All is Well in Boston at Hotel Marlowe
February 21, 2018
Well, Cambridge actually. But close enough. NPS has not been here in many months (since October 2016), and apparently we missed it.
The Hotel Marlowe reminds us of everything we like about Kimpton:
- a great property with our kind of showers
- a gracious and welcoming staff (especially the great valets)
- a welcome cocktail
- a beautiful room(s)
- GMs who care
It’s all good. Sure is nice to be back.
Thanks to Joe Capalbo for alerting the troops, and to the troops for giving a damn. Lets spread this goodness to the rest of the IHG universe, shall we?
This time we’re in 825 (tantalizingly close to the Presidential suite). This exec class room is perfect, with plenty of room to exist, a comfortable bed, and a real shower.
825 sitting room
825
825 bedroom
We were welcomed with a note, water (almost sparkling, and promptly swapped out), a nice snack including fresh fruit, and a cocktail ready to mix put together by Patrick. Speaking of which, we visited with Patrick for a drink, and he is still at his professional best.
English cup
The shower in here has a new showerhead. NPS approves.
yes please
There is also a huge tub that once again remains completely unused. Alas.
big giant tub 825
On the first night in town, we took a cadre of business colleagues to Craigie on Main. This is one of our favorite Boston restaurants, and it is still super fantastic. Pork plate. Pork plate. Pork plate.
On the second night, after a cocktail with Joe, we headed to a new restaurant called Row 34. The staff at the Marlowe figured this all out somehow and called ahead to order an appetizer for me. It was delivered by the gracious Row 34 manager. Row 34 is very good indeed. Recommended.
The it was off to Drink for the usual shenanigans. Pretty sure the late night tequila shots were a bad idea. Ezra Star is now the manager of the bar. Sadly she was in Japan when we visited. Eric the barman, though fairly new, was an ample substitute for fun.
Here is the Meal Worm, which is apparently verboten to make unless Ezra is in Japan
2 oz ancho reyes
.5 oz demerara
.5 oz lime
(4 dashes of tobasco+mezcal rinse)
rise highball. Shake. Strain. Serve neat.
Five showerheads and wishing that somehow the future involved slightly more Boston and slightly less Germany. These things happen.
Hotel Marlowe in Boston: NPS Home Away from Home
October 7, 2016
Not only is the Hotel Marlowe (in Cambridge, MA really) a beautiful property, it is a well-oiled hospitality machine. GM Joe Capalbo always treats NPS as a friend and colleague. One of the highlights of any Boston visit is catching up with Joe.
Hotel Marlowe
NPS visits do seem to coincide with visits by the owners of the hotel. That keeps Joe pretty busy. It also tends to occupy the presidential suite, but that’s OK because room 621 is fantastic all on its own.
621 Executive Suite
621 Natural Light
Outstanding
Check out this cool decanter.
Barrel aged Boulevardier
The only minor detail left out was still water versus sparkling. But you know, all those blue bottles look the same! The oversight was easily remedied.
621 has a fine bathroom situation. Glass showers!
Dinner at Sportello was very nice. It’s always great to catch up with old friends. Afterwards, our plan was to sneak down to drink by the back stairs. Our plan failed when we were told we would have to stand around for 20 minutes before getting a seat. Things used to be much smoother between drink and sportello three years ago! Ezra was in London anyway.
Fortunately the manager at sportello detected our disappointment and ushered us right next door to Menton’s Gold Bar.
Cap’n Cook
.75 oz chamomile syrup (2:1)
.25 oz luxardo lemoncello
.5 oz salers
1.5 oz grappa
1 dash Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s spanish bitters
1 gram olive oil powder
Stir down. Serve over large cube. Spoon powder on cube.
Spectre
1 oz grappa
.25 ransom old tom gin
1.5 oz barolo chinato
The barrel aged Boulevardier that Patrick made was so good that we had to go down to Bambara and get another!
