Flights to Boston from the UK have grown significantly recently, for instance, this year Norwegian.com launched flights from Gatwick, meaning that British visitors travelling to Massachusetts now have a larger choice of flights when planning their holiday time.
Likewise, Thomas Cook have just announced that their Manchester to Boston route, which was launched in 2015 with two flights per week over summer 2016, will now increase to four flights per week in 2017.
Virgin Atlantic, meanwhile, have announced flights from Manchester to Boston from March 2017 in addition to their London Heathrow to Boston service.
Below are some of the new hotels, events and attractions that are making the Bay State more popular with the Brits than ever.
Food and drink in Boston and surrounding area
A former warehouse in Dorchester (20 minutes from Boston) is now the site of the new Dorchester Brewing Company. The taproom and patio offers a space where visitors can sample a variety of local beers.
A contemporary New England restaurant has opened at the Beauport Hotel, called 1606 at Beauport. Visitors can experience oceanfront dining with an upscale ambience and panoramic water views.
Top Catch is now open at Joe’s American Bar and Grill offering fresh seafood and panoramic views of Boston Harbour. Visitors will find freshly caught seafood, a seasonal menu and of course classic dishes such as steamed lobster, seafood clam boil, clam chowder and more.
North End, Boston’s oldest neighbourhood, is famous for its variety of Italian restaurants. The neighbourhood has welcomed another restaurant – Il Molo serving seafood dishes with a dash of Italian influence. Chef Michael Scelfo takes his kitchen table experience to yet another restaurant – Waypoint – just outside of Harvard Square. The menu reflects his forward-thinking approach to coast-inspired dishes where he introduces flavours he experienced while touring along the Atlantic and Pacific shores.
Nancy Batista-Caswell, who owns Brine and Ceia in Newburyport is opening her first Boston restaurant. The restaurant is called Oak + Rowan and is located in the Seaport District.
This October, a new contemporary Peruvian restaurant, will open at the Godfrey Hotel, RUKA. The Godfrey Hotel is also a fairly new hotel in Boston.
Cultivar, by Mary Dumont will open at the Ames Boston Hotel as part of the hotel’s $5 million refurbishment. Visitors will find a modern American cuisine.
Hotels
Boston Park Plaza completed a $100-million renovation, revitalising the historic hotel’s 1,060 guestrooms, main spaces, adding complimentary access to the exclusive 20,000 sf David Barton Gym and six in-house restaurants and bars including exquisite dining from STRIP by Strega which has a steakhouse concept.
From 1 October 2016, visitors can stay at the new AC by Marriott Hotel Boston Cambridge in the Cambridge Discovery Park. The new hotel is design-led, contemporary and tailor-made for modern travellers with a signature AC Lounge, a fitness centre, pool and 150 sleek modern guest rooms.
September 2016, a modern boutique hotel will open in the heart of Cambridge called the Porter Square Hotel. Visitors will find a 65-room hotel, a restaurant and bar, private dining facilities and an outdoor roof garden.
This autumn the Hilton Garden Inn, at Patriot Place, in Foxboro will open overlooking Gillette Stadium. There will be 136 guest rooms, a bar and restaurant, fitness centre, indoor salt water pool and more.
Coming to Boston in early 2017 is the Haymarket Square Hotel in North End with 225 rooms and the Hilton Homewood Inn & Suites Boston Logan Airport/Chelsea with 152 rooms.
The Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences One Dalton Street is coming soon to Boston’s skyline in 2017.
Events
The 52nd Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest two day regatta in the world, happens this October 22-23, 2016. It is an October tradition attracting thousands of rowers and spectators.
This January ice hockey fans can enjoy an outdoor competitive ice hockey series at Fenway Park. The stadium will once again host Hockey East games from 4-16 January 2017. Doubleheaders will occur on January 7 and January 14.
The 121st Boston Marathon will take place on 17 April 2017, and this is Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Sail Boston welcomes the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta 17-22 June 2017. The regatta is a 7,000 nautical mile transatlantic race visiting six countries. Royal Greenwich, UK will be the first hosts of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta 13 – 16 April 2017. Boston will be the only American port included in the Regatta.
Boston Wax Museum and the Freedom Trail take place this autumn. The museum will occupy 16,516 sf at One Washington Mall.
Merrimack Valley & Boston’s North Shore
The 94-room Beauport Hotel has opened on Pavilion Beach in Gloucester. Visitors will find a new, luxury seaside hotel featuring views of the Atlantic, a public restaurant and bar and roof top pool for overnight guests.
