Raffles Hotels & Resorts, part of AccorHotels, in partnership with hoteliers Gary and Jeffrey Saunders and developer Jordan Warshaw, signed definitive agreements to debut the first mixed-use Raffles property in North America. Located in Boston, Mass., at the corner of Stuart Street and Trinity Place, Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences is scheduled to open in 2021.
"We are proud to announce the introduction of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, one of our portfolio's most iconic and beloved luxury brands, to Boston, an American city with a powerful history of cultural significance and landmark events," Kevin Frid, COO of AccorHotels North & Central America, said in a statement. "As the only Raffles property on the continent, the hotel will bring to North America the unparalleled standards of excellence for which the Raffles brand is celebrated."
Joining a collection of 12 individually unique Raffles properties around the world, the project will include 147 guestrooms and 146 branded residences in a new 33-story building.
Hotel highlights include a mix of signature Raffles hotel services, public spaces including a two-story sky lobby perched high above Copley Square, five food & beverage venues, a Raffles Spa with a 65-foot indoor pool, a garden terrace and lounge and meeting space.
Raffles Boston Back Bay Residences will include pied-a-terre suites, one- to three-bedroom homes and penthouses alongside residents-only gathering places and exclusive offerings.
The building will include an exterior designed by Boston-based The Architectural Team, as well as hotel interiors fashioned by Stonehill Taylor and residential interiors created by Rockwell Group.
The project's developer, Trinity Stuart, is a partnership of hoteliers Gary and Jeff Saunders individually, principals of Saunders Hotel Group, which has a history of owning and operating hotels in Boston's Back Bay, and developer Jordan Warshaw, principal of The Noannet Group, a Boston-based development firm.
"Raffles is one of the most iconic names in hotels in the world, and the Back Bay is one of the most iconic neighborhoods in the United States, so it is a perfect match and will further enhance Boston's reputation as a world-class city," Warshaw said in a statement.
"The addition of the legendary Raffles brand in North America signals an evolution of AccorHotels' luxury presence in the region and supports our Group's growth strategy to introduce new brands and continue to develop luxury hotels in key strategic markets," Frid said in a statement.
Dating back to 1887, Raffles Hotels & Resorts is a hotel brand that includes a dozen addresses around the world. The collection of hotels and resorts includes Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris; Raffles Singapore, and Raffles Seychelles, among others. Noteworthy Raffles openings in the pipeline include Raffles Europejski Warsaw in Poland, The Palm Dubai Hotel and Raffles Residences on Palm Jumeirah and the transformation of the Old War Office in London into a Raffles Hotel.