Liberty Hotel

For more than a century, the Liberty Hotel existed as a decidedly different entity—the Charles Street Jail, once home to the likes of Malcolm X and Sacco and Vanzetti. Visit today and you’ll still see cell bars embedded in the walls before you head off to drink on the side patio that was once the exercise yard. Some of the 298 rooms offer sumptuous river views, and many guests spend their time bouncing between the four different restaurants and bars. (Scampo is helmed by legendary Boston chef Lydia Shire.) During the summer months, the hotel hosts regular yoga classes and after-work events for both guests and locals, including fashion shows, cooking classes and a weekly “Yappy Hour” for dog owners.