people in the public areas of such a grand hotel but stay, like Willy, at somewhere like the 'Standish Arms'. Although many "haunting" books and "ghost tours" claim that Stephen King's 1999 short story 1408—about a writer who experiences a haunted stay at a New York hotel called the Dolphin—was based on Room 303 of the Parker House and the supernatural events surrounding the room, King's personal assistant says that claim is false. In March 1877, humorist Mark Twain was staying at the Parker House in room 168. A reporter from the Boston Globe entered Twain's room, shuttled in by a porter. After a pause of several moments, Twain swiveled around in his large easy chair and faced his visitor. With a local newspaper in hand and puffing on a large cigar, Twain observed to the reporter, "You see for yourself that I'm pretty near heaven—not theologically, of course, but by the hotel standard." Twain's quote inspired the title for the definitive history of the Parker House, Heaven, By Hotel Standards, written by Susan Wilson and most recently published in 2019. In Donna Tartt's 1992 novel The Secret History, the characters stayed at the Parker House, mentioning it was where Dickens had stayed. In Anita Diamant's 2004 novel, The Boston Girl, the main character experiences a bad date at the Parker House. The 2011 Grammy award-winning Parker Quartet, both founded and currently based in Boston, is named after the hotel. See also Harvey D. Parker (1805–1884), founder of the Parker House References External links Official Web site Secrets of Beantown, from Auddissey Guides Hotel buildings completed in 1855 Hotel buildings completed in 1927 Hotels established in 1855 Hotels in Boston Landmarks in Financial District, Boston Restaurants in Boston 1855 establishments in Massachusetts Historic Hotels of America