The Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) announced new cultural activities and hospitality partners have been added to its “Live Boston Classroom” initiative.
“Live Boston Classroom” is aimed at attracting families to adventures in the city, including overnight stays at one of a dozen area hotels providing promotional rates, and opportunities for socially distanced activities. The program runs throughout Summer 2021.
Among the new additions:
Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street’s “Local Escape Package,” featuring an overnight accommodation with 10 percent of the room revenue donated to Boston charities providing COVID-19 relief support, valet parking, a locally-sourced custom amenity, a complimentary visit from the hotel’s “Cocktail Cart,” and a free guide on how to craft the hotel’s signature cocktail, the “Bostonia Bramble.”
Fenway Park Tours — Fully guided walking tours through the legendary baseball stadium are available at 20 percent off the regular tour rate when booked online using the code “livebostonclassroom.”
City Brew Tours — Whether preparing for the family getaway or celebrating the return home, adults can enjoy a live, online beer-making class with a Homebrew Kit that includes high-quality reusable equipment and a code for one of City Brew’s online classes. Get 5 percent off using promo code BOSTONBREWS.
Loews Boston Hotel’s “Eat. Drink. Our Treat. Package,” featuring a $25 nightly food and beverage credit toward hotel offerings of meals, snacks or beverages, with a chance to earn up to $175 in credits depending on length of stay.
In the wake of newly announced reopening guidelines for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, GBCVB President and CEO Martha J. Sheridan hopes “Live Boston Classroom” provides a new way to help cultural organizations with their recovery by offering a chance for new eyes on their content.
Some of Boston’s best and newest hotels are offering promotional packages for “Live Boston Classroom,” and all are fully equipped to support remote working or learning for guests. History and culture organizations across the city are making special events available in person, and on-line for in-room and end-of-day entertainment. The GBCVB will add more hotel packages and cultural events to the roster in the coming weeks.
GBCVB President Sheridan says she hopes the program encourages new learning about the city, and helps new narratives emerge during a time of renewal and recovery for Boston, and its brand, coming out of the pandemic.
“We can all relate to the need for outside-the-house adventures right now, and the need to reconnect with the things that make Boston great,” Sheridan says. “People are encouraged by the revised safety protocols, loosened restrictions, warmer weather, availability of COVID vaccines, and the sense of fun that comes with long spring weekends, and summer vacations. ‘Live Boston Classroom’ gives us a chance to rediscover and revisit the amazing city we love, while re-energizing our batteries for work and learning.”
Previous hospitality offers include:
YOTEL’s “School in the Seaport” Program, featuring a Premium Queen Cabin room (with a bunk for the kids), free passes to visit the nearby Boston Children’s Museum, a YO2D2 plush toy, milk and cookies, a food-and-beverage credit in the property’s two eateries, and 50 percent off valet parking.
Boston Park Plaza’s “Digital Nomad Family Package,” featuring a suite and connecting guestroom that ensures plenty of space for the family to spread out and get connected, plus a food-and-beverage credit for Off the Common, and an author-signed copy of the book “Secret Boston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure” by Kim Foley MacKinnon
Boston Marriott Copley Place’s “Work & Learn Anywhere Stay Pass” promotion, featuring hotels rooms with dedicated workspaces, enhanced wi-fi, daily credits for the A la Carte to-go food service and more.
“Live Boston Classroom Package” at Kimpton Marlowe Hotel includes a stay at one of the property’s newly renovated Studio Suites, complimentary bikes and kayaks to explore by land or sea, complimentary yoga mats and on-demand yoga classes, and free overnight parking.
“Kidventures at the Boston Harbor Hotel” package includes free parking, in-room American Breakfasts for four, a family pack of four tickets to New England Aquarium or the Boston Children’s Museum (available Wednesday-Sun), and a special “decorate your own cupcake” kit upon arrival.
Museums, now fully open with reduced capacities in Boston, as well as tour providers, community education groups and arts organizations are providing in-person and virtual content for the “Live Boston Classroom” program. Guests can take advantage of in-person activities during regular daytime hours, and online opportunities in their rooms after a full day of exploring, or later, at home. In addition to those bundled with hotel packages, some of the in-person cultural opportunities include:
Live Like a Local Tours — Boston native Collin Knight offers curious visitors a chance to explore the food, drink and culture of Boston’s historically significant and diverse neighborhoods just off the beaten path, including Roxbury Jamaica Plain, Dorchester. Get a 5-percent discount using code “LLALCLASS5” when booked at livelikealocaltoursboston.com
Boston By Foot Tours — Five of Boston By Foot’s acclaimed architectural and historical walking tours through Boston are available ata discount rates for Live Boston Classroom guests when booked at bostonbyfoot.org/live-boston-classroom
Urban Adventure Quests — Groups up to five get 20 percent off Boston Freedom Trail or Boston Harbor scavenger-hunt adventures that turn Boston into a giant game board. With play available on any smartphone, teams make their way among well-known and overlooked city gems, solving clues and completing challenges while learning local history. Visit urbanadventurequest.com and click on the Freedom Trail or Boston Harbor links. Use promo code BOSTONDEALS when booking.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — The iconic museum offers a $2 discount off in-person visits after taking a virtual museum tour. Details available at gardnermuseum.org/visit/group-tours.
Virtual activities available through the “Live Boston Classroom” website include:
Museum of Science’s “Ask A Scientist” — Daily livestreams on the Museum’s Facebook page offers a chance to hear, learn and ask about a wide variety of science topics. Recent conversations have included experts on dinosaurs, lightning, Mars explorations, and lots more.
Cambridge Center for Adult Education — Spring time means a new semester of fun activities with CCAE, including a variety of cooking and food-focused online events. Serious young chefs and their parents can take classes that range from eight weeks of French cuisine, to one-time instructions on muffins and smoothies, flatbread pizzas, and more.
For all offers during “Live Boston Classroom,” visit the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.bostonusa.com/livebostonclassroom/.