# From Prison to Luxury Retreat Boston Jail Reborn as Liberty Hotel By Ben Preiss | Published 2007-11-08 | World Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/boston-jail-luxury-liberty-hotel References: [nytimes](http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Jail-Hotel.html) & [abcnews.go](http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=3833008) The infamous 156 year old Charles St Jail where you could stay for free, if you dared, for merely breaking the law has been transformed into the Liberty Hotel after a five year, $150 million renovation. Now, guests pay from $319 a night for the lowest-priced room to $5,500 for the [presidential suite](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kat-florence-hotel). "The elegant iron-railing balconies were once catwalks where guards stood watch over the inmates to make sure they didn't try to break out. If you look closely, you can still see the outline of the holes from the iron bars on the windows. At the newly opened Liberty Hotel, it's hard to escape what this building once was: a decrepit jail where Boston locked up its most notorious prisoners. But that's just the point.The hotel, at the foot of Boston's stately Beacon Hill neighborhood, opened in September. Architects took pains to preserve many features of the 156-year-old stone building and its history. The old sally port, where guards once brought prisoners from paddy wagons to their cells, is being converted into the entrance to a new restaurant, Scampo, which is Italian for ''escape.'' In another restaurant, named Clink, diners can look through original bars from cell doors and windows as they order smoked lobster bisque or citrus poached prawns from waiters and waitresses wearing shirts with prison numbers. The hotel bar, Alibi, is built in the jail's former drunk tank." **Implications** - The concept of [escape and vacation](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/escape-packages) will never fade; however, it will alter. Today's consumer is much more difficult to impress than before, and thus, [tourist attractions and hotels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-mining-exchange-hotel) are bearing much less conventional style. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.4/10 - Popularity: 64% | Activity: 90% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [World](https://www.trendhunter.com/world) > [Hip Hotels](https://www.trendhunter.com/hiphotels) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Redefined Tourism Experiences:** The transformation of the Charles St Jail into the luxury Liberty Hotel showcases the demand for unique and unconventional tourism experiences. - **Historic Preservation:** Preserving the historical features of the 156-year-old jail demonstrates the growing interest in maintaining and repurposing historic buildings for modern purposes. - **Themed Hospitality:** The themed restaurants within the Liberty Hotel, such as Scampo and Clink, highlight the appeal of immersive and experiential dining experiences. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Hospitality:** The hospitality industry can explore the potential of repurposing historic buildings to create unique and memorable hotel experiences. - **Tourism:** The tourism industry can capitalize on the demand for unconventional attractions and experiences by reimagining well-known landmarks. - **Culinary:** The culinary industry can innovate by creating themed dining experiences that offer customers a unique and immersive atmosphere. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Thriller Novel Hotel Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tempo-by-hilton-times-square.md) - [Brutalist Hotel Transformation](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fairmont-golden-prague.md) - [17th-Century Converted Hotels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/locke-de-santa-joana.md) - [Exotically Refurbished Hotels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pelican-hotel.md) - [Historic Cocktail Bar Renovations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/library-bar.md) - [Sleep-Focused Hotel Offerings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/equinox-sleep-lab.md) - [Prison-Converted Affordable Houses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cookfox-architects.md) - [Affordably Decorated Getaways](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/house-of-homegoods.md) - [Nautical Themed Hotel Suites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sea-containers.md)