http://www.newmediatravel.net or http://www.tajhotels.com/boston or http://www.youtube.com/travelvideo
The Taj Hotel Boston Travel Video Postcard
I was there, January 11, 2007, when the venerable Ritz-Carlton in Boston's historic Back Bay was sold to the Taj Hotels and Palaces Of India, one of Asia's largest hotel companies,
Bostonians, and much of the East Coast Establishment, cried "heresy."
A tradition and an emotional landmark was gone, so they thought, sold to foreigners, for one hundred seventy million dollars.
But, let's look at the Taj Boston and see what was all the fuss about?
It is still Boston's fine boutique Hotel, dedicated to quality and service., attracting people from all over the world.
The Taj still occupies the prime location, over looking Boston Garden.
The cobalt blue chandeliers remain in the special events dining hall... and high tea is still a weekend favorite at the Taj.
Weddings at the Taj will always be magical...and lovingly prepared.
The Ritz was always a magnet for dignitaries and stars
The dining room is filled with photos of such luminaries as Winston Churchill, Shirley Temple, Rogers and Hammerstein.
In that sense the Taj is unchanged from the Ritz-Carlton: "The Fighter" star, Christian Bale stayed here while filming, and the president of Lithuania was due in days after we left.
There are a few more Indian staffers, though the service staff still comes from around the world.
The welcoming TV screen features a scion of the Tata family, more or less in local dress, talking about the romance of India and the quality of the Taj hotels.
Patrick Blangy, Director of Sales and Marketing of The Taj Boston, says that many people still come because they remember the hotel as the Ritz. But, he adds, "they are coming increasingly because of the Taj brand, and of course our great location across from the Boston Garden and on Newbury Street."
There are plans, Blangy says, to integrate further the cultural and aesthetic characteristics of India into the US-based properties, but he says these plans are "in development," and reassures that the cultural additions with be tasteful and subtle
Up-scale rooms still offer spectacular views of the Boston Garden across the street, but guests there are treated to an astonishing, elegantly carved elephant, a symbol of India, caparisoned in pure chocolate.
The service is as first-class as we remember it to be in the days of the Ritz-Carlton, an opinion apparently shared by a majority of consumer reviews.
Searching TripAdvisor, Yelp Boston Yahoo, with very few exceptions, the reviews were exceptional.
None noted a significant difference between a stay at yesterday's Ritz-Carlton and today's Taj, and all strongly suggest getting a room facing the fabled Boston Gardens.
What did surprise me was how accommodating the Taj is to families, many of whom I saw milling about the lobby,
I overheard at least one request for a crib, graciously acknowledged by the staff.
The piano and player are gone from the clubby bar, and that's probably an improvement.(And since it's Cigar days are long gone it aims to be a little more 'female Friendly')
Four and a half years later, there are those who wish the Ritz-Carlton was never sold, but nothing in the reality of a Taj stay justifies that.
There is some still competition from the Four Seasons, the Mandarin Oriental and smaller intimate hotels that spring up frequently in the reinvented Boston, so The Taj will have to stay on top of its game to stay competitive...and we strongly suggest dropping the charge for WiFi.
Wendie Hansen Sakakeeny is a travel writer, photographer and videographer, one of the developers of Travel Video Postcards as well as a respected Boston Voice Over Talent . The first woman to narrate a Nova for PBS, she is a regular descriptive narrator for WGHB Boston and the first to automate the New England Telephone system: she can be reached at HYPERLINK "mailto:wendiestvp@gmail.com" wendiestvp@gmail.com
Loading...
1:04
Taj Hotel, Boston: What's New, TAJ Boston - Travel Video PostCardby travelvideo724 views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)