The Liberty Hotel Boston is a former jail built in 1851. However, the building went through a renovation and reopened in 2007. The hotel is located on the historic Boston Common, near Freedom Trail, at the foot of Beacon Hill overlooking the Charles River. With its location and all its amenities, it is the perfect place for families or anyone to stay while taking in the sites around Boston.
The hotel also has event space, facilities, and an event planning staff for destination weddings and business meetings. This review will provide all the details needed to plan your stay.
Accommodation type: 4-star hotel
No. of Rooms & Suites: 288 standard rooms and 10 suites
Pricing: Starts from $191 for standard rooms and $505 for suites
High season: April through June, September, and October.
Nearest airport: Logan International Airport
Suitable for: Vacations, destination weddings, and business meetings.
Awards:
- Voted “2015 Best Hotel in Boston” by Best of Boston
- AAA Four Diamond
- Conde Nast Readers Choice Award
- Travel & Leisure 2012 World’s Best
- Forbes Recommended
- 2011 Fodor’s 100 Hotel Awards
Accommodation
The Charles Street Jail came into construction in 1851. Built from Quincy granite, its design is in the shape of a cross with four wings extending from a center, octagonal rotunda. The purpose of the wings was to separate prisoners by sex and the severity of their crimes. Meanwhile, the rotunda had a 90-foot-tall atrium. For ventilation and natural light, there were 30 arched 33′ high windows. The jail consisted of 220 granite 8′ x 10′ cells. It closed in 1990.
However, in 2007, the building was redesigned and opened as The Liberty Hotel. The rotunda and other areas of the jail remain in the redesigned structure. Thus, the Liberty Hotel Boston history is a beautiful juxtaposition between what it used to be and what it is today.
Facilities
The Liberty Hotel Boston has two restaurants, four bars with light fare, and in-room dining. This includes the famous Clink Restaurant Boston location.
- Clink – an American fare restaurant
- Scampo – an Italian restaurant
- Catwalk Bar
- Liberty Bar
- Alibi Bar
- The Yard Bar
Guests also have access to connecting rooms, multilingual staff, concierge service, safe deposit boxes, and a 24-hour butler service. The staff is always at their disposal. However, they also offer in-room massages, luggage storage, a hairdresser, boat rental, kayaks, a fitness center, laundry and dry cleaning service, for those planning a longer stay.
In addition, if you want to explore the city a bit, there are tour and excursion service, boat trips, limousine service, private helicopter rental, and bicycle rental. Boston is a beautiful location and there are plenty more to visit even beyond the Liberty Hotel restaurants. The location also holds floral service, billiards, airport check-in, and a business center with copying, faxing, and free Internet-based printing. There are golf courses, tennis courts, and beaches near the hotel.
For weddings and business meetings, the Liberty Hotel Boston has eight venues ranging from 415 square feet to the 3,000 square foot Liberty Ballroom. The ballroom can accommodate 200 guests for a formal dinner and 350 guests for a reception. The other venues can accommodate from ten to 120 guests. The event planning staff can help with all the planning and oversee every detail of the event including catering and activities for guests. So, a Liberty Hotel Boston wedding will get handled by the staff, who will take some of the burdens from guests.
Complimentary Activities
Included in the rooms at the Liberty Hotel Boston are a refrigerator, coffee maker, coffee and tea amenities, welcome drinks, mini bar, 55″ LED television, cable, in-room movies, and a daily national newspaper. In addition, they offer wake-up service, internet, Wi-Fi, in-room internet-based printing, and a safe. Cribs and pet beds are also available.
Travel Options
The Logan International Airport (BOS) is two miles from the hotel. In addition to car rentals, bus service, taxis, and the subway are available in the area.
Main Attractions around the Liberty Hotel
The Liberty Hotel Boston has compiled a list of things to do for its guests. On this list is Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walk covering 16 historical sites.
Fenway Park
When in Boston, be a Bostonian and see the Boston Red Sox play or at least visit Fenway Park.
Address: 4 Yawkey Way, Boston, Massachusetts
New England Aquarium Whale Watch
The New England Aquarium Whale Watch takes you to the Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary on a catamaran. There you can see dolphins and watch for a variety of whales. If no whales are spotted, you will receive a ticket for another cruise. So, your time will certainly be well worth it. The Whale Watch is open from March through November. Hours of operation are: Monday – Friday: 9 AM – 5 PM and Weekends: 9 AM – 6 PM
Address: 1 Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts
Fun and Unconventional Things to Do in Boston
Boston has a lot of historic sites but here is a list of fun and unconventional things to do in Boston. Also, there are rumors that the Liberty Hotel Boston is haunted by the ghosts of former inmates. So, going after the supernatural might be a fun activity for those passionate about the paranormal. Just like the Castle Hill Inn, it’s a place full of history that demands exploration.
Go to Harvard
Take a tour of the Harvard University campus. You will not receive a degree, but you can say that you went to Harvard. Although, superstition has it that if you touch the statue of John Harvard, you will attend the school some day. Check the calendar on the website for tour schedules.
Address: Smith Campus Center, 30 Dunster Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Tours of MIT are generally for prospective students and their families. However, the general public can contact the MIT Admissions Office to see if there is space available. Then, on the day of the tour, go to room 10-100 at the Admissions Office, and if space is still available, you can to join the tour after the information session is over.
Address: 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Final Words
The Liberty Hotel Boston offers a great location for sightseeing excursions around Boston, and it provides its guests with an extensive selection of amenities. So, whether you are planning a vacation, a destination wedding, or a business meeting, the Liberty Hotel Boston can provide everything you want during your stay. If you have any questions or have been to the hotel and would like to share your experience, please add your questions or comments.