Travel

Take a peek inside The Langham, which has reopened after a massive makeover

The historic hotel’s reopening has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A guest room inside The Langham, Boston. Richard Mandelkorn Photography

June 30, 2021

The historic Langham, Boston, which closed its doors in 2019 for a multi-million dollar, two-year renovation, reopens on Wednesday.

This hotel in the White Mountains just received a $3.5 million makeover

The 99 year-old building in the Financial District first opened in 1922 as the original Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The building’s first major upgrade since it was converted into a hotel in 1981 includes a revamping of its 312 rooms and suites, a new Club Lounge, bar, and restaurant. The property was supposed to reopen in 2020, but pandemic delays pushed the opening date out about a year.

“We are very proud to be re-opening The Langham, Boston,” said Stefan Leser, chief executive officer of Langham Hospitality Group, in a statement. “The hotel will be re-imagined with a modern interpretation of warm American service combined with the time-honored European hospitality for which The Langham brand is so well-known. These two halves will come together to ensure The Langham will be the top hotel in Boston, presenting new world luxury in a grand, heritage landmark building.”

Dyer Brown was the architect and designer of the exterior, which included new awnings, canopy, and lighting, and the architect of record for the new interiors. Richmond International oversaw the interior design and curating of the hotel’s art collection. Throughout the project, the team included a nod to the building’s past.

“We have tried very much to respect what the building is, to really keep that heritage aspect of it,” Jennyfer Lacroix, director of design and construction for Langham Hospitality Group, told Boston.com in 2019. “That was very important. The interior, although fresh, new, and modern with a twist, is actually bringing you through the storytelling of the building.”

Green tones on the walls in the reconfigured lobby are inspired by the color of bank notes, and the counters are inspired by bank tellers. Also, the brass Federal Reserve seal originally embedded when the bank first opened in 1922 remains on the floor in the hotel’s new Italian restaurant, Grana.

The guest rooms were redone in light tones of blue and cream and offer a “New England-inspired decor,” according to the hotel, with clean lines, stripes, and art that celebrates Boston’s culture, environment, and history. The bright marble guest bathrooms now feature walk-in showers.

The hotel’s two-story lofts include a dining room and living room on the first floor beside refurbished brass embossed windows and a bedroom on the upper floor.

“The prestigious Chairman’s Suite, a luxury penthouse featuring a king bedroom, hardwood floors, a living room complete with a baby grand piano and a ‘generous’ dining room that seats eight people, promises to be one of the top suites found in Boston,” wrote the hotel.

Inside The Fed, the new cocktail bar at The Langham, Boston.

The Fed, the hotel’s new cocktail bar, has both indoor seating and an outdoor terrace. The 1920s-era cocktail lounge will offer “a British cocktail pub menu with a New England twist,” according to the hotel. The space has dark timber floors, hand-tufted rugs, 75 pieces of curated artwork, and shelves full of local history and banking books. The bar’s Vault also features a locked-up collection of 12 hard-to-find spirits such as Rabbit Hole Mizunara Founders Collection and The Macallan M. The Fed opens July 12.

“The Fed is positioned to be an iconic destination bar unlike any this city has seen,” said Michele Grosso, managing director of The Langham, Boston, in a statement. “Sophisticated yet playful, it will offer an inviting ambiance, inspired cocktail menu and shareable dishes, and we anticipate a lively mix of neighborhood residents, local tastemakers and hotel guests will gather each afternoon, and into the night.”

Grana, the hotel’s Italian restaurant, is set in what was once the grand hall of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. It features plush velvet furniture, ornate moldings and brass fixtures, original crystal chandeliers, and the original terrazzo floor from the building’s banking days. A 7-foot wire mesh sculpture inspired by the liberty coin is suspended above the staircase, and the Federal Reserve seal is featured on the floor. The restaurant opens July 16.

“We have so many memories of our guests joining us for dinner, drinks, brunch and more and we are ecstatic that we are so close to doing so once again,” wrote the hotel team on its Facebook page. “Both of these new spaces bring in the heritage of this beautiful property and the promise of all the amazing things to come for our new American classic hotel.”

The hotel’s new Lincoln Ballroom has replaced the former Café Fleuri. Skylights, flanked by chandeliers, allow plenty of natural light and the room can accommodate 175 guests. Windows in the pre-function space overlook Norman B. Leventhal Park.

The Governor’s Room boardroom inside The Langham, Boston.

The Governor’s Room boardroom was updated with plaid carpeting, an oak table with bronze detail and leather panel inserts, and historic photos of the building as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The historic Wyeth Room was updated with fresh paint and carpeting and features murals by American artist and illustrator N.C. Wyeth portraying the history of banking in the U.S. The murals were originally commissioned by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

This fall, “The Langham Club,” a signature of the Langham Hotel & Resorts brand, will open on the eighth floor. Guests who buy Club access can relax, work, and socialize in the private space, enjoy food and beverage service throughout the day, and also VIP check-in and check-out.

The hotel’s starting rate is $495.