Our Rebrand
Category: Meet The Lenox
Dine Out Boston
Dine Out Boston is back! From March 10th to the 23rd, there will be more than 160 restaurants around the city offering a 3-course meals for a fixed price of $55. It’s an affordable way to try many of the city’s fantastic restaurants. Our very own City Table will be participating yet and their select menu is available for both dine-in or takeout.
Dine Out Boston began as a way to better involve both visitors and residents by introducing them to the fine cuisine Boston has to offer. Twice a year, the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages local eateries to create a unique menu that best represents them. In turn, foodies from far and wide can come together to experience this fun and affordable way to meet Boston through Dine Out.
This year, City Table’s menu offers items from both land and sea, each coupled with delicious dessert options. My personal favorite is the Pan Seared Cod which comes atop a creamy cauliflower puree, making this dish both filling and light. Four of the items on their Dine Out menu are available in gluten-free versions and will be able to cater to most dietary needs.
Come stop by City Table starting next week to try the Dine Out experience. Reservations are recommended although walk-ins are always welcome!
Craic Sauce
Started with sparks of curiosity and community, Craic Sauce has a commitment to creating local sourced hot sauces with balance, depth and lots of fresh flavor. Craic Sauce founder Brian Ruhlmann discovered his passion for craft hot sauce after experimenting with his first batch using pumpkin, habaneros and golden ghost peppers grown in his Massachusetts garden. Craic (pronounced “crack”) is an Irish word that means good times and fun.
In 2014, after moving to Ireland, Brian started the website crafthotsauce.com, and interviewed inspirational hot sauce makers from around world for his podcast and blog. Three years later in 2017, following his move back to the US, Brian took his obsession to the next level and began producing Craic Sauce, a collection of flavorful and unique hot sauces.
Having good craic was the guiding light of his new business, a value that is still essential to Brian and his crew today, who make their small batch hot sauces by hand in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Next time you visit the hotel, be sure to buy a bottle (or two!) Also available online at our Mercantile!
Nineteen Hundred – Winter Edition 2023/24
From relaxing by a crackling in-room fire to hitting the brick-lined streets to take in Boston’s rich history to going ice skating at the iconic Frog Pond, Boston makes a lovely escape from the every day in the winter. Check out some of our favorite winter activities in our winter edition of Nineteen Hundred!
Sweet Lydia’s
Whipping up the fluffiest marshmallows & most delectable candy bars around, Sweet Lydia’s was founded in 2012, but taken over and run by passionate pastry chef and early employee, Shannon Arenburg. Starting out as one of Lydia’s first employees as an intern, Shannon studied Baking & Pastry at Southern New Hampshire University. She went on to study pastry internationally in Florence and honed her candy making skills at well-known restaurants throughout Boston. When Lydia of Sweet Lydia’s was ready to move on, Shannon didn’t hesitate to step in and make Sweet Lydia’s her own.
Setting up her candy making operation at a restored textile mill in Lowell, MA, Shannon continues Lydia’s sweet legacy while adding her own twist. From her Twickers bar, featuring homemade shortbread and rich caramel, to her Manhattan bar, a chocolatey delight with locally made whiskey-infused caramel, these candy bars aren’t just for the kids. Our favorite though? Sweet Lydia’s pillowy vanilla marshmallows will make you wonder if you’ve ever truly eaten a marshmallow before.
Shannon has gone on to expand her business into a full pastry shop called Pizzelle, inspired by her time in Italy. Featuring breakfast pastries, tarts, cakes, cookies, & so much more, paying Shannon a visit in Lowell makes for the start of a fun-filled day trip!
Nineteen Hundred – Holiday Edition 2023
The Holiday Volume of Nineteen Hundred dives into some fun, wintery topics! From our seventh year supporting Wonderfund with our Room in Your Heart to some of our favorite Mercantile holiday gifts to an exploration of our fireplace rooms over the decades, we’re feeling all the cozy, warm feelings this season.
Half a Century of Dedication
Dear Mary,
For nearly 50 years, you have been a shining example of hard work and perseverance at The Lenox. We’ve worked side by side for 25 of those years, seeing many changes come our way. Working in the heart of Back Bay, you’ve experienced incredible moments in time: The Big Dig, countless Boston Marathons, the ’86 Celtics, and the ’04 Sox all come to mind! You’ve seen a myriad of renovations, iterations of our restaurants (remember Diamond Jim’s?!), not to mention the countless team members you’ve worked alongside.
