Fairmont Copley Plaza
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA landmark Beaux-Arts luxury hotel on Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
Fairmont Copley Plaza is a historic luxury hotel on Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay. Opened in 1912 as the Copley Plaza Hotel, it occupies a prominent position within one of Boston's most architecturally significant urban ensembles, near Trinity Church, the Boston Public Library, and the John Hancock Tower. The property was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, whose other hotel projects included New York's Plaza Hotel and Washington, D.C.'s Willard Hotel. Its seven-story Beaux-Arts building uses limestone and buff brick, and its E-shaped structure is supported by deep pilings driven approximately 70 feet below street level. The hotel was built on the former site of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and was named for American painter John Singleton Copley. Its construction cost was reported as $5.5 million. Boston Mayor John F. Fitzgerald presided over the opening reception in 1912, which attracted more than a thousand guests; demand was strong enough that rooms had reportedly been reserved more than a year before the opening. From its earliest years, the hotel became a venue for Boston's social, political, cultural, and sporting life. It hosted dances, civic dinners, prominent visitors, and celebrations involving figures such as Babe Ruth. John Singer Sargent maintained rooms there during the 1920s and used a hotel employee, Thomas McKeller, as a model for Apollo in his Boston Museum of Fine Arts decorations. The property has passed through several operating and ownership eras. Sheraton Hotels acquired it in 1941 and renamed it the Sheraton-Plaza Hotel in 1951. After its sale to John Hancock Insurance in 1972, the original Copley Plaza name returned. Later management arrangements involved Hotels of Distinction, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The hotel became part of Fairmont's managed portfolio in the 1990s and was subsequently branded Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston, later shortened to Fairmont Copley Plaza. Ownership changed again in 2010, when Fairmont sold the property to FelCor Lodging Trust while retaining management. FelCor was acquired by RLJ Lodging Trust in 2017, and the hotel was sold to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation later that year. Historic features remain central to the guest experience. The entrance corridor has been known as Peacock Alley since the 1920s. The approximately 5,000-square-foot lobby includes a 21-foot gilded coffered ceiling, Empire-style crystal chandeliers, Italian marble columns, and preserved classical detailing including the hotel's back-to-back P monogram. The hotel offers guest rooms and suites, dining, bar service, meeting facilities, weddings, and other events. Its OAK Long Bar + Kitchen is among the property's signature contemporary hospitality offerings, while the building's historic architecture supports its positioning as a heritage-oriented luxury hotel. Fairmont Copley Plaza is recognized by Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The hotel marked its centennial with a ceremony led by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino on August 16, 2012. The property has also appeared in popular culture and hosted filming for productions including The Boondock Saints, The Equalizer 2, The Firm, Bride Wars, and American Hustle. Its long association with notable guests, public events, literature, and film reinforces its role as both an operating hotel and a Boston cultural landmark.
History
Fairmont Copley Plaza was constructed on the former site of Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and opened in 1912 as the Copley Plaza Hotel. The project was named for painter John Singleton Copley and designed by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, known for major American hotels including the Plaza Hotel in New York and the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. The seven-story building was executed in a Beaux-Arts vocabulary with limestone and buff brick. Its E-shaped plan rests on pilings extending roughly 70 feet beneath street level, reflecting the engineering challenges of Boston's filled Back Bay land. Boston Mayor John F. Fitzgerald presided over the opening reception, which drew more than a thousand guests. The property quickly became a leading venue for Boston society, hosting dances, civic events, sporting celebrations, and visiting dignitaries. In the 1910s and 1920s, its rooms and public spaces were associated with the city's elite social calendar. John Singer Sargent kept rooms at the hotel during the 1920s and used elevator operator Thomas McKeller as a model for Apollo in a decorative project at the Museum of Fine Arts. The hotel's reputation also extended to major public and sporting figures: a dinner celebrating Babe Ruth's return to Boston was held there in 1935. Ownership and management changed repeatedly over the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Sheraton