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We were set to be in Cape Cod for a friend’s birthday party and arrived the night before in Boston. This gave us the opportunity to stay at one of our favorite hotels: The Liberty, A Luxury Collection Hotel. This hotel converted a former jail (built in 1851) in the Beacon Hill neighborhood into a fantastic luxury hotel. We arrived late after a flight delay and diversion. The hotel did a great job getting us some in-room dining even though it was close to 1:00 AM.
Anthony’s Take: The Liberty has a great location and is easily walkable to most of Boston’s tourist attractions. They did an incredible job converting this former jail and there are fun nods to its former use throughout the property. The rooms are spacious and luxe, service is mostly good, and it’s a unique place to stay while in Boston.
Booking
The room was booked on a Member Rate Flexible for $565. If you’re looking to redeem Marriott Bonvoy® points here, redemptions cost between 53,000 and 80,000 points per night.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We rented a car and drove to the hotel. It’s only 6.6 miles but traffic was terrible. The map above says 31 minutes, but it took us more like 45 minutes to get to the hotel.
Location
The hotel is located in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. There are several stores, restaurants, and a Starbucks nearby. Boston Common and Faneuil Hall are within walking distance. It’s also not far from some of the best cannoli anywhere at Mike’s Pastry in North End. Get some Florentine Cannoli. Trust me. They are amazing.
Check-in
When I arrived, a little before 1:00 AM, there was no line. The agent was hard to hear since the lobby becomes a club at night. He quickly got me keys, but I had to push on benefits. I opted for the breakfast as a Marriott Bonvoy® Titanium Elite (I could have also chosen 1,000 points). There is a $25 amenity fee here, but it was not explained. I know from previous visits that it includes a glass of sparkling wine at check-in. This was not offered. Since it was so late we just wanted to get to our room. The hotel was sold out, so there were no upgrades. I also was not asked about late checkout, but I did not need it.
Amenity Fee
The daily amenity fee is $25 plus tax. It’s mostly a junk fee, but does include the free sparkling wine and coffee in the morning.
Grand Deluxe, Guest Room, 1 King, City View Upper Floor (1203)
There are 298 rooms and suites at the hotel.
The bathroom is to the right as soon as you enter the room.
There is a bathtub, glass shower, toilet, vanity, and an additional shelf near the vanity.
The tub is deep, but we were not there long enough to use it.
The shower was spacious enough for one and the water pressure was good.
There are large bottled dispensers for toiletries in the shower.
The toilet has enough space around it to be comfortable.
Toiletries were Molton Brown brand.
There were some additional items on the shelf opposite the toilet.
A robe was hanging near the shower.
A closet was located next to the bathroom. There was an iron, ironing board, and luggage rack in here.
A large desk and some furniture that can hold luggage were located a bit further into the room.
I loved the cool pictures hung above this area.
An arm chair is next to the desk. The throw pillow was designed to look like tick marks on a cell wall.
A king-sized bed and nightstands were across from the desk.
A minibar is located in the corner of the room. There is some space in the refrigerator for personal items. Glassware, an ice bucket, and some drinks were for sale here.
The nightstand looked like a vault.
The safe was located inside.
I love the little details at The Liberty. The do not disturb signs are tied to giant keys.
The hallways are rather nondescript for such a cool building.
The elevator lobbies have a New England feel, but I think they could have brought more of the jail theme here.
Public Areas & Amenities
When you enter the hotel, you go up a level via escalator. Once up, you’ll be in a huge, open atrium. At night, it’s a club complete with a DJ.
This open lobby is gorgeous and you can picture how this was once a cell block.
A bar fills an entire wall of the lobby (near the restaurant).
The bar is open all day and night for cocktails.
There is also quite a bit of seating throughout the lobby.
The individual cells in the hall next to the lobby are one of my favorite decorative elements.
A coffee bar was set up in the morning with complimentary (well, it’s part of the amenity fee) coffee and tea.
There is an ATM located behind the check-in desk (and near the elevators).
A small fitness center is located down the hall from the front desk.
It’s a small space (it says max five people inside). Several people were working out, so I did not take a photo. (Here is a photo from the Haynes Group.)
Vouchers provided at check-in were used for free breakfast in the restaurant.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in CLINK. restaurant. As mentioned, Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador Elite members can select breakfast as a welcome amenity (this normally ranges between $19 and $28 plus tax per person). The meal, tax, and gratuity are included.
As part of the amenity, you can choose any entree plus coffee and juice.
The cell motif carries through the restaurant.
I had The Beacon Hill Smoked Salmon. The salmon was fresh and the bagel was nicely toasted.
My husband made his own Suffolk County Omelette. He said it was well prepared and the ingredients tasted fresh.
Dining
As mentioned, we arrived at the hotel very late. In-room dining is offered on weekends until 1:00 AM. We placed an order over the phone and it was in our room when we arrived.
We shared the Hand Rolled Pork & Ginger Dumplings. These were decent, but overpriced.
My husband had The Liberty Burger & Fries. It was prepared as ordered and tasty.
I went a little healthier and had the Vegetable & Grain Burger. It was well spiced and I love sweet potato fries (you can choose those or thin-cut French fries.
Overall Impression: The Liberty, A Luxury Collection Hotel has long been a favorite in Boston. It’s just such a cool space. It’s a little loud in the lobby at night, but that is part of the fun. The breakfast for elite members is nice. The service needs a little refinement as the front desk agent that checked me in was barely going through the motions. We’ll definitely be back next time we’re in Boston.
Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: When I’m staying at a Marriott hotel, I want to maximize my points earned. My card of choice is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. With it, I earn six Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. It also includes up to $300 statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month ) for dining in restaurants worldwide. Plus, a free night award every year after my card renewal month that I can redeem at any Marriott hotel with a redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points. Learn more. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please visit here. Terms apply.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
(Featured Image Photo Credit: Marriott.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