But the constant through all of these decades of change has been YOU! Thank you for the years of steadfast dedication, ensuring our hotel is clean and comfortable for both our guests and team alike. I’m so happy for your next chapter to begin, spending lots of time with your four kids, two grandkids, and, of course, your cats! Congratulations on your retirement! We will miss you!
Fondly,
Lewis
Morning Stretch
Getting out of your cozy Lenox bed in the morning can be difficult. That alarm goes off and you snooze one extra time, but alas, the day is bright and you have things to do! One way to start your day off right is with a morning stretch.
Our team takes their morning stretches very seriously. At 8AM each day, our housekeeping team gathers for their daily line-up meeting to discuss the details of the day from how many guests are arriving and departing to supply deliveries as well as other operational happenings. But the most important part of the meeting is the morning stretch, led by our Executive Housekeeper, Lewis Ware. Lewis starts with a stretch to the ceiling and ends with a toe touch, helping the team prime their muscles for the physical challenges of their shifts. The result? An energized team that works together and is ready to take on the day!
How can you get up for your day at The Lenox? Get up and stretch, head to our fitness room, or take a walk down Newbury Street! Stay happy and healthy!
Come Sail Away!
CONVERSATIONS WITH A CONCIERGE:
We recently sat down with one of our concierges, Beverly Doughty, and she gave us some insight on the best water activities in and around Boston.
Hey Beverly, what are some of your favorite activities to do in Boston?
My favorite thing to do on a day off is to bike along the Charles River Esplanade. It is very relaxing, and I love biking during sunset time. I also enjoy kayaking on the Charles River! You can rent a kayak or canoe with Paddle Boston and see splendid views of the city skyline.
That sounds fun, are there any other water-related activities you’d recommend?
I actually have a few recommendations because being near the water is my favorite thing to do! If you’re interested in sailing on the Boston Harbor, I’d say a sunset sail on a Classic Harbor Line boat is amazing, perfect for a date night or to unwind after work! If you’re looking for a more fun and thrilling activity on the water, then going on a Tiki Boat or Cycle Boat is the way to go. The Tiki Boat offers island-inspired cocktails and a tropical playlist to set the mood, it is so fun! The Cycle Boat is a unique experience because you propel the boat by pedaling around the harbor and bring your own food and drinks aboard. If you’re not a biker, then there’s always the option to sit and let the captain take you all around Boston!
Wow, that sounds like a blast, is there anything else that is a must-do on the water?
If I have a whole day free, then I like taking the MBTA Ferry to different destinations. If you’re looking to go to the beach, then you can take the ferry to Winthrop Beach, it’s only about a 30-minute ride. It’s great for sunbathing and swimming, I love it! If you like being by the marina, then there’s also a Ferry to Hingham Marina from Long Wharf in the North End. It’s a beautiful place to visit and I’d recommend eating at Alma Nove or The Beth for lunch or dinner!
This all sounds great, thank you Beverly!
Feel free to visit me in the lobby or call if you need more information or recommendations!
Slurp-Worthy Delights: Exploring Boston’s Best Ramen Spots
CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR TEAM:
We recently sat down with one of our team members, Tom Nguyen, and he gave us some insight on the best places to have a delicious bowl of Ramen in the Boston area. Tanoshimu!
Alright, Tom, if I’m looking for Ramen near the hotel where am I going?
Santouka Hokido Ramen. This shop is right down the street and they are the first hokido style that came to Boston. It’s a city in Japan famous for seafood and toncastu broth. When I was in Japan, I met a friend who was from Boston and he actually was a Ramen Chef. He said that what makes Santouka great, is that when they train their chefs, they fly people in from Japan.
The best way to describe it is as a slow simmer pork bone-based ramen. And they make their noodles in house! It’s definitely the most authentic bowl of Ramen within walking distance of The Lenox.
If I’m up for going a little further away from Back Bay where would you go?
