Back to the Back Bay: Hilton’s Revival of Boston Park Plaza

The Boston Park Plaza has good bones. The historic hotel made its Boston debut as The Statler Hotel in 1927, conceived by E.M. Statler. Almost 30 years later, Conrad Hilton purchased the property in 1954 and renamed the hotel The Statler Hilton in 1957. The property stayed part of the Hilton family of hotels before it was sold in 1976 to a local family who renamed it Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers.

“Fast forward nearly 70 years since our founder purchased this iconic property, we’re excited to be returning to our original Boston locale in the heart of Back Bay,” says Todd Arviso, Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations US & Canada, Hilton. The property is owned by Parks Hospitality Holdings (PHH) and managed by Hilton.

This isn’t Hilton’s first rodeo in making a return—The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton, for instance, originally opened in 1956 as The Statler Hilton Dallas and was the largest Southwest hotel at that time. Giddyap to 2017, the hotel relaunched as The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton.

The company has also opened other iconic hotels. The Caribe Hilton launched in 1949 as Hilton’s first hotel outside the Continental United States and in 1955, Hilton Istanbul (now Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus) opened; the hotel represented the first modern hotel built from the ground up in post-World War II Europe and even earned its postal code and stamp.

“These iconic hotels have remained a fabric of Hilton’s history, and we look forward to Hilton Boston Park Plaza joining these legacy properties and serving as a destination for global travelers for years to come,” says Arviso.

The Boston Park Plaza has had a formidable Back Bay presence, located one block from Boston Common and a quick walk to the Boston Public Garden. The Grande Dame Hotel has hosted many dignitaries, U.S. presidents, and celebrities throughout its reign.

The 1,060-room hotel includes 55 suites, pet-friendly rooms, and Boston’s first-ever Topgolf Swing Suite, which offers PGA-certified lessons, full virtual golf courses, and a virtual driving range available for private events. Guests also have access to Lynx Fitness Club, an expansive 20,000-square-foot health club with trainers and yoga, boxing, and HIIT classes.

The hotel is also home to the only Leica Store and Gallery in New England with an immersive photography experience and rotating exhibits.

Two restaurants are on-site—Off the Common for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Strega Italiano serving Italian-inspired dishes and creative cocktails. There is also an onsite Starbucks.

“There are no changes planned for the hotel at this time,” says Arviso. “We are thrilled that the existing hotel team is staying on with Hilton. This hotel’s highly recognized reputation is thanks to the incredible team who truly brings hospitality to life, and we are proud to embrace and complement the hotel’s existing service culture with Hilton’s friendly and reliable service.”

The Boston Park Plaza also houses 70,000 square feet of meeting space. “For meeting planners, Hilton offers meeting and event planners an opportunity to earn points through the Hilton Honors Event Planner Program,” says Arviso. “Event planners can earn Bonus Points for meetings, conferences, family reunions, weddings, and other special events held at participating hotels within the Hilton Portfolio worldwide and can use these points for their next meeting or event, or even their next getaway. Details are available on the Hilton website. 

The hotel participates in several Hilton special offers, including promotions for Hilton Honors members. Guests can book the Experience the Stay package, featuring an on-property credit, premium Wi-Fi, and early check-in. Additionally, for the holiday season, the hotel is offering a Holiday Head Start Limited Time Offer for Black Friday—up to 20 percent off the best available rate and a $50 dining credit for use in the hotel’s signature Off The Common restaurant. Rates start at $127 per night and the offer is available November 24 through November 27 for select stay dates in 2023 and 2024.

The Boston Park Plaza is just one of Hilton’s latest plans for Boston. “Hilton has a pipeline of nearly ten hotels in various stages of development across four brands in the Boston market,” says Arviso.