FREEDOM IS AN OLD JAIL

The Liberty in Boston occupies the old Charles Street jail — whose former inmates include Malcolm X, suffragists arrested during protests in 1919 and the crews from two German U-boats captured in WW2. Now it’s a boutique hotel, which has kept the building’s original rotunda — so guests can look down into the atrium, much like jailbirds would have done years ago. In fact, the space is full of playful nods to its past, but, says the hotel, “These days the doors lock from the inside only. But with rooms this luxurious, we can’t guarantee you’ll ever want to leave.”

● libertyhotel.com