Dinner at Craigie on Main was spectacular as always. Whole roasted chicken, great wine, and superior cocktails makes Craigie a top destination.
A final nightcap or two at Journeyman backbar included house made milk punch and a Liberal made with real Amer Picon. Somebody has been to France!
All told this was a five showerhead visit to Boston hands down. Lets do it again!
No fly July just barely ended this morning and I am still down South working on the screened in porch. Round about this time of year we usually head up to Boston and see our good friends at the Hotel Marlowe. Sadly, this year’s plans call for a different route, so we can’t say hello as usual and break our no fly July travel drought in the most perfect way possible.
The incredible staff at the Hotel Marlowe has pooled together a donation to support the Team Tartan Leukemia Cup boat two years running. (See this post from last year and this one from two years ago.) I figured since this year we are skipping Boston, we might be out of sight, out of mind. But no. Joe Capalbo and his staff made a very sizeable donation anyway.
Team Tartan sails the Leukemia Cup in Kilts!
Just wow. You guys are the best. Thank you for helping us fight blood cancer!
When we hit our goal (a formidable $42,000 this year), we sail in kilts. We’re well on our way to that again thanks to Hotel Marlowe and Kimpton Karma.
You’re welcome to donate too, dear reader. Every penny counts.
DONATE TO TEAM TARTAN 2016 LEUKEMIA CUP
Special thanks to Hotel Marlowe from Team Tartan
Hotel Marlowe and the Ungrateful Bast@%d
June 1, 2016
Spring Rose: Virginia
We left the Spring rose in Virginia for a short visit to Boston on Jet Blue and a quick overnight at our home away from home the Hotel Marlowe. All day meetings and dinner was interrupted by a quick cocktail with GM Joe Capalbo who runs a very tight ship. Joe was rewarded with slightly defrosted pork.
After a fantastic meal at the always great Cragie on Main we finally made it upstairs to 820, our very most favorite room on the property. Maybe we just like the word presidential??
Amenity in the presidential suite
But wait, what is this cocktail? The
Really?? LOL. Nobody suffers at the Marlowe. We can be ungrateful though!
This cocktail needs some adjustment into what we’ll call the Ungrateful Bast@%rd as follows:
1 oz cask strenth bourbon
1 oz Dolin’s dry vermouth
1 oz lemon
stir down. in an ice filled high ball, add Fever Tree ginger beer to the top.
Serve with a cheese plate.
No really, we’re actually very grateful!
820 has some new gear and some old gear. It is a gorgeous room.
Sleeping quarters
Sitting quarters
Bathing quarters
One of my favorite parts of visiting the Hotel Marlowe is the valet guys who I have come to know over the years. It is always nice to see them.
Marlowe circle art.
Is it green? Is it blue? who knows?
Fiver showerheads in perpetuity for the Hotel Marlowe (and some pork ribs xrayed by the TSA).
2 of 11: Hotel Marlowe in Boston Accidentally Suite
September 22, 2015
Hotel Marlowe: 810
It all started well. United failed to suck. But then Hertz made up for it.
Hotel Marlowe was a welcome respite from the travel nonsense. So nice to be known at a property. Hotel Marlowe is a great place to arrive!
I was assigned 810 (a very nice upgrade with the right kind of shower). But sadly the HVAC situation was untenable even though the welcome was superb. Some great cheese and an actual craft cocktail deconstructed do make you feel welcome.
Bacon and cheese. Plus a note from Joe.
The makings for a craft cocktail. The “Cloak and Dagger.”
Cloak and Dagger
1.5 cask strength bourbon
.75 campari
.75 lillet rouge
stir down. serve up (NOT on the rocks Patrick). Express orange peel (no need to flame) and drop in.
Then there was the HVAC problem. Not sure what was broken, but something was. Huge noise. In fact the noise seems to be an 8th floor problem. So we were switched over to the presidential suite by the accommodating front desk staff people.
