Check in to a prison cell you will never want to escape from

The striking stone frontage of the Liberty Hotel is welcoming, but in its former life, not so much. This site was the Charles Street Jail, built in 1851 in what was known as "Boston granite style" - AKA intimidating. It was groundbreaking at the time with an octagonal central building and wings that ensured that the inside was filled with light. Famous inmates included the Boston Strangler Albert DeSalvo, James "Whitey" Bulger, Henry David Thoreau and Malcolm X.

In 1973 conditions inside the jail had deteriorated and prisoners revolted, but it took until 1990 for the last prisoners to be moved to a new jail. Fortunately, the new owners wanted the building renovated and reused, and the Liberty Hotel opened its "cell" doors in 2007.

The hotel is located in leafy Beacon Hill, close to the Charles River and next to the Longfellow Bridge which takes you over to Cambridge. The Charles/MGH subway station is metres from the hotel, giving easy access to the metro service. Stroll along the Charles River Esplanade to see Bostonians at play, jogging, biking or sailing, or head out to take in Boston's array of museums, attractions, harbour islands and parks.

The entry into the hotel - up an escalator into a soaring 27 metre-high atrium - will stop you in your tracks. The spacious lobby area with its glorious stone wings houses the reception desk along with Clink, the main restaurant, which features some of the original cell doors.

The old jail yard has been transformed into a lovely outdoor space and houses fun activities like neighbourhood "yappy hour" for locals with dogs, yoga and in winter, curling, with guests able to learn how to do this from a "curling concierge".

The 298 rooms and suites are the opposite of a stark, cold cell, with the most modern of touches. They do feature a nod to the past, with old cell door locks and keys in various art forms as well as photos of the jail. I am in a Deluxe Guest Room and love the view out over the yard and the Charles River, where I spot jaunty, red-sailed boats racing from my window. The amenities are Molton and Brown, the minibar is well stocked and the room strikes the perfect balance of heritage and luxury.

Venture into the cobblestone streets of old colonial Boston, spot squirrels in Boston Common - founded in 1634, the oldest public park in the USA. Get your walking shoes on for a guided walk on the Freedom Trail visiting 11 of the 16 historic sites including the Granary Burying Ground where several of the signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried along with Paul Revere. And in the US's 250th anniversary year, learn where the push for independence started at the Boston Tea Party Museum.

The big reveal as you come up the escalator into the atrium. It is jaw dropping.

The writer was a guest of the hotel