When Paul Roiff shows up in a neighborhood, potential developers, realtors, homebuyers and renters start to pay attention.
Roiff, a hotel developer and restauranteur known for Mistral, a French/Mediterranean bistro, Mooo Steak House, the 2000 renovation of the 1903 Beaux Arts building to create the luxury hotel XV Beacon and The Inn at St. Botolph, has his eyes set on East Boston’s waterfront.
According to a Letter of Intent filed with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Roiff’s Heath Management plans to develop a 150 room, loft -style hotel on Orleans Street near Eastie’s waterfront. The project, dubbed Loftel Boston, plans to renovate 175 Orleans St. into a six-story, modestly priced hotel.
The proposed project will breathe new life into a long-standing eyesore that has been vacant for years,” according to a letter of intent.
The price for a night stay at the hotel would average around $200 or under per night. The loft-style rooms would include amenities like small kitchens for extended stay guests.
According to his biography, Roiff is considered one of Boston’s most acclaimed real estate developers, and known for pursuing projects that the real estate “establishment” has often deemed too daring, Roiff possesses a drive and vision for urban architectural splendor that has led to the renaissance of some of Boston’s mosttreasured communities. Roiff, who has been working in the field of real estate since the age of 18, originally planned to pursue a career in music, but found himself being drawn towards a love for urban architecture. “Throughout his career, Roiff, who earned a baccalaureate and MBA from Boston University, and a JD degree from Suffolk Law School, has worked on the acquisition and renovation of Boston real estate in such diverse areas as historic rehabilitation, mill restorations, HUD projects, , the development of hundreds of residential lofts in Boston’s Leather district and the development of a luxury 28-acre beachfront cabana club in Florida,”reads his bio.
In 1997, together with partners Jamie Mammano and Seth Greenberg, Roiff built and became a co-owner of Mistral, aFrench/Mediterranean bistro located in one of his most successful developments, Boston’s Albert A.Pope Building. Quickly after the opening, Mistral was named one of the “Top 25 New Restaurants in America” by Esquire Magazine, “Sexiest Bar” by Food & Wine, and earned four “Best of Boston” awards from Boston Magazine.
His first foray into the luxury hotel world, Roiff renovated a 1903 Beaux Arts building to create XV Beacon in January of 2000. In developing the hotel, Roiff adhered to the vision of a classic and elegant environment combined with modern style that would provide an unforgettable service experience for travelers, as well as a culinary destination, The Federalist, with an atmosphere reminiscent of the world’s most prestigious privateclubs. Roiff followed up the success of Mistral and The Federalist, which is now Mooo with two other restaurants, Teatro in January 2003 and Sorellina in January 2006, which he owns in conjunction with Jamie and The Columbus Hospitality Group. The latest two additions to CHG is L’Andana in Burlington, MA which focuses on Tuscan Wood-Grilled cuisine and The Inn at St. Botolph, a limited service boutique hotel & the sister property of XV Beacon. Serving as president of Heath Properties, a real estate development and finance
company, Roiff has also served on the board of directors of a professional software company, and as a director
of Capitol Bancorp in Boston.