Ames Boston

Class: First

Style: Cutting edge

Rooms: 114

Designed by David Rockwell, Morgans Hotel Group's first Boston property is a restrained version of earlier Ian Schrager/Philippe Starck collaborations such as St Martin's Lane in London and the Delano in Miami. And given the conservative nature of the city, and the handsome, 13-storey Richardsonian Romanesque Ames Building (Boston's first skyscraper) it occupies, this seems entirely appropriate. A silver chandelier reminiscent of cherry blossom dominates the lobby. Upstairs, the 114 bedrooms have a minimalist look and colour scheme: walls are white, save for a grey one behind the bed, decorated with three painted plates and a quote from Picturesque America; a red coffee table adds a splash of colour to the otherwise monochrome furniture. Floor-toceiling windows hung with Morgans' signature white chiffon curtains have views of the city's more recent skyscrapers and the odd Federal-era survivor, and there's a cuddly sheepskin at the foot of the preposterously comfortable bed. Bathrooms have grey tiles and Agua by Korres products. The only non-minimalist detail? Charging $10 per computer for Wi-Fi access, inexcusable in 2010. On the Saturday night we stayed, the hotel's attractive Woodward restaurant (marble floors, mismatched glossy white chairs and studded-leather banquettes, shelves of objets) was packed with a mix of couples and older parties enjoying its 'shared plate concept': dishes (preceded by a dainty bowl of pickles instead of bread) include shrimp, cucumber and feta salad, and an excellent seared swordfish with lobster sauce.
Source: Conde Nast Traveller The Hot List 2010.