I’m definitely going to this spot called Ganko. It’s inside of a historic building and it’s the most Japan-like Ramen shop. They actually hold a lot of special events over the summer where they will have different ramen shops fly in and they make like 60 bowls for the day and that’s it! The unique thing about Ganko is that they are a Sapporo style ramen, which means it is cooked in a wok so all of the spices and aromatics go in first. Sapporo style ramen flavors hit harder. Definitely worth it!
How did you first discover this place?
I was always drawn to it based on its location. Because right next to it is a great Japanese marketplace. It’s a really densely Japanese part of Brookline. And it’s in the historic Arcade Building, which has a bunch of small shops and businesses.
Any other spots that are worth checking out? Something unique or super popular with the locals?
There is another Ramen shop that has grown in popularity over the last decade – Yume Wo Katare in Porter Square.
Is this the place that always has the line out front?
The line is always crazy but I never let anybody get discouraged by the line because it’s a very fast paced restaurant. What they are known for is Jiro style. This style is not based on a location or anything. It’s actually based on a chain in Japan. Jiro translates to pork bone and soy sauce based ramen. And they are famous for big portions and homemade noodles.
The name translates to “speak your dreams.” The concept is that they encourage diners to share their dreams after they finish their meal. The restaurant is on the smaller side, again, it only has about 20 seats and you are sitting in a classroom-style layout. When you are done with your bowl of Rame, they go one by one and ask you to share your dreams. You then stand up and share with the whole room or you can write it down and hang it on the wall.
Sounds kinda wild. I’m sure this is not for everyone?
It’s really not the type of place where you are going to sit down and mingle. There is no alcohol, there is none of that, but there is something unique about sitting with 20 strangers and everyone is eating together and sharing their dreams. It’s an interesting and warm way that Ramen brings people together.
These are just a few of the many ramen spots you can find in Boston. Each place has its own unique style and flavors, so feel free to explore and find your favorite!
Your Coffee’s Getting Cold
Once the weather turns warm, our coffee gets cold. Ice cold that is! Right outside our elevators every morning during the warm months, we set up our nitro cold brew coffee station alongside our freshly ground & brewed hot coffee. It’s even self-serve so you get to pull that cold brew keg tap yourself – no barista training required.
All our lobby coffee comes from Share Coffee Roasters located in Hadley, MA, just 96 miles from our doors. They roast their coffee in small batches on a restored Probat roaster from the 1950s, working meticulously to bring out the delicious flavors inherent in their beans. Their goal is to highlight the hard work the coffee farmers put into growing their coffee beans and bring that incredible experience to you.
We recently headed out to Hadley to visit Share and see just what goes into brewing up their incredible cold brew.
Share brews their cold brew using beer brewing equipment as the processes are quite similar. After selecting the best beans for cold brewing from their most recent roast, Share coarsely grinds the coffee, combines it with cold water, and lets the coffee brew for between 10 and 12 hours. This long brew time leads to great flavor and low acidity – perfect for enjoying cold!
After it’s brewed, Share filters the coffee to remove any hint of sediment, fills up five gallon kegs with the cold brew, charges the kegs with nitrogen, and chills them before delivering them to us, ready to be put into our cold brew kegerator and into your cups for a great start to a summer morning.
So, next time you’re in our lobby in the morning, give the cold brew a try or savor that hot coffee a little more knowing all the hard work & dedication that went into your morning cup!
Our Favorite Childhood Toys
The holidays are a time when most of us do a lot of reminiscing and think about family traditions or what we associate with certain days of the year. For many of us, we are immediately reminded of our childhood when a certain toy is mentioned. It brings you back to the countless days and hours you spent playing with that toy and how much joy it brought you, even if for a brief period of time.
In light of our fourth annual Room In Your Heart toy donation campaign from The Lenox Hotel, we asked some of our Lenox staff members to share their favorite childhood toy memories. As the season goes on, we will keep adding more and we hope this will inspire you to come down to The Lenox and donate an item or two to the Wonderfund!
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Mara Payne
CATERING SALES MANAGER
You know that question that gets asked: what would you grab if you had 10 seconds to leave your house in a fire? Call my answer silly, but I’d grab Dede. Dede was a baby doll that I got as a gift from my Mom & Dad after a trip to the hospital to cheer me up – and cheer me up she did!! It was love at first sight and I brought her with me, quite literally, EVERYWHERE. Grocery store run? Dede’s coming. Camping Trip? We aren’t leaving without her. Beach day? I’d pretend to put a pair of sunglasses on her head and off we went.
