As part of its overall renovation, The Ames Boston Hotel, a member of the Curio Collection by Hilton and of the Gemstone Collection by Benchmark, has completed the Bobby Orr Suite, a corner space designed with Bruins devotees and Orr fans in mind. The suite was designed by Boston-based architecture and interior design firm Bergmeyer Associates.
Upon exiting the elevator on the 14th floor, the doors open to reveal a “golden skate” hologram embedded into the floor-length hallway mirror. There is also a sign with the words “Bobby Orr Way” and framed photos of Bobby Orr with coaches and players that were taken during his professional career—all provided by The Sports Museum at Boston’s TD Garden. The suite’s door bears the number “4”.
When entering the suite, guests first see a black wall with gold and white stripes adorned with quotes from Orr. In the living room, there are two seats from the original Boston Garden; a replica scoreboard with the time and score halted at the exact moment Orr scored the winning goal during overtime on May 10, 1970 (and clinching the Stanley Cup for the Boston Bruins); dasher boards with a functioning “penalty box”; and a custom couch and table that evoke the feeling of stadium-style seating.
The suite also has custom flooring made from woven white vinyl to invoke the look of a rink, complete with face off circles and the blue line. On one of the living room walls, a graphic of a ticket from Orr’s first game with the Boston Bruins serves as a backdrop for the mounted flat screen TV. On the opposite wall, the names of every Boston Bruin player Orr played with are encased in acrylic overlay embedded with hockey netting, which features the silhouette of Orr flying across the ice after having scored the winning goal during the 1970 Stanley Cup finals.
In the bedroom, Orr’s retired banner from his personal collection hangs above the bed with a collection of hockey sticks from his days on the ice. A wooden locker modeled after those found at the original Boston Garden is located outside the bathroom, where it houses a replica of Orr’s skates provided by his museum in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, and serves as a closet for the room. Orr also donated various items to the suite from his personal collection, including Prince of Wales trophies, a hockey skate sculpture and the “Bobby Orr Way” sign in the hallway. There are also photos signed by former teammates, including Ted Williams of the Red Sox.
Earlier, the 15-story Ames Boston Hotel completed a $6-million renovation that saw the redesign of the hotel’s public spaces, including the lobby, The Library, Ames and Oliver & Oakes rooms, and the addition of Cultivar restaurant by chef Mary Dumont.
Constructed in 1893, the 114-room boutique hotel opened in 2009 near Boston’s Financial District, Hynes Convention Center in Back Bay, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in the Seaport District, and public transit access points, including “T” stations at Haymarket, State Street and Government Center. Ames Boston Hotel is also located near such landmarks as the Old State House, Faneuil Hall and Beacon Hill.
PHOTOS BY ARAM BOGHOSIAN