What’s in an Ames?: New Morgans hotel set for launch

Boston – History gets a sleek update in Morgans Hotel Group’s newest property, Ames. The hotel, scheduled for launch in October, takes over the handsome 19th-century building that, at the time of its construction at the end of the 1880s, was Boston’s first skyscraper. Designed by the Rockwell Group in collaboration with the Morgans design team, Ames features two original elements of this iconic building: the mosaic, barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the dramatic marble and brass staircase. These architectural treasures hold court over the elegant, modern touches throughout the 113-room property – here, the game of poetic contrasts and playful comparisons comes alive in the glossy whites and sleek blacks of the interior theme, against the dramatic backdrop of the building’s high ceilings and huge arched windows.

The hotel takes over the landmark building that once housed the headquarters of Ames Plow, a successful agricultural tool company, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ‘We really wanted our design to re?ect a contrast of eras, where the historical context and Ames family history would merge with a modern framework,’ lead designer David Rockwell says.