One day, Dede went missing and as you can imagine, I was inconsolable. My dad was away at the time, but a few days later when he got home, and to my absolute delight, returned with a new Dede doll for me. While I was always a bit upset that my original one was lost, I made it a mission to love this one even more. Along the way she has been around for every fun adventure, lost most of her filling, was replicated onto my birthday cake in frosting, got her own Instagram page, and even got a leg chewed off by our family dog… (cue another round of inconsolable-ness). Needless to say, Dede is my absolute favorite childhood toy, and she is even still around today, albeit very fragile now. (And yes, I might even still bring her home with me when I go to visit my parents). She was my comfort & best pal for as long as I can remember & if you ask most people in my life what would I grab if I had 10 seconds, I bet they would say Dede, too.
Joanna Chan
CONFERENCE SERVICES MANAGER
One of my favorite toys growing up were yo-yos! All the kids had them at school and & I was obsessed. I remember getting a yo-yo with “brains”, carrying it around in my pocket everywhere I went, doing all the tricks. I could do the elevator trick, walk the dog, go around the world, rock the baby… all of them. I’m pretty sure I went through 4 or 5 yo-yos during this toy phase – a glow in the dark one, a red and blue light up one, a purple clear one. What a time!
Lorna McHale
DIRECTOR OF SALES
My favorite toy growing up were my roller skates! I remember the Christmas Santa brought them for me. My mom had me in a tizzy because she had heard Santa on the radio asking for my shoe size. I was so worried he wouldn’t get it right, so I left multiple shoes under the tree for his reference!
My best friend Sarah got a pair that same year, and I remember pretty much living in our skates every day after that! Luckily growing up in Ireland meant it was super rare to get snow, so we could skate whenever we wanted!
Melissa Villalobos
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO DANIEL DONAHUE, PRESIDENT
My favorite toy as a child was a little monkey called Monchichi. She was a little monkey that came everywhere with me. I got her on my 4th birthday and she became my best friend. I would not go anywhere without her. I mean, it was bad; car rides with no seatbelt on, dinner table every night, bathroom. I even once tried to bring in the bathtub with me. She was my best friend for years. One day she was gone, I don’t know what exactly happened to her, but my parents bought more toys, so I eventually forgot about her. Fast forward 20 years, my brother got me the same doll for Christmas as one of my gifts, since he thought it would be funny. I, on the other hand, cried. Every day I make my bed and she lays there until I get home.
I know she is an ugly doll, don’t judge!
Gerry VonDohlen
ACCOUNTING MANAGER
My brother and I as kids had many the royal battle with the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Nothing develops that brotherly bond like knocking each other’s block off.
Christopher Smith
DIRECTOR OF REVENUE & DISTRIBUTION
My favorite present wasn’t actually a gift, but a gift my brother, Brian got. Although Santa was running a few days late, when Playstation 2 came out, Brian was extremely lucky to receive it as a Christmas gift. But there was a problem. Our TV was too old to work with the Playstation and we needed an adapter. Or we lost power the day it arrived and couldn’t play. Or our heat stopped working and we needed to leave our house. Clearly, I don’t remember exactly what happened, but I remember we couldn’t play with it right away. However, that afternoon my parents drove us over to our grandparents’ house (they had left for a Florida vacation right after Christmas) and the two of us brought along the Playstation and NHL 2001, the game that came bundled with it. Brian and I hooked it up to their TV and played together for hours despite not really being hockey fans. I’ll never forget that Christmas, not for the actual gift, but for the time we spent together.
Shay Collins
SENIOR SALES MANAGER
Growing up we were a pretty big hockey family. My two older brothers played and of course I had to do everything they did, so at a young age I ditched the figure skates for hockey skates. Winters were mainly spent in our driveway playing hockey; I was typically forced by my brothers to play goalie so they could practice their slap shot with a frozen tennis ball. In an effort to find something I could beat them at, I asked for a table top hockey for Christmas one year. Our games got pretty competitive and usually ended in fights, but hey at least it gave me a break from saving frozen tennis balls in 20-degree weather.
