USA Today, September 30, 2005 by Gene Sloan
“In big-city hotels, cheap and chic can share same bed: Hold on to your wallet: Hotel prices in big cities are jumping this year. The average room in New York City costs nearly $200 a night, up 10% since this time last year, according to Smith Travel Research. Rooms also are getting pricey in Miami and Washington D.C. where rates are up 12%. What’s a budget-minded traveler to do? There are low-cost chains such as Comfort Inn and Motel 6 for less than $100 a night in most big cities, although not always in the best locations. But for a little more flair, USA TODAY’s Gene Sloan uncovers unique affordable lodgings in the nation’s five most expensive cities for hotels. Boston
Hotel 140. Opened in June, this 40-room boutique in the Back Bay neighborhood near Copley Square offers contemporary rooms starting at $149 in the fall but $99 in January and February. Free high-speed Internet, breakfast and afternoon tea round out the value.” Full version at www.usatoday.com

Arrington’s Inn Traveler Magazine, Summer 2005 by Sarah Stiles
“Hotel 140: The historic building at 140 Clarendon Street in Boston has served as the headquarters for the YWCA for more than 75 years…. Located in the popular Back Bay are of Boston, guests to the 40-room boutique inn are treated to postcard views - the beautiful brownstone homes of Back Bay on one side of the inn and the stunning architecture of downtown Boston on the others…. Customer-friendly hospitality is the name of the game at Hotel 140. And guests can count on an excellent experience every time. “We provide the best service to every customer each time they come,” Lenna says…. After a long day of business or sightseeing, guests are treated to complimentary coffee and tea in the inn’s lounges… They can also unwind in the fitness room or take advantage of a discounted rate nearby fitness centers. Fall is a great time to visit Boston… The beautiful foliage, the pleasant weather and the flurry of activities and events attract visitors from all over. Whatever your reason for visiting Boston, Hotel 140 offers “a classic Boston address, a refreshingly modern outlook.” Full version at www.bnbjournal.com

The Globe and Mail, Canada, July 2005: by Stephen Beaumont
“Three Nights Boston: Boston is blooming. Having spent years mired in the maze of construction zones known collectively as the Big Dig, in which kilometers of elevated highways were buried and billions of dollars spent, Beantown is experiencing a rebirth like never before. No longer fearful of the traffic congestion, noise and dirt that has plagued them for years, Bostonians are emerging to discover their city anew, and travelers have many reasons to join them. Throughout the summer and well into fall, Boston will celebrate its 375th birthday with parades, music festivals and the Waterfront Performing Arts Festival, featuring free open-air evenings of music, dance and opera. And with a building boom having accompanied the completion of the roadway constructions, there is also a host of new places in which to stay, spanning all price ranges. Shoestring. Hotel 140. Opening this June, the new Hotel 140, housed in the historic YWCA building next to the John Hancock Tower, is a rare bargain in the tony and generally pricey, Back Bay neighborhood. Renovated extensively over the past two years, the YWCA has in its new life been transformed into a multipurpose facility, housing rental, residential, office and cultural spaces, along with the 40 rooms of the Hotel 140. There is a European feel to this Copley Square-area Hotel, beginning with its occupation of only the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the building and continuing with the complimentary breakfast and afternoon refreshments. European practicality meets the North American boutique hotel aesthetic, however, in the spare but comfortably designed rooms, gratis high-speed internet, fitness room and business centre. Those visiting Boston for culture are certainly in the right place at the Hotel 140, with the Lyric Stage Company resident on the building’s main floor and the theatre district by a short stroll away. Also nearby is the Boston Common, the city’s scaled-down version of Central Park, and Newbury Street, where some of the Back Bay’s best shopping is to be had. The street side Terra Cotta Café in the YW building offers three meals daily, although steps in any direction will take guests to a multitude of dining destinations…” Full version at www.theglobeandmail.com

The Boston Globe, June 1, 2005 by Susan Diesenhouse
“YWCA strategy pays off: Conversion to corporation gives organization funds to open hotel and, more important, fulfill mission of helping those who need affordable homes. A new, 40-room hotel with a special mission is scheduled to open today in the historic and renovated YWCA on Clarendon Street in Boston’s Back Bay. Hotel 140, with its modest $129-a-night accommodations, is a key part of the plan to re-use the 78-year-old building located where the Back Bay meets the South End. The aim is to shore up the Federal structure and buttress the association’s finances to further the YWCA’s goal of providing reasonably priced housing for low- and moderate-income people… The renovation design by Perry Dean Rogers Partners called for restoring the exterior of brick, limestone, granite, iron grill work, and ornamental balconies topped with a copper cornice. The main entrance on Clarendon Street, which features a triple arched arcade, was refurbished. The secondary entrance on Stuart Street, removed in the 1970s, was rebuilt to be accessible to the disabled…. “Done by women, the furnishing is crisp, modern, and comfortable, not froufrou,” Parks said.” Full version at www.boston.com

Boston Business Journal, March 18-24, 2005 by Naomi R. Kooker
“YWCA develops boutique hotel site: Hotel 140: YWCA to unveil landmark site’s renovations in June. You’ll get more than just a bargain bed when you check into The YWCA Boston, set to open June 1. After $30 million in renovations, supported by state, city and private financing, the YWCA plans to unveil its Hotel 140 at 140 Clarendon St in the Back Bay late this spring. The 40-room boutique hotel, which will occupy the sixth and seventh floors, is part of a major overhaul – both physical and financial – to help the non-profit meet its mission and bring in more revenue… The hotel’s introductory room rate will be $129 a night (breakfast included), not bad in the Back Bay and in a city whose average room rate was $166 a night last year. Hotel 140 will have a few more bells and whistles such as 24-hour front desk service, cable TV, high-speed Internet access and secure key card entry, that its former incarnation….” Full version at www.bizjournals.com

Metro, Boston Edition, March 7, 2005 by Christina Wallace
“Boutique hotels offer cheap chic: Boston Small, hipster boutique hotels offer personalized service and a chic flare that attracts the young traveler. But may are pricey, with rooms at more than $250, like XV Beacon near the State House and Nine Zero on Tremont Street. However, a new niche is emerging where tourists, business travelers and young professionals can bask in the cosmopolitan atmosphere without doling out a big chunk of change… Hotel 140 is taking over a portion of the YWCA building on Clarendon Street and will open in June. According to Lenna Shulga, marketing manager for the hotel, the Boston market is craving a spot with a central location, hip décor and an inexpensive cost. Paying $129 a night, the customer will be able to experience the stylish-feel without the Gucci price tag. There are 40-rooms on two floors. The rooms are small with earthy tones, white minimalist bathrooms and high-speed Internet access. Each floor will have its own…lounge, there guests can relax with gourmet coffees and teas, Shulga said. “We are focusing on artsy, high-tech, young professionals,” said Shulga….” Full version at www.boston-metro.com

The Boston Courant, February 7, 2005 – February 13, 2005 by Seth Andrea McCoy
“Back Bay Hotel Boom Continues: The recent boom of hotel openings in the Back Bay will continue this summer with the unveiling of yet another place for visitors to Boston. Hotel 140 on Clarendon Street will join the Courtyard by Marriot hotel on Exeter Street and the Jurys Hotel on Stuart Street as the Back Bay’s newest hotels. Located at 140 Clarendon Street, the former site of the YWCA, Hotel 140 will open in June… “A room in the Back Bay in June at $129 a night might not be quite as revolutionary as what the original members of YWCA were doing in 1929”, said Judy Parks, vice president of real estate for YWCA. “We just hope to be as successful….”