Every Sunday in Lowell find a Farmers Market at Mill No. 5 and on the first Saturday of each month a themed Bazaar. Mill No. 5 was built in 1873, it is an indoor streetscape of historic buildings salvaged from throughout New England and beyond. The mill features an independent movie theatre, a yoga studio, a farm-to-table cafe and the Victorian Lounge.
On the first Saturday of each month in Lowell, Western Ave Studios hold an open studio from 12pm-5pm where artists open their studios to the public. Visitors can purchase art, ask questions and browse. Western Avenue Studios is home to the largest community of artists on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. The complex contains three brick mill buildings hosting 250 working studios, 50 working lofts, a strong artists association, teaching artists, The Loading Dock Gallery (a cooperative artist run gallery) and The Onyx Room Performance Space.
Attractions in Cape Cod & the Islands
The new Cape Codder Water Park at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa is now open. Adventure awaits for children of all ages at this 30,000-square-foot indoor water park, featuring four body slides (ranging from 50 feet to 160), a 300-foot “Stormy River,” a kids spray pool and play area, a wave pool and a snack bar.
The Whydah Pirate Museum is a new 12,000-square foot museum in West Yarmouth. The museum is an attraction for all ages where visitors can touch, see and interact. The Whydah was a fully rigged galley ship built by the British to travel between Africa, the Caribbean and Great Britain. During one of its voyages in 1717, it was captured by the famed pirate Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy. Some years later, the Whydah’s real pirate treasure was unearthed by Provincetown resident, Barry Clifford and for the first time ever it is on display.
Hog Island Beer Company is a new brew pub built and brewed by locals in Hogs Island. Visitors can enjoy local beer after a paddleboard trip to the uninhabited Hog Island, located on Little Pleasant Bay in Orleans overlooking Nauset Beach and the dune shacks that dot its coast. The beers they currently brew include wheat, IPA and stout (followed soon by pale ale, Irish red and brown). Hogs Head Beer Co. provide live music seven nights a week from 6-9PM.
Events
47th Annual Cape Cod Scallop Festival at Cape Cod Fairgrounds takes place 23-25 September 2016. Visitors will find famous fried scallop, a diverse food court, beer and wine gardens, live entertainment, kid’s rides, activities, an arts & craft show and much more.
On Martha’s Vineyard, from 13-16 October 2016 visitors can experience a flagship food, wine and drink festival. The Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival are inviting visitors to meet local, culinary talent, the farmers, fishermen, oyster producers and artisans and much more.
An extended New Year’s event will take place in Provincetown to stretch the celebration into a fun-filled weekend. First Light Provincetown 2017 takes place from 30th December 2016 – 2nd January 2017. Highlights include a fireworks display, craft fair, dance parties, live entertainment and the New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge. Also, as a Provincetown tradition visitors can look for the dropping of a drag queen at midnight!
Celebrate the awakening of springtime on Nantucket island from 21-23 April 2017 at the Daffodil Festival Weekend. Visitors will find activities for all ages including art shows, tours, parades (including the antique car parade, a children’s parade and tailgate picnic), contests and the annual Nantucket Daffodil Flower Show.
Berkshire events
The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, will showcase The Architects of Saturday Morning by Hanna-Barbera from 12 November 2016 – 29 May 2017. This will be first museum exhibition for the world’s most successful animation partnership. The exhibit provides a glimpse of the extraordinary story of how two astute businessmen reacted to a dying film animation industry and revolutionised a new format for their product. They created many popular series such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest, Scooby-Doo, Super Friends, and The Smurfs.
Attractions
Ramblewild is the Berkshires newest aerial park. It offers eight unique self-guided tree-to-tree aerial courses ranging from lower, beginning trails to much higher, more expert courses.
Barrington Coffee Roasting Company in Lee is now offering Cupping Class, great for those who love coffee and want to learn more about roasting and tasting. Visitors will find out where coffee comes from, how to evaluate quality and much more.
Big Elm Brewing in Sheffield, MA now has a total of 8 barrels for beer brewing. Visitors can join them for a brewery tour and taste of a local Berkshire beer.
Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Sheffield, MA is open for tours and tastings – it is the Berkshires’ first legal distillery since prohibition. The Distillery features handcrafted, award-winning artisanal spirits.
Hotels
Hotel on North, a boutique 45-room hotel with personality now open in Pittsfield’s downtown historic district. Offering an urban chic lodging experience where some walls are not straight, ceiling heights vary, guest rooms are not exactly the same, visitors can sip cocktails in a birdcage elevator and in-room breakfast comes in a galvanised pail!
For more information, visit massholiday.co.uk. To keep up-to-date on happenings in Massachusetts please follow www.facebook.com/VisitMassachusetts/ on Facebook and @VisitMA on Twitter.
Main image at the top of the article image credit: pixabay.com.
