New Boston Hotel - hope someone stays there and gives review
 

Renovated Charles Street Jail - from review today in Boston Globe seems like developers had a sense of humor. Slogan is "be captivated" and includes restaurant called Clink and bar called Alibi. Of course, really expensive - paper says $300-500 per night. But I almost want to go stay there just to see what it is like - although I live only 20 miles away.

it starts at over $300 a night. I'll miss my weekly trip watching the progression of the hotel as I headed to Filene'Basment. R.I.P.

We will be in Boston next week and I did look at this hotel to stay but I got a better deal at the Westin Waterfront for $100!
Is it true that about Filene's Basement closing?
That is so sad!

Filene's Basement is closing for about 2 years due to renovations.

I think I'll round up some peeps for drinks at the Liberty Hotel in the next few weeks. It looks gorgeous.

Gail... you refer to the "Renovated Charles Street Jail".
Is this the same as the Liberty Hotel?
I cannot find anything called the Charles Street Jail Hotel.

It is the Liberty. The globe Business section had photos with an update

Yes, it's the Liberty hotel. Guests are staying there now, although they haven't quite finished building it yet, and I understand that some of the guests have been a little annoyed by the construction noise.

I'm off to Boston in the next couple of weeks, so wondered when Filene's is closing?

Thanks!!

It's closed travelbuff. But there is another location on Boylston St that's decent.

Mentioning a "better deal" at Westin Waterfront. Is that meant to suggest that the Westin Waterfront is nearly as neat as the new place? Of does better deal really just mean "cheaper price"???

Hi Neo..
I had coupons from expedia which I used for the Westin, but I did see it for $129 for a 'special' rate, earlier in the month.
Cheaper price means better deal for me.
It was almost a $600 total savings for 2 nights..starwood member upgrade too.

OK. You and I are on a different wavelength. Sometimes I could stay in a Motel 6 for $29 or so which is cheaper, but I don't call that a better deal. To me a better deal, means JUST AS NICE a place but for less money.

I took into account that the Westin was built in 2006 and is a 4 star with the heavenly beds and they take a dog..it was discounted to a $100 a night and the Charles Street was $355 a night and a 3.5 star, but in a much better area.
Please excuse me if I am not making the clearest of sense, I am fighting Shingles, and I am on strong anti-viral and pain meds..
I guess we are on the same wavelength.
:)

Filenes Basement is now closed and due to reopen in 2 years - although there have been several Boston Globe business section articles speculating that it is gone forever - and they would seem to make logical and economic sense.

Not sure about one on Boylston Street, but the suburban "Filenes Basement"s are a completely different corporation than "the" Filene's Basement (I think I read original one, now closed, was the only one in its own company).

The suburban ones sometimes have bargains, but they are the same as any other chain store and not anything like the markdown ones found in the original.

website of hotel is libertyhotel.com Out of curiosity I checked rates - for dates this fall I could only find $500 rooms. But when I checked times such as mid-week in February, there were rooms for $275. Certainly not a bargain, but a little less.

I think I may settle for going in for a drink sometime - I always wanted to go inside the building but did not want to have to commit a crime to do so.

I haven't been inside the hotel, but I'll be interested to see how the developers have turned it into a modern hotel while supposedly preserving the historic feel of the jail. It was built in 1851, and is listed on the Federal and State registers of historic places. The list of inmates once incarcerated at the Charles Street Jail includes Sacco and Vanzetti, the Boston Strangler, Malcolm X and James Michael Curley. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to have one of their old rooms! Although apparently only 18 of the guest rooms are in the old guest building, and the rest of the 300 are in the new, adjacent 16-story tower.

In addition to Clink and Alibi (the hotel's existing restaurant and bar, respectively), there will be another restaurant opening in the hotel this fall. It will be called Scampo, and will be run by noted Boston restauranteur (restauranteuse?) Lydia Shire.

Hawksbill - it seems that they hired some skilled historic preservationists to help preserve critical aspects of the building. I definitely plan to go take a look.

Yeah, that's what they're saying. The developer hired preservation experts from Anna Beha architects and the Suffolk Constrution Company. I've always been interested in how they were allowed to hack off one end of the building to make room for the new MGH Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care, but I guess they left enough of the landmark for it to still be considered "preserved."

Aparently the cross-chaped design of the jail was originally supposed to bring in as much light and air as possible, which was thought in the mid-1800's to help the rehabilitation process. Could make for some nice commons spaces.

It was such a good Globe article,I sent it along to my MGH counterparts! We passed the jail every day, coming from our dorm on Charles St. to the hospital, years ago. Who would have thunk it, but I'd love to tour the hotel once in Boston!

I remember getting the creeps every time we walked by the Charles Street Jail when I was a kid. Its a very forboding looking building.

My brother tells the story of being a very punky 12yo and lobbing fresh eggs over the walls into the prison yard just to get the prisoners riled up. The (dare I say it?) "yolk" was on him though when 2 prison guards caught him, dragged him inside and called my dad to come and get him. Needless to say my dad (a police officer) was none too happy. I pretty sure he let him stew there for a few hours.