12. Liberty Hotel - Boston, USA
Most people will do pretty much anything they possibly can to avoid jails...unless of course the jail is charging $500 a night to get in, in which case full steam ahead. Built in 1851, the Liberty Hotel began life as a prison, representing the finest in Boston Granite Style. After over 120 years, prisoners began to revolt because of awful living conditions, and it was closed in 1973. But one man's violation of constitutional rights is another man's treasure, and it was turned into a luxury hotel. What's really interesting about Liberty Hotel is that while it has received some serious updating, they've left many aspects of the interior architecture that make its former life only too obvious. Located in lovely Beacon Hill, it's the perfect example of the merits of recycling historic buildings to meet the needs of the current population, rather than tearing things down and putting up bog standard Marriotts.