Are you planning to stay in a prison on your next holiday? Probably not, but you might just change your mind when you see these ones. Here are 5 awesome places to stay which started their lives as simple jails…
Malmaison was one of the first to convert a prison into a hotel, opening in Oxford’s Castle Quarter in the UK. The once bare cells have been transformed into super luxurious accommodation, and each room is full of details which will you make you feel right at home. There are still traces of the space’s prison past, which you can find in features like the exposed brick walls and heavy iron doors.
The Celica Hostel in Ljubljana used to be a military prison built by the Austro-Hungarian army, but is now a colourful youth hostel after 20 cells were turned into unique rooms designed by a group of local and foreign artists. They’ve kept some authenticity by leaving the original doors and windows, but otherwise the hostel is modern and comfortable.
The Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam has been many things in its life, starting as a place for emigrants to stay before departure from the nearby quay, before being used as a refugee centre, detention centre, juvenile detention centre and even as artists’ studios. Nowadays, everyone staying in the hotel does so at their own will, and guests can choose between rooms ranging from 1 to 5 stars, and all rooms are unique in their size and decor.
The Liberty Hotel is a must-visit if you find yourself in Boston. What was once the Charles Street Jail has been lovingly transformed into a very luxurious city hotel. The foyer in particular still looks a lot like the original structure, albeit a very swanky version of its former self, while the rooms now have panoramic windows rather than the tiny original ones.
The Four Seasons in Istanbul is the one for you if you’re after true luxury, however. This was once a neoclassical Turkish prison which housed mostly intellectual dissidents, but now serves as a temporary home for rich holidaymakers. With only 65 rooms, it’s luxurious and beautiful, also boasting spectacular views from its roof terrace.
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