Reputedly taking nine years to open, the $300 million Mandarin Oriental Boston is finally open for business after the positioning of the entrance caused a major delay… On the suggestion of a Chinese feng-shui master hired by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, the luxury brand in 2004 moved the entrance 50 feet so that there will be a clear view down Fairfield Street toward the Charles River from the street-level lobby. That, said general manager Susanne Hatje, will bring "the good fortune of running a business." A four-alarm fire in March also delayed the hotel’s opening from July which means the highly anticipated 16,000-square-foot spa won’t open until October 22. All eyes will be watching this hotel particularly closely over the next few months to see if it survives the seemingly unavoidable financial market crisis.
author Gareth Powell, source www.hoteldesigns.co.uk