The Lenox
History
In 1900, hotelier and impresario Lucias Boomer (best known as the owner of New York’s Waldorf=Astoria) began work on what was to be the most luxurious hotel in New England. Eight months and $1,100,000 later, the Lenox opened its doors in the heart of Back Bay.
The hotel’s exterior of red and white terra-cotta bricks and lavishly decorated interior were unmatched in the city at the turn of the century, and at the time it opened, the hotel was the tallest building in Boston. Over the next century, the Lenox became a home-away-from-home to luminaries in entertainment, business, sports and the arts, and came to occupy a prominent and cherished role in Boston society.
In 1963, the Saunders family acquired the hotel and has been at the helm of the Lenox ever since, overseeing day-to-day operations and a series of meticulous restorations (including one in 2003 that earned worldwide accolades for historic preservation and design). An unwavering commitment to total guest comfort, innovation and a strong sense of community responsibility characterize the Saunders family’s management approach, an ideology that led to an industry-first environmental program. Accolades soon followed; the Lenox and The Saunders Hotel Group have received numerous prestigious awards for pioneering luxury within ecotourism, including a gold medal from President George H.W. Bush in 1992.