Hotels purchased the property in 1941 and changed its name to Sheraton-Plaza Hotel in 1951. John Hancock Insurance acquired it in 1972 for a reported $6.5 million, restored the Copley Plaza name, and initially retained Sheraton as operator. In 1974, John Hancock engaged Boston hospitality executive Alan Tremain and Hotels of Distinction to manage the hotel. During this period, the property's restaurants gained a strong local reputation and were associated with chefs including Lydia Shire, Jasper White, and Gordon Hamersley. John Hancock sold the hotel in 1988 to Boston businessman James A. Daley in partnership with a Harvard University subsidiary. Harvard later arranged management by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and the property became The Copley Plaza—A Wyndham Hotel in 1993. In 1996, Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud and Olympus Real Estate Corporation acquired the hotel from Harvard. Fairmont Hotels, then controlled in part by Prince Al Waleed, assumed management and the hotel was renamed The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston. Prince Al Waleed later acquired Olympus's interest, but Fairmont Hotels subsequently reorganized its ownership relationships and acquired direct interests in the property in 2001 and 2003. In September 2010, Fairmont sold the hotel to FelCor Lodging Trust for a reported $98.5 million while continuing to manage it. FelCor was acquired by RLJ Lodging Trust in April 2017, and RLJ sold the hotel to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation in December of that year for a reported $170 million. Fairmont remained the operating brand and the hotel later used the simpler Fairmont Copley Plaza name. The building's preserved interior is a major part of its identity. The entrance passage has been called Peacock Alley since the 1920s. Its approximately 5,000-square-foot lobby contains a 21-foot gilded coffered ceiling, Empire-style crystal chandeliers, Italian marble columns, and historic P monograms. These details support the hotel's heritage-luxury positioning alongside its guest rooms, suites, dining venues, and event facilities. The hotel suffered a serious fire on March 29, 1979, after a disgruntled former employee set fires at both the Copley Plaza and a nearby Sheraton hotel. Thirty people were injured and one person died in the Copley Plaza incident. Among those affected was Sumner Redstone, who escaped by hanging from a third-floor window; filmmaker Rob Cohen was also rescued, and the event later influenced his 1996 film Daylight. The hotel has otherwise remained an operating Boston landmark. It is listed among Historic Hotels of America, and the supplied reference material reports a Boston Landmarks Commission designation as a Boston Landmark in 2026. The property marked its hundredth anniversary with a mayoral ceremony in 2012 and continues to operate as a Fairmont-branded luxury hotel in Back Bay.
- 2026
Boston Landmark designation reported
[1]The supplied reference material reports that the Boston Landmarks Commission designated the hotel as a Boston Landmark.
- 2017
Ashkenazy acquires the hotel
[1]Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation purchased the property from RLJ Lodging Trust.
- 2012
Centennial celebration
[1]The hotel commemorated its hundredth anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
- 1996
Fairmont branding begins
[1]Fairmont Hotels assumed management and the hotel adopted the Fairmont name.
- 1993
Wyndham management begins
[1]The property became The Copley Plaza—A Wyndham Hotel under Wyndham Hotels & Resorts management.
- 1979
Major hotel fire
[1]A deliberate fire at the property caused one death and injured 30 people.
- 1972
Copley Plaza name restored
[1]John Hancock Insurance acquired the hotel and restored its historic Copley Plaza name.
- 1951
Hotel becomes Sheraton-Plaza Hotel
[1]Sheraton changed the hotel's name to Sheraton-Plaza Hotel.
- 1941
Sheraton acquires the property
[1]Sheraton Hotels purchased the hotel and later operated it under the Sheraton-Plaza name.
- 1912
Copley Plaza opens
[1]The Beaux-Arts Copley Plaza Hotel opened on Copley Square with a reception attended by more than a thousand guests.
Products and positioning
Upper-upscale and luxury heritage hotel combining preserved Beaux-Arts architecture, Boston history, central Back Bay location, and contemporary Fairmont hospitality.
Accommodation · 1912
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's principal offering is luxury accommodation in a historic Back Bay setting. Rooms and suites combine the property's preserved classical character with contemporary hotel amenities. Their appeal is based on the building's location on Copley Square, Fairmont service, and access to the architectural and cultural attractions of central Boston.
Food and beverage
OAK Long Bar + Kitchen
OAK Long Bar + Kitchen is a signature restaurant and bar venue within the hotel. It represents the property's contemporary dining component, complementing the historic architecture with a more modern restaurant and social setting for hotel guests, local patrons, and visitors.