Brendan Griffin
SALES MANAGER
When I was a kid, any time I got a good report card or if there was a special occasion, it meant I got to pick out a new matchbox car. At the time, I thought life didn’t really get any better than that. I also had a large mat with a city map on it that you could use the cars on – I would spend hours playing with them. I now realize that life does get better – I get to watch all three of my nephews use the same cars and mat that I played with when I was a kid. My mom saved them all and whenever my nephews are at my parents’ house they do exactly the same thing I used to do. It’s a very cool thing to see that, despite all the technology, these toys are still relevant and loved.
Alison Majka
DIRECTOR OF CATERING
I asked my Mom what my favorite toy was as a child and she told me it was our family cat, Booster. I guess I would carry him around the house on my shoulders and occasionally dress him up. The funniest part is that I had a lisp so I would chase him around the house yelling “Booothhherrrrrr”. Booster showed up on our doorstep on a freezing cold winter’s night in January, and he was starving with no tags so we had to take him in! My mom, sister and one of my brothers were allergic to cats so I had to BEG my family to keep him. At first, he slept by the heater in the basement and then within days, everyone fell in love with him and he was part of our family for 10 years!
Dan Donahue
PRESIDENT
Every Saturday, I would go to a beer distributor in Pennsylvania to sweep the floor when I was a kid. Well, the Saturday before Christmas, I was there with about 3 or 4 guys, plus my father. They told me I couldn’t go into the cooler that day because there was a big gas leak. Turns out, my parents bought me a Schwinn Bike for Christmas that year and they hid it in that room in the beer distributor so I wouldn’t find out. I didn’t even know that happened until 5 years later!
Lisa Burns
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Back in the early 70’s (yikes!) all the rage were Crissy and Velvet dolls – and it was number one on my Christmas wish list. These dolls had the ability to “grow” their hair from a spout on the top of their head, weird, I know but oh so cool! I received my Velvet doll in 1971 and I swear she never left my side, as you can see at my brother’s birthday celebration. The following year, I asked for her “friend” Mia, who had long dark hair. She didn’t last very long after my babysitter poured baby oil in her “spout” to loosen some tangles! Ha! Merry Christmas!
Brioche Stuffing with Ginger & Bacon
If we’re being honest, besides leftover sandwiches the next day, the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the stuffing. How do you make Thanksgiving stuffing even better? Add brioche. And ginger. And bacon!
If we’re lucky enough to have you joining us for our Thanksgiving dinner this year, this is the stuffing that will be on your table. But if you can’t join us, enjoy the recipe below so you can have a little piece of us with you this holiday season!
Ingredients from Chef MacAlpine
- 10 thick slices of brioche, cubed with the crust on
- 1 cup finely minced yellow onion
- 1 cup small diced celery
- 3 tbsp minced ginger
- 10 strips unsmoked bacon, sliced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp allspice
- Zest of one lemon
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Spread the cubed bread in one layer on a baking sheet and bake until the outsides are nice and toasted. Set aside.
- Render the bacon in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat until crisp.
- Add the onion, celery, ginger and allspice and cook over medium low heat until the vegetables are soft.
- Pour in the chicken stock and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, bring to a simmer
- Add the butter to the liquid and whisk to combine
- Place the toasted bread in a large bowl and pour the bacon, onion, celery, spices, and chicken stock over top
- Add lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper to taste
- If stuffing a bird, proceed as planned.
- If cooking separately, spread in an uncovered casserole and cook for 35-45 minutes at 325 degrees
Curio Spice Co.
Just over the Charles River in Cambridge, Curio Spice Co. specializes in directly sourced, sustainably produced spices from around the world. By forging relationships personally with farmers, Curio is able to highlight incredible flavor and quality in their blends & spices. Highlighting local, their supeq spice features 100% New England sourced ingredients loaded with umami flavor! “Supec” comes from a local Algonquian dialect meaning “ocean”.
Curio Spice Co. is a Boston-based company specializing in sustainably sourced, freshly ground spices from around the world. Founded in 2015 by Claire Cheney, the company is dedicated to supporting small farms and promoting fair trade practices. Curio Spice Co. is known for its high-quality, unique spice blends that are crafted in-house, often inspired by global culinary traditions.
