Inside the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Beautiful New Gift Shop

“Protective” black tourmaline necklace, $1,300, “Cleansing” clear quartz necklace, $1,200, and “Heart Opening” kunzite necklace, $1,450, all Modern Relik / Photo by Bruce Peterson

When was the last time you saw something in a hotel gift shop that you actually wanted to buy—something you really needed to have? We’re not talking about the toothbrush you grabbed on the fly after forgetting yours at home, or the grim rack of T-shirts you scoured because you neglected to pick up a more thoughtful souvenir. We mean something beautiful and luxurious, something that will become a conversation piece in your home.

The Boston Harbor Hotel’s latest project, an exciting new take on the hotel gift shop called Home at Rowe’s Wharf, is filled with such delights. The new boutique—a total refurbishment of the existing space, and about twice as large—is thoughtfully curated by none other than beloved South End furniture purveyor Modern Relik. But don’t expect a carbon copy of the Harrison Avenue store: While there will be a couch here and an ottoman there, this outpost is about “beautiful living” more generally, as Modern Relik founder Meg Kimball puts it. Think: fewer credenzas themselves, and more things you might put on them.

Modern Relik founder Meg Kimball shows off some of the unique wares that will be available in her new Boston Harbor Hotel gift shop, opening this month. / Photo by Mona Miri

So what does that mean, exactly? Expect to find Baccarat crystal barware, ceramics made by artisans near and far, elegant bedding, Assouline coffee table books, and a range of sumptuous silk pajamas, including styles from Modern Relik’s in-house line. “Beautiful objects not just for your home but for your lifestyle,” Kimball explains. “We’ve searched the globe and brought all of these special things under one roof.” The shop will also showcase eclectic jewelry—don’t miss Joanne Stone’s stunning Brazilian white opal amulets, aquamarine earrings, and black tourmaline rings.

All in all, the boutique offers a shopping experience unlike anything else downtown—something that Kimball hopes both hotel guests and locals will appreciate. “We had to keep in mind this is a neighborhood with a lot of condos and offices, and for that reason the shop isn’t geared just to the hotel,” Kimball says. “It’s a beautiful gift store. Anyone can come here and find a gift.”

Things We Love

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1 Anson Calder Everyday Tote, $900.

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2 Diptyque Lavender-Leaf Candle, $68.

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3 Cecil Beaton: The Art of the Scrapbook, by James Danziger, $250.