Alexandra S.
Yelp
Anyone who knows me, understands my love for the Liberty Hotel in Boston. I have reviewed the hotel itself and its restaurants already. I realized yesterday that the Lobby Bar is a separate entity within the hotel and since my husband and I were there yesterday, I decided it deserved its own review.
My love of the Liberty Hotel itself comes from its gorgeous architecture. This building once housed a jail which was completed in 1851by architect Gridley James Fox (a highly respected architect in his time, and Reverend Louis Dwight who was a prominent Yale-educated penologist who had an interest in and advocacy for prison reform.
I remember when this place was still being used as a prison and recall walking past it seeing men looking out of barred windows at the pedestrians down below...it was always a sobering sight.
After the jail was closed due to poor conditions for the inmates, it was turned into this stunning hotel which advantageously and respectfully incorporates the 19th century granite style and many of the notable architectural features into the final design.
If you've not seen this building, it's worth taking a peek at the Liberty Hotel website to get a look.
When you first walk in you go up an escalator and the view that awaits you is simply grand with soaring ceilings and your first glimpses of the incredible architecture. At the top of the escalator you are now in a large and lovely lobby area and to your right is the Lobby Bar, open to the entire lobby. In the evening, the lobby and this bar are often hopping. The hotel hosts musical events, fashion shows and other kinds of celebratory events that the public can attend (usually for a fee). But during the afternoons and early evenings, the bar is for anyone wanting a drink. You can also get a bite to eat from the menu of one of the hotel restaurants located next to the bar.
Yesterday, my husband and I stopped in while we were in the city and spent a lovely hour talking to each other as well as with the charming bartender, Nick. It was a lovely respite for us. It was early enough that it wasn't crowded. To sit in the loveliness that is this particular hotel while enjoying a nicely made drink, is a simple pleasure. If you're in Boston, I do recommend staying at this hotel but regardless, do stop in for a look if not a nicely made cocktail at the Lobby Bar.