Their shop offers a wide range of whole spices, blends, and limited-edition collections, with a focus on organic and wild-harvested ingredients. They also provide educational resources such as spice workshops and recipes to help customers explore the vibrant world of flavors. Curio’s mission revolves around environmental stewardship, culinary creativity, and community engagement, making it a go-to destination for chefs and home cooks alike!
Back Bay Watch Company
Back Bay Watch Company is a Boston-based luxury watch brand known for its elegant, minimalist designs inspired by the city’s rich history and timeless style. Founded by David Wakin, a local entrepreneur, the company focuses on creating high-quality, affordable timepieces that blend classic craftsmanship with modern aesthetics. The brand takes its name from Boston’s iconic Back Bay neighborhood, reflecting its commitment to sophistication and tradition.
Each watch is designed with meticulous attention to detail, featuring premium materials such as stainless steel, sapphire crystal, and genuine leather straps. Back Bay Watch Company is proud of its local roots and aims to deliver an accessible luxury experience to customers who appreciate both style and substance. The company often emphasizes its dedication to quality, ensuring that their watches are durable and versatile, suitable for both casual and formal wear.
Just Judy
As we approach the centenary of Judy Garland’s birth on June 10, we thought we might reflect back on one of our favorite hotel guests!
Happy 100th birthday Judy!
The Lenox has long prided itself on exemplary service, which has attracted many luminaries over the years. One of our favorites, Hollywood legend Judy Garland, first fell in love with The Lenox in 1939 while on a promotional tour for MGM. The legendary singer would return to the same suite throughout her life, including stays in 1961 when she appeared at the Boston Garden in front of a sell-out audience and in 1965 when she called the suite home for over three months.
August 31, 1967 was a milestone for Judy. She played to the single biggest audience in her career when over 100,000 people attended her concert at The Boston Common, sponsored by Knickerbocker Beer. At the end of the concert, the mayor of Boston, John F. Collins, reached up and gave Judy a silver bowl in honor of the occasion, saying ‘Judy, we’ve taken you into our hearts; I think that is the sentiment of all of us. God bless you.”
The Lenox created the Judy Garland Suite (room 423) which features the room’s original fireplace and mirror, and channels the opulence of old Hollywood glamour. The suite is lavishly designed with 650 square feet of apartment-style space, paying homage to the musical icon through its plush design. It features an oversized relaxation area with two velvet couches, a pillow-top king-sized bed, upholstered walls, and a vintage crystal chandelier.
Check out this story that aired on “Good Morning America”.
Brown + Coconut
My daughter, Olivia, discovered Brown and Coconut at a holiday market (pre-COVID of course!) and fell in love with their products. While living in Boston, sisters Letisha and Zeena started Brown and Coconut as a lifestyle blog in 2013. A few years later in 2016, they started looking for skincare products that threaded the fine line between affordability and being good for their skin.
After failing to find what they were looking for, they developed their own range of holistic, with plant-based products to treat their acne. After identifying the ingredients they found effective in healing their skin, they began crafting entirely unique formulas. Countless hours of research, cosmetic chemist expertise, trial, and error led to the creation of their line of plant-based powerhouse products that not only do what they say they do, but that feel incredible to use.
After recent appearances on Chronicle and a segment on Dining Playbook, the sisters have been hard at work keeping up with the demand of online orders! A true family affair, Brown & Coconut’s headquarters is based right in their home in Boston-area. They’ve come a long way since they made their debut at their first-ever local pop-up event in Massachusetts, but what has not changed is their love for making luxurious botanical skin care that you simply can’t wait to come home to. You can pick some up right in our lobby or our online Mercantile.
Republic of Vermont Maple Syrup
Tucked on the western edge of the rolling landscape of the Green Mountain National Forest sits one of our Mercantile Partners, maple syrup makers, Republic of Vermont. Founded by husband & wife team Annina & Ethan, Republic of Vermont works to produce raw honey and maple syrup stamped with the character of their home. They both grew up in Vermont and shared a dream of honoring agricultural traditions and raising their family close to the land, but weren’t always on this path. After starting a backyard hobby of beekeeping and maple syrup taping, they quit their jobs and dove in headfirst.
