You can find me here in the morning with my coffee and the paper.
I have been a fan of Assembly Row since the day I stepped foot by the Mystic River. That chilly fall day by the river, I watched a bucket loader full of Legos ceremoniously pour onto the skeleton of a spot that would one day become Legoland Discovery Center at Assembly Row followed by many other wonderful promises. These promises have all been honoured. From the Orange Line station that whisks you to and from Back Bay station in minutes to the mix of independent, new, local, and well-loved familiar restaurants Assembly Row has been well thought out. The cherry on top though, has to be the latest addition: The Row Hotel.
The guest rooms are all spacious which is not always easy to find in the city. The classic guest rooms have either a king sized bed or two queen beds. The larger guest rooms have a king-sized bed and a couple of sitting areas. The one bedroom suites have a powder room, a king bed, a sofa bed and large bathroom with a soaking tub. As a family of four with teens often one bedroom no longer works for all four of us. The Row Hotel has adjoining rooms that are perfect for families or larger groups of friends, but even the regular rooms have enough space so that we aren’t on top of one another within the room.
The other thing I look for when I’m booking a hotel are spaces outside our room that we can enjoy. I look for…
- a place we can go and play a game of cards
- a spot where we can lounge for a while with our books
- a corner to grab a drink and little moment together as parents
- a quiet spot to take a quick phone call
- a pool that is more oasis and less pool party
- a gym to get in a workout that doesn’t feel like a treadmill in a closet
The Row checks off all the items on my list and more. They even have a space called “The Pantry” with coffee, water, fresh fruit, and jars of candy. That’s the perfect little errand to send a child on if someone needs a little break. “Hey, why don’t you go get an apple and a piece of candy from The Pantry while we make dinner plans.”
I know where I’m going for a winter getaway. Just down the street to Assembly Row. If the weather is great I’ll take the T into Boston and soak in all the holiday magic. If it is not nice I can stay right here and I won’t get any kind of cabin fever. The Row’s lobby eatery, Reflections, is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktails. I’m already deciding between the heirloom tomato and Maplebrook burrata salad with crumbled olive, basil, and Maldon sea salt or the pollen dusted Salmon with sunchoke purée and I have to try the Uncommon Carrot Cake, which is carrot cake “fries” alongside a cream cheese dipping sauce and spiced golden raisin jam. Also the cocktail menu has a section called Elite Pours some day I’m going to find a reason for one of those!
I want to feel special when I walk into my hotel room and somehow The Row gets me because the rooms have Illy espresso machines and Dammann Frères teas from France. It won’t be ready for a little while longer, but eventually there will also be an Italian restaurant in the hotel. In the meantime, I’m trying to find an excuse for a party at The Row because we could have a lot of fun in the private event rooms. The rooms are full of light and have some great urban views. The spaces can be divided up for parties of 10 people to 150 people. The combined event rooms can have up to 300 people which would fab for a conference or you know…a small Jewish wedding.
The Row has valet parking, or you can park at Assembly Row’s metered parking or garage. The Row is located at 360 Foley Street in Somerville, MA at Assembly Row just steps from the Assembly T stop (orange line). To book reservations or for more information, visit www.therowhotelboston.com.
