The Copley Square Hotel is a hotel in the

Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and t ...

area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was built in 1891 on Huntington Avenue and Exeter Street, and has the distinction of being the city’s second-oldest hotel in continuous operation. The Copley Square Hotel opened on July 4, 1891. At the time it was one of the finest first-class hotels in the city, and its location was at the edge of the most aristocratic part of Back Bay, making it one of the most desirable places at which to stop. The hotel was convenient for the railroad stations, trading centers, places of amusement and the electric car service. The hotel (or house as it was called at the time) originally had 300 elegantly furnished rooms, single and en suite, with private parlors and baths. The original proprietors were F.S. Risteen & Co. and the total cost to open the hotel was $300,000. The Copley Square Hotel was built near what is present day

Copley Square Copley Square , named for painter John Singleton Copley, is a public square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, bounded by Boylston Street, Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue, and Dartmouth Street. Prior to 1883 it was known as Art Square due to it ...

. The square was named in honor of

John Singleton Copley John Singleton Copley (July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815) was an Anglo-American painter, active in both colonial America and England. He was probably born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Anglo-Irish. Afte ...

, the American painter, and is bordered by the

Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also the Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse'') of the Commonweal ...

, Trinity Church, and

Old South Church Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts, (also known as New Old South Church or Third Church) is a historic United Church of Christ congregation first organized in 1669. Its present building was designed in the Gothic Revival style by Charles ...

. The hotel's architect was Fred R. Pope. The seven-floor hotel is mainly constructed of brick. The U-shaped building is strongly supported by pilings driven to a depth of 70 feet below the street level. The hotel was the election headquarters for President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

, and has hosted many celebrities including sports legend

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

and jazz artists

Sydney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic tempe ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

and

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

in the Storyville Jazz Club. Most recently, in its lower lobby, the former Cafe Budapest, it was host for the filming of scenes in the 1992 comedy movie "HouseSitter" starring Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin. On January 24, 2008, the Copley Square Hotel closed for a multi-million dollar property-wide renovation - emerging in January 2009 as a contemporary, luxury boutique hotel. The extensive project included thorough remodeling of all accommodations, as well as the lobby, restaurant, and miniBar (formerly Domani and the Original Sports Saloon). On November 8, 2019 the hotel was bought by Hawkins Way Capital, a Beverly Hills, CA based real estate investment firm.

References

External links

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Copley Square Hotel
Official site
Interstate Hotels & Resorts
Management Company Website
CapStar Hotel Company
Owners Website {{John Singleton Copley, state=collapsed 1891 establishments in Massachusetts Copley Square Hotel buildings completed in 1891 Hotels established in 1891 Hotels in Boston