Hey now Joe, why was it that the presidential suite was open again? Trying not to spoil us too much with your immense power? Too late! Busted by information flow!
Anyway, here we are back in 820.
Work was actually done. Room to work is greatly appreciated.
Work. Was. Done.
820 view
In 820 you can hang up your pants
820 shower not plastic
All is well. Did we mention the work that was done?
Then there were the restaurants.
Coppersmith is a new Southy restaurant. It is still working out the kinks. If you’re in for some dive dining (nothing fine about it) give Coppersmith a shot. But don’t expect anything more than a huge warehouse setting, overly chipper 20 year olds, and a model that is still chunky. Clunk.
A much better bet is Craigie on Main which has become the NPS go to restaurant in Cambridge. Just fantastic. Do not miss it. With a superior bar too.
Also very good, but not in the same league as Cragie is Giulia, a nice little Italian high cuisine restaurant that is somehow all the rage. Very stylish main courses outshone the not all that great appetizers. The bar program is likewise decent.
Then there was the Highball Lounge.
Boston at night
Boston at night
Storm Clouds Gather: Eleven Trips on Deck
September 3, 2015
After a salubrious summer respite from travel, it’s back on the road in a serious way come mid-September. This is good and it’s bad. Let me explain:
1. Washington, DC = GOOD because Kimpton (The Donovan)
2. Boston = BAD because United; GOOD because Kimpton (Hotel Marlowe)
3. Bloomington, Indiana = BAD because United; GOOD because Grant Street Inn
4. NY = BAD because United; GOOD because Kimpton (The Muse)
5. Chicago = BAD because United; GOOD because Kimpton (Palomar)
6. Palo Alto = GOOD because Virgin America; ??? because new hotel
7. Seattle = GOOD because Virgin America; GOOD because Kimpton (Alexis)
8. Pittsburgh = BAD because United; GOOD because Kimpton (Monaco)
9. Denver = BAD because United; ??? because new hotel
10. Las Vegas = BAD because United; BAD because Las Vegas just sucks
11. Hartford = BAD because United; ??? because new hotel
Anyway, we can conclude that flying United is unavoidable when you are stuck flying out of Dulles. Too bad United just sucks. At least the cross country flights are mostly with Virgin America!
We can further conclude that Kimpton is a fantastic hotel chain.
And finally we can conclude that Las Vegas is a living hell, equal parts Disney, porn, and Walmart shoppers.
At each destination, we’ll seek out great cocktails and fantastic food.
Follow along as we blog up the 11 trips. Should be fun.
Hotel Marlowe (Boston): Kimpton Karma Supreme
August 6, 2015
Last year, the fine folks at Hotel Marlowe served up the best amenity ever by making a collective donation to my Leukemia Cup boat. Talk about Kimpton Karma! Wow.
How could they ever top that? Well pull up a chair…
The first thing they did this year was double their donation! I mean holy cow, that is the coolest thing ever. Supporting a good cause and fighting blood cancer. You guys rock.
(You’re welcome to join the fun by making a donation of your own, dear reader.)
Kimpton Karma Supreme
The valet Jonathan said hello when I arrived. He knew my name!
Then my friend Joe Capalbo plussed up the room to the gorgeous Presidential Suite (820). Awesome.
820: The Top of the World
But wait, there’s more. The very nice amenity involves bacon(!!!) and a craft cocktail from downstairs. And a personal note from Joe.
Bacon
This is definitely the way to ease in after no fly July. Thanks you guys!
Kimpton rocks.
820 Bedroom zoom 1
820 Bedroom zoom 2
820 Bedroom zoom 3
Of course the shower in here is way not plastic.
Glass shower in 820
Dining/meeting
Telescope is a Kimpton thing
820 Hotel Marlowe
Anyway, ten showerheads (double the max) for Hotel Marlowe and Joe. Home away from home in Boston.
