Rooms
Given Boston’s rather staid and stuffy reputation, the words Boston and boutique hotel might not seem the likeliest of allies—and yet the rooms at Nine Zero nearly belie such stereotypical notions. Blissfully well-proportioned, the rooms are large enough to contain an oversized bed complete with massive upholstered headboard—rather like a wingback chair for the entire family—as well as a dark wood desk and console containing all sorts of urban goodies, such as a line of specialty cocktail mixes and other temptations more often associated with the phrase “banned in Boston,” while an updated pair of wingback chairs flank a cocktail table laden with brand-new glossy magazines.

And then, behind a pair of black lacquered wooden doors, there’s the bathroom—huge and drowning in marble, with a delicious array of toiletries (for sale, of course—and, as usual, way overpriced).

Interestingly, everything’s oversized—all the furniture large enough for Papa Bear—but even better, the room is large enough to hold such big furniture. And still, there’s room to waltz around the bed in a fluffy bathrobe, before flopping into one of those wingbacks and flipping through one of those glossy mags to determine where to eat—in what suddenly seems a very stylish town.

Public Spaces
In the lobby, there they are again: those wingback chairs, albeit this time in black leather—almost as an advertisement for the kinkier side of Boston, the fetishes historically kept in Back Bay closets.

The Nine Zero is a now a Kimpton hotel—and their narrative for the Nine Zero is that the hotel is all about design. That’s their story and they’re sticking to it—although the overall design scheme might appear, to some, to be little more than a hodge-podge of the latest shelter magazine trends. There’s an exuberance of stainless steel and polished nickel, as well as the requisite chrome and mirrors, all of it complementing dark woods and metallic fabrics. At times, you might have the sense that the designers threw everything into the mix—just to see what might stick to the walls.

As for dining, there’s Spire Restaurant and Bar—which feels, in the evenings, a bit like an establishment in San Francisco: bubbly and spirited—or maybe that’s a reflection of the new Boston.

Breakfast
Upstairs, a short staircase from the lobby, the restaurant Spire is bliss for brunch on the weekend. With its view onto the Granary Burying Ground (where lie Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere—amongst other signers of the Declaration of Independence), Spire marries the past to the present, with its black granite floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sumptuous dove-gray banquettes. The food is stimulating to the palate without being overly-challenging: in other words, just enough of the old Yankee, mixed with the 21st century.

Staff
Polished and competent—with a desire to please.

Location
Ideal. Right around the corner from the Boston Athenaeum and City Hall, as well as the aforementioned Granary Burying Ground, and but a few steps to Boston Common and the Public Garden, and thereafter, the boutiques of Newbury Street. The location could hardly be more perfect—and serves as a reminder of Boston’s calling card to urban greatness: everything’s within walking distance.

Overview
With its combination of contemporary style amidst a classic setting, the Nine Zero embodies Boston’s embrace of the new even while celebrating its heritage—and were you once a student in that college town, a weekend at the Nine Zero might reawaken you to a newfound respect for Boston’s many appeals. At the very least, you’ll be happy you returned—and chose the Nine Zero as your new Boston address.