Raffles Hotels & Residences to Open New Location in the Back Bay

A new luxury hotel and residences is slated to replace the Boston Common Hotel and Conference Center at 40 Trinity Place (430 Stuart St.) in the Back Bay. What is now a red brick building, will soon play home to a modern 33-story boutique hotel and residences.

Raffles Hotels & Resorts, part of AccorHotels, in partnership with hoteliers Gary and Jeffrey Saunders of the Saunders Hotel Group and developer Jordan Warsaw of The Noannet Group of Boston, announced the signing of definitive agreements to debut the first, mixed-use Raffles property in North America on Thursday, April 26.

Scheduled to open in 2021, Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences promises to be a welcoming oasis of refined elegance comprised of a distinctive hotel, as well as exquisitely appointed residences, located in the heart of Boston.

“All of their locations are specular pieces of architecture and none are showy, glitzy or out of proportion,” said Jordan Warshaw, president of The Noannent Group. “They are thoughtful and have elegance.”

The project is permitted and is expected to break ground in the second part of this year.

The tower will feature 146 luxury condominium residences atop 147 hotel rooms and an expansion space for the adjacent University Club and ground-floor restaurant space.

Amenities will include lounges, conference and ballroom areas, pool and fitness center for both residents and guests. Parking will be provided at area garages.

Highlights will include a mix of signature hotel services such as the Raffles Butler and elegant and lively public spaces including a two-story sky lobby perched high above Copley Square.

Other perks include five distinct food and beverage venues, a state-of-the-art Raffles spa with a 20-meter indoor pool, rooftop garden terrace and lounge and more.

“My partners, Saunders Hotel Group are known for being the best operators in the city for independent hotels,” said Warshaw. “So, if we weren’t going to go independent we wanted a brand as close to it as possible. We wanted it to feel a part of the Back Bay and not just a hotel that was plucked into the Back Bay.”

This location will join a collection of 12 individually unique and timeless Raffles properties around the world.

The hotel and residential project will provide public benefits including an affordable housing package worth in excess of $20 million plus an additional $2 million in improvements to the local streets and pedestrian environment.

“Boston is an increasingly international city, and has become a global destination for business and tourism,” said Mayor Martin Walsh in statement. “We are pleased that AccorHotels has chosen Boston, and we look forward to welcoming North America’s first Raffles Hotels & Residences.”

For more than 130 years, Raffles Hotels& Resorts has celebrated the individual personalities and stories of its hotels, each featuring a design aesthetic that embraces and reflects the culture of the destination and community in which it resides.

“Each are unique and designed for the community, city and country they are located in,” said Warshaw. “The brand will make it really feel like Boston. We thought, if we’re going to go with a brand no one was going to do it better than Raffles.”

Warsaw said that he wants the building to be for Bostonians. He doesn’t want it to be like an empty New York City building where no one ever lives there.

“The building is for people to live in,” said Warshaw.

There will be limit on the number of units people can buy that won’t be living there full-time. The clientele he imagines will be empty nesters and people who want to live and work in the central location.

Most importantly, Warsaw said he wants the building to be open to the community.

“If you live in the neighborhood, we want it to be your favorite place to go,” said Warshaw. “We’re not going to be selling $200 steaks. We want it to be fun, accessible, but all in an astounding kind of place.”

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