Hotel Monaco Alexandria, Last Licks for Kimpton Before IHG Acquisition
December 16, 2014
This visit to the Monaco in Alexandria (across the river from Washington) was designed to perfection by GM Matt Hurlburt. Everything was all set before arrival. Even traffic in northern Virginia cooperated. Kimpton Karma. Hopefully not the last of it. (Now that IHG has bought the chain we will keep our fingers crossed that inner circle goodness persists. IHG also owns Holiday Inn Express??!!)
Room 403 is a nice suite with a great glass shower. A liquid amenity was just what the doctor ordered. Personal note, fancy cocktail, fruit and cheese (featuring apricots) and a bourbon flight for late night. Excellent.
Welcome to Monaco 403
The Virginia Gentleman made a great evening cocktail before the Leukemia Cup party at Port City Brewery.
Then it was off to the Leukemia Cup event where we were surprised to learn that Team Tartan was the 3rd biggest fundraiser in the nation in 2014! Thanks to all of our supporters, including the Hotel Marlowe staff.
A quick drive back to the Marlowe got us there just in time to meet Matt for a drink. We decided to go to Society Fair and meet the czarina of the eat good food group twitterz, Vina Sananikone. She turns out to be a video artist as well.
Matt and I had a Wine and Whiskey designed by Todd Thrasher and implemented by Justin Owens. It’s a great beverage, but complicated to make:
Base
Sauternes
Orange Peel
Cardamom Pods
Star Anise
Cloves
All spice
Cinnamon
Honey
Crush and toast spices. Simmer 30 minutes. Strain
2oz base
1 oz bourbon (four roses)
1 oz canadian whiskey
dash orange bitters
This one was a bit too sweet for my palate. Would skip the honey and maybe add some heat to the spices. But a nice cocktail all told.
After a cocktail and some time with Matt (a great guy), we headed over to Restaurant Eve where we opted for the Thai/Philippines inspired tasting menu. Delicious and absolutely packed with flavor. The first course was incredible. A delightful departure from Eve’s solid fare. Go chef go!
Then it was back to the Monaco for a late night bourbon taste.
Bourbon flight
And a dip in the tub?! That’s right. First time ever in the big Kimpton bathtub.
Bathtub with actual hot water, bourbon and a book
403 bedroom
403 sitting room
403 sitting room
this shower is not plastic
Anyway, five showerheads and a tub full of steam for the Hotel Monaco. Everything a quick visit could be! No fly noël can still include car based travel, and to great effect.
Hotel Marlowe in Boston = Best Kimpton Karma Ever
August 14, 2014
It’s true that NPS has been here countless bajillions of times. And it is true that like in all relationships we’ve had our ups and downs. But the Hotel Marlowe staff (ably led by GM Joe Capalbo) outdid themselves this time. Best amenity ever. Wait for it…
Team Tartan sailing in the 2013 Leukemia Cup.
The staff made a sizeable donation to my Leukemia Cup sailing team. Holy cow you guys absolutely rock. (You, dear reader can join em here.) We’re trying to raise $22,000 this year, and every penny counts. Just wow.
Thanks Amanda and Ryan and everyone else involved.
I am in 621 which seems to be my default room these days (though I do fondly recall the Presidential Suite…yes I do…love that prosthetic blog memory unit!). Things are very nice here with plenty of room to relax and get some work done before the work starts…or something.
Bedroom 621 at Hotel Marlowe.
Living room with really TALL furniture in 621 at Hotel Marlowe
I do really like the bathroom part of this room, though I still have never been in that huge tub. One of these years, I swear.
What is that in the mirror?
The shower is definitely not plastic. NPS approved.
No plastic to be seen near the shower in 621 at Hotel Marlowe
Though I am missing my rock in the middle of the Shenandoah River now that no fly July has come to an end, Hotel Marlowe and their killer staff are a home away from home. Five showerheads plus two.
