The new Liberty Hotel — formerly the Charles Street Jail — celebrated its grand opening with a reception Sept. 5 that featured speeches from special guests and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Adjacent to the MGH Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care, the four-star hotel is the result of seven years of planning by Boston developer Richard L. Friedman. In 2000, the MGH selected Friedman’s firm Carpenter & Company, Inc. to redevelop the property based on a long-term ground lease.

Originally designed by architect Gridley James Fox Bryant, the jail was built in 1851 using Quincy granite. The structure is considered an excellent example of the Boston Granite Style of architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks. In operation until 1990, the jail housed such notable inmates as Sacco and Vanzetti, the Boston Strangler and Malcolm X. To transform the structure into a distinctive hotel while maintaining the jail’s unique character, Friedman enlisted the help of architectural firm Cambridge Seven Associates, preservation experts from Ann Beha Architects and the Suffolk Construction Company. Coming on the heels of the construction of the Yawkey Center and the recently rebuilt Charles/MGH Red Line MBTA stop, the Liberty Hotel is part of a significant revitalization of Charles Circle.

In addition to 298 guest rooms, the Liberty Hotel features meeting and event spaces, a ballroom and two dining venues: Clink, the hotel’s bar and restaurant, and Scampo, an Italian eatery led by Boston chef Lydia Shire slated to open this fall. A bar, Alibi, is located in original jail cells on the hotel’s ground level.

According to Partners HealthCare Chief Executive Officer James Mongan, MD, who spoke at the opening ceremony, the new Liberty Hotel contributes to Charles Circle’s new reputation as “a reborn part of Boston and truly represents a huge step forward for the city.”

The hotel currently is offering a 15 percent discount on the day’s best available rate for employees and patients of the MGH. For more information about the discount program, call (617) 224-4000.