(Check out our complete collection of 70+ Amazing Theme, Castle, Jail and Art Hotels.)
A prison is probably the last place on Earth most of us would want to spend the night, right? Well, for some of these converted prison hotels that still holds true: in Latvia, for example, ‘guests’ who pay to stay at a former KGB jail complex are subjected to humiliation and emotional torture. In other cases, however, notoriously terrifying prisons have since become luxurious 4-star hotels where you can cozily enjoy a stay in a former prison library or even the director’s office! Here are 5 examples from around the world that range from luxurious to downright frightening - then check out some of the world’s smallest and coolest hotel rooms.
Boston, Massachusetts: The infamous Charles Street Jail was originally a model prison in the 1800s that fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s. Prone to riots and subject to physical decay, it was officially condemned to closer decades before it finally shut its doors (as a prison) in the 1990s. Now, however, it has reopened its doors as an amazingly luxurious four-star jail hotel that has former inmates shocked, impressed and perhaps a bit jealous.
Mt. Gambier, Australia: The Mount Gambier Jail experience is anything but luxurious. In fact, this place markets its rooms as budget accommodations for cheapskates and backpackers. Very little has been done to renovate the rooms here which are heavy, rusted and bolted just like they were when the jail was originally in use - the entire experience is rather Spartan. Still, the hotel has some local flavor and features some interesting odds and ends and regularly-scheduled events from a monthly jam sessions to a local produce market.
Luzern, Switzerland: A prison from the middle of the 19th century until just a decade ago, this jail hotel goes beyond simply renting out former prison cells as overnight rooms. For an extra price, visitors can stay in the former library or the director’s office, both of which have been turned into luxury suites. Every part of the prison has been put to some new and creative use without compromising the essence of the original layout (or the prison contents for that matter - the library is still full of old prison books for you to peruse on your stay!).
Liepaja, Latvia: This is one prison hotel where there is no messing around. The hotel brags that it is “unfriendly, unheated, uncomfortable and open all year round.” This former brutal KGB jail has no bells and whistles - just everything it had when it was a fully-functioning detention and torture center, barbed wire included. You are treated like an actual prisoner throughout, complete with threats and warning gunfire and crying fellow inmates. Sounds like a great time, eh?
Oxford, England: The core of Oxford Castle is nearly 1,000 years old but most of its structures (old and new) were converted into a prison in the 1800s. Today, the Malmaison Hotel complex has overnight rooms, apartments, restaurants and bars. Much of the prison infrastructure is still legible to visitors and overnight guests though everything has been upgraded, remodeled and refurbished for guests.
If you are new to WebUrbanist, click here to sign up for the RSS feed and take a look through our archives and urban galleries. Also be sure visit our green twin the wonderful WebEcoist and and see architecture, interiors, fantastic furniture and more designs at Dornob.
Great Related WebUrbanist Articles:
8 Remarkable Palace, Fort and Castle Hotels
Imagine curling up in front of an 800 year old fireplace where a king once rested (or was arrested!).
7 Abandoned Cities and Towns of the World
Check out these urban abandonments of the post-modern world.
6 Amazing Underwater Hotels from Around the World
From the United States to the United Arab Emirates, from Sweden to the South Pacific, here are six hotels that are perfectly designed for the nautically inclined.
27 Comments
March 24th, 2008 at 10:10 am
What about the Four Seasons in Istanbul that was once the prison from Midnight Express fame??
huh huh huh?
:)
March 24th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
What about the Ottawa Jail? Currently a hostel, used to be a jail!
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/h.....004.en.htm
March 24th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
What about the Hostel Celica in Ljubljana? You can rent your own cell for cheap. Very cool place to stay.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Don’t forget “The Slammer” in Aledo, IL. It is a nice B&B that was the Mercer County jail. Rooms are definitely more hotel than prison, but they keep enough of the architecture that you know it was once a prison.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
You have missed the Lloyd hotel, Amsterdam. It’s unorthodox, but fancy. X
March 24th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Oh man, that Latvian jail is taking it way too far. Honey, it’ll be great - they’ll even pretend to shoot at us. Think I’d have a hard time selling that one to the wife.
March 24th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
The Ottawa Gaol is a famous hangout Hostel spot for young starving animators during the Ottawa Animation Festival. I’ve stayed their twice, it’s pretty creepy!
http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/.....ail-Hostel
March 25th, 2008 at 2:18 am
One in Helsinki, Finland: http://www.bwkatajanokka.fi/In.....atajanokka
March 25th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Thank you for sharing
March 25th, 2008 at 10:27 am
SO COOL! i can imagine the Drake in Chicago transformed into this, :)
uniquechicago.blogspot.com
March 25th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
But why pay to stay in a refurbished slammer, when you can get the experience for free?
Well… apart from that bail-bond fee…
;-)
March 26th, 2008 at 3:48 am
They are good buildings for guilties
March 30th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Oh Andy, Where’s Mayberry?
~ Otis Campbell, Town Drunk
April 7th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Stockholm, Sweden. Last prisoner was discharged in 1975
http://www.langholmen.com/indexEn.html
May 11th, 2008 at 6:23 am
Ex-prison in Ljubljana, Slovenija, Hostel Celica (Hostel Cell):
http://www.souhostel.com/
May 12th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
yep… the Liepaja is quite mind-messer… Our boss had a “wonderful idea” to take us there… thanks god we spent there just 4h.. because the guards really take it seriously. like in first 5 minutes they totally brake your mental state, and you start to believe that you are in real trouble. I cant imagine how tough is to stay there for 24h…
May 21st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I’ve stayed in the Malmaison Oxford and it was an amazing experience. The room we stayed in was three old prison cells, two for the bedroom and one for the bathroom. The door was the original prison door that was there when this was still HMP Oxford.
Bit of trivia: The prison scenes from “The Italian Job” (the original, not the ridiculous remake) were filmed there.
June 4th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Love the oxford prison! Stayed there with my partner and was blown away by the old with new.
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 am
ohhhh… paying for stay in prison..?
October 24th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Best Western Hotel Katajanokka in Helsinki Finland is a prison converted to a hotel. The first prison was built in the Katajanokka area in 1749. More buildings later. The prison was closed in 2002 and converted to hotel 2006-2007.
http://www.bwkatajanokka.fi/
http://www.bwkatajanokka.fi/In.....atajanokka says:
“Historical Katajanokka prison is reborn as a luxury hotel for business and leisure travelers. Hotel Katajanokka is architecturally unique and surrounded by a beautiful park. It has 106 rooms as well as restaurant services, conference facilities, and an idyllic summer terrace.”
Trackbacks
What do you think? Leave a comment!