The Green Mountain area of central Vermont is abundant with gorgeous hiking trails, quaint farmstands, and camping spots. Should you be visiting in warmer months, you absolutely need to stop by the Goshen Blueberry Management Area, a preserved section of wilderness right near Republic of Vermont replete with roughly 200 acres of wild blueberries, free for the picking. Just keep your eyes peeled for feasting black bears!
Balloons Over Boston
Throw Back Thursday!
In the Spring of 2018, we invited Kelsey Montague and her sister Courtney to the hotel to create the beautiful Marathon mural you can read about below. We were lucky enough to have them back to create another iconic mural in our Exeter Street “nook”! If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and snap a pic with our colorful balloons!
Have you ever heard of the Nashville Wings? I’m guessing that many of you have and if you haven’t, look them up and you will see thousands of photos of people posing with a 20 foot tall street mural! These amazing wings were created by street artist, Kelsey Montague who is well known all over the globe for her beautiful, interactive murals. Kelsey and her sister/business partner, Courtney travel all around the world creating unique pieces on blank canvases that allow communities to be involved in the process.
Kelsey’s work inspired so many of us on the Lenox Team that we decided we wanted her to create a piece for this year’s Boston Marathon, the finish line is right near the hotel. With the Lenox being just steps from the finish line, we felt that one of her #whatliftsyou murals would be perfect to embody the spirit of Boston and the runners! The #whatliftsyou hashtag encourages people to not only take a photo, but to also openly share what is most important to them in their lives.
We were elated when Kelsey and Courtney agreed to travel to Boston and create a unique piece for us! These sisters are such a fun, genuine and inspiring duo (check out their Instagram) and it was a joy having them with us over the last three days! Watching the artistic process on this 13’x13’ black canvas was absolutely incredible. There are so many subtle touches of the city and marathon incorporated into this mural but you really have to look close. The neighborhood watched the progress over the last couple of days and when it was completed yesterday around 5PM, there was an immediate buzz!
“To me this piece is all about the power, strength and the passion of Bostonians. All my pieces invite a person in to become a ‘living work of art’ but I wanted this piece to take it one step further and to honor the strength of the resilient Bostonian spirit.” –Kelsey Montague
Be sure to learn more about The Montague Sisters here and check out the photos below of our Boston Marathon #whatliftsyou mural! Most importantly, if you are in Boston, come by the Lenox on Exeter Street and see it in person – you will not be disappointed!
45 Years Later
When Maura walked through our doors in April of 1976, she had no clue on how she was about to impact the history of the Lenox Hotel. Just after a move up from the Carolina’s and looking for a job, little did she or we know that Maura would keep at it for the next 45 years. Not hours before she cold-called at The Lenox, the housekeeping manager at the time had just had to let go of two housekeepers. Upon hearing that Maura had previous housekeeping experience, she asked if Maura could start the next day. What luck!
What else was going on in 1976? Gerald Ford was President. The S&P 500 was little over 101. A gallon of gas was 59 cents. And Maura and the other housekeepers started at $2.63/hour. Things have changed just a little since!
After 45 years, Maura decided that it was time to retire. What better time to do it than during Housekeeping Week, the week where we particularly celebrate the incredible team that keeps our hotel sparkling! During her speech at her celebration lunch, Maura joked that she has only been written up twice in 45 years, a pretty good record by any count! A staunch advocate for her fellow employees, Maura was deeply involved in employee relations during her decades at The Lenox. Our hotel won’t be the same without her here daily, but it certainly is changed for the better since she serendipitously walked through our doors 45 years ago.
Thank you, Maura!
City Bar’s
Cool Hand Cuke
Looking for a little taste of City Bar at home? We’ve got you covered! A true City Bar classic, the Cool Hand Cuke is sure to take you right back to cozy nights in our lobby bar.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 2 oz cucumber vodka
- Several blackberries
- Lemon
- Prosecco or champagne
Technique
Muddle the blackberries in a cocktail shaker. Add 2 oz of cucumber vodka and a squeeze of lemon. Add ice and shake to chill. Strain into a martini glass, top with bubbles, and enjoy!