Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The terrace of the Long Bar & Terrace at Raffles Boston. Photography by Brandon Barré The Long Bar may not be designed to look like a Malaysian plantation with peanut shells swept from the polished bar to the floor as in the flagship Raffles in Singapore but you can still get the signature Singapore Sling at the new Raffles Boston , the company’s first property in North America. You’ll have it on the 17 th floor Sky Lobby in a gleaming, all-glass Back Bay tower instead of a whitewashed Colonial charmer but the Boston hotel is very much on brand with the company’s trademarks: sharp design, cosseting service, premium restaurants and a central location.
The ground floor lobby. Photography by Brandon Barré Beneath the first impressions of the design-the Asian black and gold color schemes, the geometric patterns and swaths of greenery-are more subtle, specific references to the city. The greenery refers to the Emerald Necklace, the 1,100 acres of public parks stretching from Back Bay to Dorchester and Jamaica Plain designed over a century ago by Frederick Law Olmstead.
The copper accents throughout the property are a nod to a prominent previous Bostonian: Paul Revere and his copper plating company. Artistic touches such as the suspensions resembling birds on the ceiling of the ground lobby and the pastel flowering branches behind bedroom headboards are delicate and reflective of the group’s Asian heritage. A Premier Suite bedroom.
Photography by Brandon Barré The emphasis on service clicks in the moment guests arrive and are guided to the Writers Lounge next to the reception desks. Check in procedures are conducted there, their butler (all rooms have them) brings them a drink of choice and leads them and luggage to one of the 147 subtly contemporary,residential-in-feel rooms or suites where a cocktail, a pomegranate liquor, cranberry compote and gin Boston Sling, has been tucked into the room bar’s fridge. From that moment on, butlers check in on guests by text message and if guests need anything, those butlers respond in a flash.
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Downstairs, the bi-level La Padrona opened in May from local star chef Jody Adams showcasing a panoply of regional Italian specialties such as Paccheri and Clams, Lobster and Uni Risotto and Slow Roasted Porchetta. Up on the 17 th floor, displaying Back Bay, Charles River and Cambridge views, Amar marks the return to New England of chef George Mendes who achieved star status with the restaurant Aldea in New York, with a menu that spotlights local seafood and his versions of Portuguese classics. They can be ordered a la carte but his well composed five course menu is the best way to experience it; the dishes include Cured Fluke with tomato, cucumber and Shio Koji (a Japanese fermented salt and malted rice seasoning,) Bacalhau à Brás, the classic composed of salt cod, potatoes and eggs, Maine Lobster with white asparagus, Azorean pineapple and Vadouvan curry, Colorado Lamb Loin with braised morel mushrooms, ramps and fava beans and Citrus Flan with vanilla bean and winter citrus.
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render(randId); }); })(); Blind Duck Speakeasy. Photography by Brandon Barré Mendes is also in charge of the menus at the Long Bar& Terrace where a more casual menu at lunch and dinner is served including Lobster Rolls, Crispy Cornmeal Oysters and Maine Bluefin Tuna with grated tomato, coriander and sesame. At night, the bi-level speakeasy Blind Duck , located on the 17 th and 18 th floors, also has some Mendes creations such as Crab Cannoli with avocado puree and black sesame and Serrano Jamon Grilled Toast to go along with cocktails such as Spice Mountain, a blend of sage Grey Goose vodka, grapefruit, Meletti amaro and sumac.
The 66 foot lap pool. Photography by Brandon Barré To work those meals off, there’s a 24 hour fitness center and a 66 foot lap pool. But for pure relaxation, there’s also a Guerlain Spa with treatments ranging from age reversal using black orchids to a full body treatment designed to combat sluggishness.
It’s called Boston Energy, another nod to the local environment..
