$45M Renovation Transforms Historic Seaport Warehouse into Residence Inn by Marriott Hotel

By Veronica Grecu, Associate Editor

After months of renovations and upgrades designed by architecture firm Group One Partners, a six-story underutilized historic building located in downtown Boston’s Seaport District re-opened last week as the most recent Residence Inn by Marriott facility.

Built in 1901 by the Boston Wharf Company and originally known as the Stillings Building, the structure at 370 Congress Street once served as a sugar and molasses warehouse. In April 2011 the 115,000-square-foot building was purchased for $8 million from Berkeley Investments by Boston-based Norwich Partners LLC, according to data from PropertyShark.

Shortly after closing the deal, the new owner embarked on a $45 million renovation and rehabilitation project that aimed to create an environmentally sustainable extended-stay hotel that would transform Congress Street into a vibrant retail corridor.

The Residence Inn By Marriott – Boston Downtown/Seaport Hotel adds 120 urban suites to an area that, according to Boston.com, is in great need of lodging now that the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and state officials have approved a $2 billion expansion of the nearby Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. True North Hotel Group, Inc. will manage the new hotel.

Located just minutes from Logan International Airport and within walking distance of Boston’s Financial District, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston Children’s Museum, Bank of America Pavilion and Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the Residence Inn Boston Downtown/Seaport is expected to be a lodging magnet for business and leisure travelers alike.

Rendering courtesy of Norwich Partners LLC