The search for our wedding accommodations in Boston has begun. We could have stayed at our condo, but I’m only intending to get married once, so we’re going to do it up in grand style for this event (and Suzie and Chris can have the condo). I made a few impromptu tours of four hotels which seemed promising, and the results were not at all what I expected. (By the way, some hotel staff initially looked askance when the guy in jeans and stubble walked into their holier-than-thou establishments and asked to see a few of their rooms, but the minute you tell them it’s for a wedding, the tune changes considerably. This is perfectly lame, but I’ll accept whatever advantage I can get.) Here are the current candidates, in roughly ascending order of my preference:
Copley Fairmont Plaza
This was originally my very first choice. Having passed it a zillion times, and enjoying a birthday cocktail with Andy at the Oak Room a few years ago (a $20 martini worth every penny), I’ve always thought of it as unreachable entity, a Grand Dame who wouldn’t normally deign to indulge me. It is a central mainstay of Boston, with its two gold lions looking out onto Copley Square and Trinity Church. The lobby is baroquely ornate, and veritably Versailles-like in golden grandeur. Unfortunately, age has weakened the venerable establishment, and the room (the one they showed me at least) was somewhat dark and on the smaller side. The opulence of the lobby would be the only draw, and how much time would we be spending in the lobby? Still, it’s a Boston landmark, and I’m sure the suites are a lot better than the “Moderate” room I got to see.
Mandarin Oriental
By far the most prohibitively expensive choice, the Mandarin is pretentious enough to not even mark their entrance in the Prudential Center – a trait I like and always found ridiculously humorous. The staff persons here were, and should be, professionally courteous, but they were surprisingly personable as well. I was shown two rooms, both of which had more private hallway space than our entire condo. The bathroom was a spa-like dream, and the closet was a room unto itself, with an upholstered bench on which to sit when you’re pulling your socks on. This was the newest hotel on our list, and its modern elegant decadence was suitably impressive. After seeing the rooms, I thought it would kill me to not stay here, even if put me in debt for the rest of my life.
The Four Seasons
For some reason, this hotel has never beckoned me into its doors. I know it’s been consistently considered one of the best in Boston, and many a famous politician and celebrity have graced it, but I never wanted to go inside and look, as I have with all of the other choices. Outwardly, it seemed to lack an inspiring exterior, but as with most things, the appearance is a deceptive one. The lobby was much more spacious than I envisioned from the street, warmer and more inviting than the smoky glass doors would have one believe. The suite I was shown was immense, and classy in all respects. There was one more auspicious moment: on the way out, a pair of women was riding in the elevator and one was carrying a large bouquet of flowers. “Those are beautiful,” my guide said. “Are they from the wedding last night?” The woman said they were, and then introduced the mother of the bride who was next to her. It was a good sign, and I think it’s going to come down to the Four Seasons and the next one.
The Taj
About fourteen years ago I stayed in this hotel when my parents were visiting Boston for a conference. It was the Ritz Carlton then, and I remember that I had just gotten over a week at the infirmary with mono, so the luxury was doubly appreciated (as was the indulgent breakfast of waffles that they allowed me to order from Room Service). While the memory of that stay was grand, I wasn’t sure how well the hotel had weathered the years, or its transition to the Taj. Situated on the corner of Newbury Street, it overlooks the Boston Public Garden. At this time of the year all of the Christmas decorations were up – including a life-size gingerbread/candy castle – and a collection of stuffed teddy bears lined the winding staircase to the next floor.
The mirror-paneled elevator doors opened and we were brought up to view one of the fireplace suites. Oh how badly did I want to just stay there (especially with a broken water-heater back at the condo). The suite was spectacular – the bright and airy windows were framed with sumptuous drapes – and an ornately carved four-poster king bed presided over the bedroom. Elegant but not overtly extravagant, the adjoining room looked out over the Garden and had a richly-appointed writing desk and several refined but comfortable settees and couches. The gentleman who showed me the suite told a story of a wedding his colleague had had at the hotel, and how it had been a small, intimate affair of ten or twelve people for which the hotel chef had crafted a personal several-course meal. (Obviously we wouldn’t be partaking of this particular service as it probably is the financial equivalent of our mortgage payments for an entire year). Yet even without the personal chef perk, this is quite possibly my favorite of all four hotels.
It’s going to be a difficult and fun decision for us to make, and the thought of Boston in the Spring will see us through the Winter.