The evening started with a delicious cocktail at Brick and Mortar. Great space. Great vibe. Great cocktails. Good place for a business chat. After a Greenpoint, we tried a house invented More Than Classic:
1 oz wild turkey 101
1 oz Aperol
1 oz Braulio
.25 oz demarara syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
A roller coaster of a drink that starts bitter and is a bit too sweet in the end. Not much in the middle. But a decent experiment.
Dinner at Bondir was nice, but they are trying too hard. The first three courses (bread included) were a veritable confusion of great tastes. Too much going on. But some sublime ideas in there. Main course and desert were much better. All in all, Bondir seems overpriced to me. The atmosphere is nice and homey though.
All this and a telescope to boot.
Hotel Marlowe (Cambridge, MA) Ends the Shift with a Flourish
March 25, 2014
It’s like coming home—with a telescope.
Telescope in 621
GM Joe Capalbo is known for reaching across the country to make a guest feel special. It’s much easier when you’re in his domain! Boston is Joe’s domain. We were greeted with the special makings of a Shift Ender (as recently featured on Glassaholic). See, at least somebody reads this blog!
Cocktail-related amenities? We approve. Heartily. Lets make this a trend.
The Shift Ender before construction.
The Shift Ender post construction
So we start with a Shift Ender and lots of delicious snacks. That should tide us over before we hit Sportello and drink and a late evening of fun and games. Hopefully, no phones will be sacrificed.
Snacks include this gorgeous charcuterie plate.
Anyway, thanks Joe. You rock.
Amongst all of the goodies was a note from GM Bill McKinney who runs not only the Bambara downstairs but also the shiny new Highball Lounge where barman Shaher Misif presides. A visit is on the docket for Wednesday (after dinner at Journeyman, no wait, strike that, dinner is slated for EVOO).
621 is a very nice executive class room at the Hotel Marlowe. The key to this room category is the glass shower cube. That’s what we do all this for!
621 has a glass shower.
Once again, I am utterly unlikely to get into the gigantic tub thing. What is it with these huge tubs and underuse?
Bedroom portion of 621.
Living room portion of 621.
And the best news? I get to spend two nights in Boston this time.
This just in from our excursion to drink, here is the inestimable Ezra Star wearing google glass. Sportello was great and so was drink. John Gertsen runs a tight and highly entertaining ship.
Ezra wears glass.
Ezra does her thing.
Somehow we managed to rally for a second evening out. Started with an OK dinner at EVOO, the highlight of which was some Slovakian stew made by a talented student chef. The bar at EVOO tried to make a good drink they call the Bleeding Heart:
3 oz grapefruit juice
2.5 oz Tequila
1 oz orange liqueur (use something not too sweet)
splash of lemon
dash of salt
Shake, serve over crushed ice, float a teaspoon of grenadine, throw in a luxardo cherry
The only problem with EVOO’s version was fake grenadine and a red dye number 5 fake cherry (plus middle quality booze). This drink has enough promise to do it properly at home.
After dinner it was off to the Highball Lounge where barman Shaher Misif presides. Shaher is a dangerous man. I repeat, Shaher is a dangerous man.
Shaher Misif is a dangerous man.
We were joined by a flamboyantly gay mexican architect who really would not keep himself to himself as well as the good man Robert Gonzales, brand Ambassador from Zacapa rum. Robert was super fun. He caused this flaming cocktail to appear.
Things became fuzzy. Liberals were served (with house amaro consisting of 26 ingredients). Alcohol rained from the sky? I believe we even got into the Pappy 23, which escalated the bill nicely into the stratosphere. Oh well, you pay what you get for (or something like that).
Eventually even the bar ceased to act as a barrier. This is Roberto on the wrong side of the bar.
Shaher is a dangerous man. But we think he’s fun anyway.
The Highball Lounge is a great place to drink. Shaher Misif is a dangerous man. Bring your bag of bitcoins. But watch out, Shaher Misif is a dangerous man.
Five showerheads and a tip of the shaker to the Hotel Marlowe.
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