Openings: Mandarin Hotel, Boston

Boston, like Philly, has avoided diving into true boutique hotel mania, preferring instead to populate its historic cityscape with a more, shall we say, dignified brand of hotel. The new Mandarin Oriental, opening this October after a rather serious fire-induced delay, should, as usual, work a veritable middle ground between the two -- a good dose of grand luxe, a bit of contemporary cool. With a poshie Back Bay address (where the prices could probably even make a New Yorker to recoil), the hotel will boast large, elegantly modern rooms, some with glorious bay views, a spa and fitness center, and the Amerasian Asana restaurant.

They’re also aiming to cultivate a rather cosmopolitan nightlife scene with the stylish M Bar & Lounge, whose distinguishing features will include a sleek, glass-top bar, dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, and an immense and well-furnished wine wall. Brahmins and touring rock stars, one imagines, will be equally atwitter.