate college town. There were younger Bostonians on dates, families in town for an event, and groups of friends in for the night. The hotel is fast becoming the social hub of The Hub.

How do you take a Roaring Twenties dowager from the 1920s into the 21st century? It was not so much about restoration – although the hotel’s famous Art Deco architectural details were preserved and honored — as it was about reimagining.

The Newbury has a fresh and clean-lined look thanks to the use of vibrant teals and blues in public areas, a fitting backdrop to classic 1920s hotel details, like the restored brass mailbox by the elevators, the curved staircase to the legendary afternoon tea on the second floor, and the plush seating of The Street Bar. As the bellman with a classic bell cap takes your bags, you know you’re either in a Wes Anderson movie or a smartly run, sophisticated, friendly, and pitch-perfect hotel. The Newbury marks the height of sublime luxury in Boston.

I was lucky to have a peaceful, quiet, elegant room with a view over the Public Garden. There’s nothing better to give you a true sense of the heart of Boston, with a view that combines the landscaped garden, newly risen skyscrapers, and the famed golden dome of the statehouse, surrounded by the townhouse rooftops of Beacon Hill.

Suppose you’re fortunate to stay in a room or suite with one of the hotel’s 40 working fireplaces. In that case, you’ll find a Fireplace Menu with a choice of cocktails, wines, small plates, and a selection of wood to burn from birch, which “produces a strong heat and burns quickly” to maple, with an aroma that “will fill the room with the ambiance of a quaint countryside escape.” You don’t even need to lift a match or carry a log. There’s a Fireplace Butler on call to do the work for you.

There is a vitality to The Street Bar. While classically decked out, the bar is the furthest thing from stuffy. Every time I popped in, it seemed to be a celebratory place, especially post-dinner when the dark wood walls and cozy furniture offered a relaxing respite on a chilly night. We loved the high-touch service, and The Street Bar quickly became our new favorite watering hole in Boston.

There’s also the Library, a welcoming place for hotel guests only, decked out with books and couches and complimentary coffee and soft drinks. Throughout, you’ll find commissioned Boston illustrations by Veronica Lawlor.

The real showstopper can be found by taking the elevator to the rooftop and walking into Contessa, a restaurant with panoramic views across the city’s breadth. The décor, which ranges from colorful to the edge of whimsical, is a carnival of color courtesy of the design genius Ken Fulk. Potted trees and floral displays augment the artwork, and the vast rows of windows offer a bird’s eye view of Beantown.

Chef Mario Carbone, the founder of Major Food Group, which has restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, and Hong Kong, oversees the restaurant. The service is among the best in the city, professional and friendly, with an expected touch of formality.

The menu is fun, Northern Italian by design, but also playful. While Meatballs Aldo in a whole grain mustard sauce gives new meaning to an Italian staple, the standout starter is Squash Carpaccio served with arugula, pumpkin seeds, and agrodolce. Fusili Genovese and Rigatoni Carbonara were notable pastas, while Grilled Salmon Scapece was delicious, and Scallops Aglio Olio Peperoncino took advantage of Boston’s legendary scallop season. The wine list is pages deep with Italian choices. In the morning, business deals are made over Panettone French Toast, a Carbonara Scramble with pancetta, pecorino, black pepper, or Avocado Bruschetta with almonds and tomato basil in this brightly lit space.

The Newbury’s location is superb. Step out onto Arlington Street, and you are minutes away from the bronze “Make Way for Ducklings” statues celebrating the Robert McCloskey book of the same name. As the weather warms, the Swan Boats will return.

The hotel is the ideal launching point for a stately stroll past the Commonwealth Avenue mansions. You’re also a short walk from the shops along Charles Street, including the brilliant new Beacon Hill Books & Café, which opened in a restored townhouse last fall. Or head to the Esplanade and catch the sailboats and the rowers along the Charles River. The best of Boston is at the doorstep of The Newbury.

Visit The Newbury.