I love interesting hotels but spending the night in a jail was never on my ‘must do’ list. But when the 19th century Charles Street Jail was turned into The Liberty Hotel it became hard to say no to doing hard time.
The jail was designated historical so there were some restrictions when the developers began the conversion. Rather than try to change the hotel, they fully embraced the building’s history. Jail cell doors and entries still line the walls, the catwalk where guards looked down on inmates remains a key feature in the lobby and other prison features play key roles in the hotels amenities.
The CLINK restaurant features the vestiges of original jail cells and offers an affordable dining experience for visitors. The cell doors provide an opening to the kitchen and to ‘isolation’ dining areas for larger groups.
The ALIBI, one of the hotel bars, is set in the jail’s original ‘drunk tank’.
The Yard, a private courtyard that once served as the inmates exercise area offers an outdoor entertainment venue. The furniture, functional and cool during the day, offers up a surprise at night – it is illuminated internally.
The Catwalk is a guest-only area that encircles the lobby rotunda and once served as the original catwalk that guards used to keep an eye on the inmates.
Even the ‘do not disturb’ door signs reflect the hotel’s history and simply state ‘Solitary’ with a lone key attached.
Centrally located, just across the street from the Charles MGH subway station, the hotel offers easy access to just about any part of the city.
The Liberty
215 Charles Street
Boston, Massachusetts
United States
02114