Hospitality events · 1912
Meetings, weddings, and events
Fairmont Copley Plaza provides event spaces for meetings, conferences, weddings, civic functions, and private social occasions. The historic lobby, public rooms, and central Boston location give the offering a heritage-luxury character, while the hotel infrastructure supports business and ceremonial events.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Centennial celebration
Boston · United States
The hotel used its hundredth anniversary as an occasion for a public ribbon-cutting ceremony and a renewed emphasis on its place in Boston's architectural and hospitality history.
Outcome. The property publicly marked a century of operation and reinforced its heritage positioning.
Brand decisions
2017
Sale to Ashkenazy Acquisition CorporationM&ABackground
FelCor Lodging Trust was acquired by RLJ Lodging Trust, which subsequently reviewed its hotel real-estate portfolio.
Action taken
RLJ sold Fairmont Copley Plaza to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation.
Aftermath
Ashkenazy became the property's owner while Fairmont continued as the operating brand and manager.
Reported sale price. $170 million (December 2017)
2010
Sale of hotel real estate while retaining managementStrategyBackground
Fairmont was moving away from direct ownership of hotel real estate while maintaining its role as an operator and brand manager.
Action taken
Fairmont sold the property to FelCor Lodging Trust and continued to manage the hotel.
Aftermath
The hotel remained Fairmont-branded despite subsequent changes in the underlying real-estate owner.
Reported sale price. $98.5 million (September 2010)
1996
Transition to Fairmont managementStrategyBackground
Following a change in ownership involving Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud and Olympus Real Estate, the hotel required a new operating identity.
Action taken
Fairmont Hotels assumed management and the property was renamed The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston.
Aftermath
The Fairmont brand became the hotel's long-term operating identity, continuing through later real-estate ownership changes.
1951
Adoption of the Sheraton-Plaza nameStrategyBackground
After acquiring the Copley Plaza, Sheraton Hotels operated the property as part of its hotel system.
Action taken
The hotel was renamed Sheraton-Plaza Hotel.
Aftermath
The Sheraton identity remained in use until the property changed ownership and restored the Copley Plaza name in 1972.
Recent events
- 2026
Boston Landmarks Commission designates Fairmont Copley Plaza a Boston Landmark[1]
Regulation
The property was identified as receiving Boston Landmark designation from the Boston Landmarks Commission, according to the referenced article.
- 2017
RLJ Lodging Trust sells the hotel to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation[1]
M&A
After FelCor was acquired by RLJ Lodging Trust, RLJ sold Fairmont Copley Plaza to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation in December 2017.
- 2017
Fairmont Copley Plaza sold to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp.[1]
M&A
RLJ Lodging Trust sold the Boston hotel to Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. in December 2017. Fairmont remained associated with operation and branding.
- 2012
Hotel celebrates its centennial[1]
Other
A centennial ribbon-cutting ceremony was held with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.
- 2012
Fairmont Copley Plaza marks its centennial[1]
Other
The hotel commemorated its 100th anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino on August 16, 2012.
- 2010
Fairmont sells the property while retaining management[1]
M&A
Fairmont sold the hotel to FelCor Lodging Trust as part of a move away from direct real-estate ownership, while continuing to manage the property.
- 1996
Fairmont assumes management and the hotel adopts the Fairmont name[1]
M&A · Leadership change
A partnership involving Prince Al Waleed bin Talal and Olympus Real Estate acquired the property from Harvard, with Fairmont Hotels taking over management and the hotel becoming The Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston.
- 1979
Major fire injures guests and kills one person[1]
Other
A former employee set fires at the Copley Plaza and a nearby Sheraton property. The Copley Plaza fire injured 30 people and caused one death; media executive Sumner Redstone was among those rescued.
- 1979
Fire at Copley Plaza injures guests and kills one person[1]
Other
A former employee set fires at the Copley Plaza and a nearby Sheraton hotel. The Copley Plaza fire occurred while about 430 people were present, killed one person, and injured 30 others, including Sumner Redstone.
- 1972
Hotel returns to the Copley Plaza name[1]
M&A · Leadership change
John Hancock Insurance purchased the hotel and restored the Copley Plaza name, while Sheraton continued operating it for a period.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/fairmont-copley-plaza · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled