If someone offered you a night behind bars, you would almost certainly turn the offer down. However, various prisons around the world have been turned into stylish hotels, many of which have retained the prison theme. So, if you are looking to stay in a different kind of accommodation that will be a talking point for years to come, consider staying in one of the following hotels that used to be correctional facilities.
Staying in Touch with Friends in Prison in States Like Georgia
While it can be fun to stay in places that were once prisons, staying in an actual prison is of course the exact opposite. If you have a friend or family member in prison, he or she will undoubtedly find the experience very challenging. One of the worst things about being locked up is the feeling of being alone. So, if you have a loved one in prison, take the time to stay in touch with him or her. Your loved one will be able to make it through the days a lot easier when they regularly receive mail. To be able to contact your friend or family member, you need to find the inmate’s details and location. You can do that easily by using an online inmate search tool. For instance, you can search for and find the regional jail your loved one is staying at in Georgia by using the Georgia Inmate Search tool.
Malmaison Oxford, United Kingdom
In the English city of Oxford, you can stay at the hotel that was once Her Majesty’s Prison Oxford. It closed its doors as a functioning prison in 1996. The rooms have been converted from three adjoining cells, and the thick walls, low ceilings, iron doors, and barred windows are a constant reminder that this stylish hotel was once the home of hardened criminals.
Het Arresthuis, the Netherlands
Het Arresthuis is a hotel with a full-on prison theme. All of the rooms, which were once cells, are named after jailers and prison features, and the old prison yard now serves as an al fresco restaurant. The rooms are large and stylish, and there are also luxury suites available.
Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokka, Finland
Around 40% of all of Finland’s prisoners passed through this four-winged former prison and pre-trial detention center in Helsinki before it closed in 2002. The 106 rooms are sleek and minimalist in the Nordic tradition, and the towering red-bricked perimeter wall serves as a reminder that the Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokka was not always a destination for vacationers.
The Liberty Hotel, USA
The Charles Street Jail in Boston, USA, is most well-known for housing Malcolm X. Today, it is one of the most stylish hotels in the US. The octagonal rotunda was once used to segregate inmates by offense categories. Now, it serves as the lobby of the swanky and sophisticated Liberty Hotel. With large and elegant bedrooms, two restaurants, four bars, and even a nightclub, you will not forget your stay at The Liberty Hotel.
Alcatraz Hotel, Germany
Located in Kaiserslautern, Germany, the Alcatraz Hotel operated as a prison from 1867 to 2002. It contains fifty-six elegant rooms, some of which are former cells. Various original prison features remain, including inmate-built bed frames, iron doors, bars on the windows, and old prison toilets. Furthermore, the hotel also provides guests with striped inmate-like pajamas!
Four Seasons Sultanahmet, Turkey
While most other prisons-turned-hotels have retained some of the original features, if you stay at the Four Seasons Sultanahmet in Istanbul, you would not even know it used to be a prison if you had not been told. It is a truly luxurious hotel, with opulent decors, elegant rooms, breathtaking views, and landscaped gardens, making it a far cry from the accommodation prisoners once had to endure.
