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ROOMS
Given Boston’s rather staid and stuffy reputation, the words Boston
and boutique hotel might not seem the likeliest of allies—and yet
the rooms at Nine Zero nearly belie such stereotypical notions.
Blissfully well-proportioned, the rooms are large enough to contain
an oversized bed complete with massive upholstered headboard—rather
like a wingback chair for the entire family—as well as a dark wood
desk and console containing all sorts of urban goodies, such as a
line of specialty cocktail mixes and other temptations more often
associated with the phrase “banned in Boston,” while an updated pair
of wingback chairs flank a cocktail table laden with brand-new
glossy magazines.
And then, behind a pair of black lacquered wooden doors, there’s the
bathroom—huge and drowning in marble, with a delicious array of
toiletries (for sale, of course—and, as usual, way overpriced).
Interestingly, everything’s oversized—all the furniture large enough
for Papa Bear—but even better, the room is large enough to hold such
big furniture. And still, there’s room to waltz around the bed in a
fluffy bathrobe, before flopping into one of those wingbacks and
flipping through one of those glossy mags to determine where to
eat—in what suddenly seems a very stylish town.
PUBLIC SPACES
In the lobby, there they are again: those wingback chairs, albeit
this time in black leather—almost as an advertisement for the
kinkier side of Boston, the fetishes historically kept in Back Bay
closets.
The Nine Zero is a now a Kimpton hotel—and their narrative for the
Nine Zero is that the hotel is all about design. That’s their story
and they’re sticking to it—although the overall design scheme might
appear, to some, to be little more than a hodge-podge of the latest
shelter magazine trends. There’s an exuberance of stainless steel
and polished nickel, as well as the requisite chrome and mirrors,
all of it complementing dark woods and metallic fabrics. At times,
you might have the sense that the designers threw everything into
the mix—just to see what might stick to the walls.
As for dining, there’s Spire Restaurant and Bar—which feels, in the
evenings, a bit like an establishment in San Francisco: bubbly and
spirited—or maybe that’s a reflection of the new Boston.
BREAKFAST
Upstairs, a short staircase from the lobby, the restaurant Spire is
bliss for brunch on the weekend. With its view onto the Granary
Burying Ground (where lie Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul
Revere—amongst other signers of the Declaration of Independence),
Spire marries the past to the present, with its black granite
floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sumptuous dove-gray
banquettes. The food is stimulating to the palate without being
overly-challenging: in other words, just enough of the old Yankee,
mixed with the 21st century.
PERSONNEL
Polished and competent—with a desire to please.
LOCATION
Ideal. Right around the corner from the Boston Athenaeum and City
Hall, as well as the aforementioned Granary Burying Ground, and but
a few steps to Boston Common and the Public Garden, and thereafter,
the boutiques of Newbury Street. The location could hardly be more
perfect—and serves as a reminder of Boston’s calling card to urban
greatness: everything’s within walking distance.
OVERVIEW
With its combination of contemporary style amidst a classic setting,
the Nine Zero embodies Boston’s embrace of the new even while
celebrating its heritage—and were you once a student in that college
town, a weekend at the Nine Zero might reawaken you to a newfound
respect for Boston’s many appeals. At the very least, you’ll be
happy you returned—and chose the Nine Zero as your new Boston
address. |
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