After our recent mini-vacay where we stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, we may have returned home just a tiny bit more “princess-y” than when we left. Sorry, husbands. We were treated like royalty (such is the Ritz-Carlton way!) and could have cried when it came time to leave. Here’s our whirlwind mid-week Ritz-Carlton, Boston experience! #RCMemories #Suitelife
Post sponsored by The Ritz-Carlton, Boston
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston
The brand boasts 100 years of history and a reputation for providing guests with unbelievable luxury and hospitality. We were crossing off the days leading up to our stay and couldn’t wait to see just how much opulence we could handle. As it turns out, we have quite a high threshold. 😉
Locale
The Ritz-Carlton is located smack in the middle of downtown Boston at 10 Avery Street. It overlooks Boston Common (the oldest city park in the USA) and is within walking distance to many great shopping spots (more on that later). Much of Boston’s rich history can be enjoyed right from the doorstep of the Ritz-Carlton.
From the moment we arrived…
…in our little rental car that clearly didn’t fit in, but we valeted it anyway; we were blown away by the staff. They were all so incredibly professional. Like, we’d love to see The Ritz-Carlton training manual!
Welcome to the Luxury Parkview Suite
When Mohamed (pictured below) was helping us to our floor and asked us which room, we told him, The Luxury Parkview Suite. He literally said, “Ohhhhh!” That’s when we knew we were in for a real treat.
Oh, the views!
Mohamed showed us around our 1100 square foot suite complete with living room, library room/office, marble bathrooms (two!), and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the historic Boston Common and Public Gardens. In a moment we’ll not soon forget, we pushed the button that raised all the blinds in the living room at the same time. It revealed this view…
And to add to the feeling of being utterly pampered…
Awaiting us in the dining room were some welcome treats.
Naturally, we opened the red wine immediately, sampled the macarons (holy cow), and did some extreme bird/people watching using the massive binoculars. An interior design touch of genius!
The Luxury Parkview Suite is inspired by Isabella Stewart Gardner, who had quite the Boston socialite life in the late 1800s. The suite is sophisticated and contemporary with a generous side of history. And of course, utterly luxurious.
We’re big fans of awesome light fixtures and the Ritz-Carlton did not disappoint.
Supper time…at the Artisan Bistro
Why leave the Ritz-Carlton unless you really have to? At least, that’s what we say! Artisan Bistro is located exactly one elevator ride away on the ground floor, making it a no-brainer to dine there. How we love not dealing with cars or Ubers and knowing our PJs await us seconds after we finish the incredible feast that was about to follow.
And this is just a couple of the dishes we ate…
We loved the vibe in the Artisan Bistro right away…comfortable, chic, contemporary…and even more cool light fixtures.
With not one but two waiters to attend to us, we had fun picking out a cocktail and deciding what to try. Hospitality is the name of the game at the Ritz. It’s on another level!
Chef Micole Rivera Suarez came out to say hello and describe how she came up with the menu, talking about the dishes like loved ones. This lady is passionate about food and we are just so glad that she and the chefs of the world exist because we are huge appreciators of all things yum. And yum it truly was.
If you get a chance to visit you must try the new summer menu item, clams, and pork belly over linguini. The melt in your mouth flavors are out of this world!
What’s a fancy suite without fancy new PJs?
We grabbed these Egyptian cotton PJs fit-for-the-Ritz on our recent trip to Norwalk in Simple SoNo.
Let’s talk about The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge…
Our suite included access to the newly redesigned Club Lounge – which is basically every complimentary thing you’ve ever dreamed of. The lounge has a dedicated concierge who is essentially like having your own real-life magic genie. True story; we were visiting the lounge for the third or fourth time (we lost count) and mentioned to Jack that we really had a hankering for lemonade, and did they have any? We had worked up a thirst shopping. Jack said, no he didn’t…but he did have fresh lemons and would freshly press us some. Best lemonade ever!
Next time we’ll mention our craving for a new designer wardrobe ?
And yet more complimentary perks of Club Lounge access…
- Breakfast, light fare lunch, light snacks, hors d’ oeuvres & desserts…all served up on Le Creuset.
- Top shelf selection of beer, wine, and cocktails (including an automatic wine dispenser)!
- Access to the Equinox Sports Club – oopsie, we forgot our workout clothes again.
- Two complimentary garment pressings per day – we seriously considered having our PJs pressed.
If we must leave our luxury digs…
We started our morning with a cruise around Boston’s Public Garden lagoon (10 min walk from the hotel) on a swan boat. Swan Boats have been a thing since 1877 and we thoroughly enjoyed our 15 minute ride. Perfect for our attention span!
After that, a stroll through the Public Garden (the first botanical garden in America) where absolutely everything was blooming like crazy! Delightful.
And if you know us, you know there will always be SHOPPING!
We made our way over to Newbury Street, a place we visited before and dreamed of returning to ever since! Newb Street is eight blocks of fabulous, including every single designer and retail store we love! Ahh, if only we had more time (and disposable income).
Another great shopping district right next to the Ritz-Carlton is Downtown Crossing, a bustling pedestrianized shopping zone.
Downtown Crossing can be found at the intersection of Washington, Winter, and Summer streets. The historic buildings house a mix of department stores, fashion chains, souvenir shops, and other specialty retailers. We loved the European shopping vibe…and catching the above historical reenactment.
Time to head home
And all of that, readers, is why we shed a tear or two when we checked out of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. Sniff.
Until we meet again, Ritz!
#spoiled
10 Avery Street, Boston, MA, 02111
617-574-7100
Words: Bev/ Pics: Lora