BACKSTORY:
Located in a
19
th-century jail
that housed prisoners as
recently as 1990, The Liberty does
not shy away from its roots. One
restaurant, Scampo, features barred
windows, and the building’s imposing
rotunda-cum-lobby looks much as it
did when the guests didn’t arrive so
willingly. Oh, and the privacy sign for
rooms reads, yep, “Solitary.”
DESIGN NOTES:
The prison conceit veers
between the burlesque and the inspired.
The original catwalks surrounding the
lobby are lined with oversize windows,
allowing for spectacular views of the
Charles River, while the reception desk is
decorated with granite panels that evoke
the outer walls. Furnishings, for the
most part, aim for swish simplicity.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND JUST OUTSIDE:
The tree-lined pathways of the Charles
River Esplanade on one side, historic
Beacon Hill on another. A short stroll
up too-quaint-to-be-true Charles Street
leads to the impeccably manicured
Boston Public Garden and the high-end
shopping of Newbury Street.
UNEXPECTED TREAT:
At the DIY
bloody mary bar, a bartender gives you
ice and vodka before inviting you to
choose from three types of juice, five
types of salt (including bacon-flavored)
and myriad hot sauces and fixings like
jalapeño, shrimp and capers. Daily
special events, such as in-house fashion
shows, are another nice touch.
The Liberty
Hotel
CONSERVATORIUM
BOSTON
AMSTERDAM
WHAT’S NEW:
The hotel itself. Opened in December 2011 in a renovated
19
th-century bank (later a music conservatory), this is Amsterdam’s
youngest boutique hotel and a highlight of the city’s cultural revival.
IDEAL GUEST:
Laid-back, cultured locals with the leggy swagger of Italian
socialites. Big, bold sunglasses are a must for lounging in the atrium.
DESIGN NOTES:
Milan’s Piero Lissoni has combined contemporary
features (straight lines, open spaces) with traditional Dutch touches.
The result? Del ware, clogs and milk jugs provide a playful counter-
point to restrained modern luxury.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND JUST OUTSIDE:
The grand cultural repositories of
Museumplein, including the Van Gogh Museum, and the equally grand
retail outlets of P.C. Hoo straat and Van Baerlestraat.
ROOMWITH A VIEW:
Beyond its 1928 Steinway baby grand piano,
the aptly named Concerto Suite looks out on the magnificent neo-
Renaissance Stedelijk Museum.
HOT PLATE:
Amuse your
bouche
with chef Schilo van Coevorden’s
coffee-sprinkled lobster cappuccino, a rare constant amid his ever-
evolving contemporary Dutch menus.
DISPATCHES
||
STAY
52
DECEMBER 2012
•
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
DENISE KELLS (CONSERVATORIUM); MICHAEL WESCHLER (LIBERTY)
