Incredible transformation: 16 prisons that have been converted into luxury hotels

As the number of crimes gradually decreases, people around the world are beginning to realize that abandoned old prisons can be used much more efficiently, placing there not prisoners but tourists. Some institutions have been so transformed that they can not be recognized, while other prisons retain elements of original aesthetics. Here are some of the most popular hotels that were formerly prisons.

Alcatraz Hotel - Kaiserslautern, Germany

This hotel, located in Germany, was a prison from 1857 to 2002, after which it was re-equipped, and now it includes 56 guest rooms. You can choose whether you want to stay in a fully restored room or in a room-chamber, in which grills are stored on the windows, shared toilets. Also, you will be served a traditional prison breakfast: pumpernickel with jam.

Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokka - Helsinki, Finland

This hotel was formerly a county prison in which prisoners were awaiting trial. They say that here was Risto Riti, the fifth president of Finland. Today, there are original brick walls, on which you can see the real inscriptions left by the prisoners.

Four Seasons Sultanahmet - Istanbul, Turkey

When you see this hotel, you can hardly say that in 1918 he was a prison, until you have a closer look at all the details. The old wooden doors leading to the lobby have been preserved since the time of the prison, and the inscriptions on the marble pillar listing prisoners from 1938 have also been preserved since the time the hotel was a prison.

Het Arresthuis Hotel - Roermond, Netherlands

When this prison was opened in 1862, she became famous as one of the most fearsome prisons in the country. But now 105 prison cells have been converted into 40 spacious rooms. The luxurious renovation that was done in the rooms does not correspond to the past of this building, but the original doors to the cameras allow you to feel the atmosphere.

Ottawa Jail Hostel - Ottawa, Canada

This hotel was a Carlton prison from 1962 to 1972. This prison was famous for being completely inhumanely treated with prisoners. It contained about 150 prisoners, and all of them were in tiny cells, in which there was no heating and sanitation. The upper floor of the prison was used as a center for execution of the death sentence, and many people claim that one can see the ghosts of former prisoners who were executed there.

Hostel Celica - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Earlier it was a military prison, and now it's a fashionable hostel, which attracts a lot of attention. Each camera was restored with the help of artists and architects who used bold colors and prints to decorate the rooms. And although the rooms do not look like original cameras after the restoration, they still have original doors, windows and grilles.

Hotel de la Paix Luang Prabang - Luang Prabang, Laos

The fashionable hotel, which is located almost in the heart of the city, was previously a city prison. Now the building has been restored, and now it has 23 spacious suites with exits to the gardens, which also have swimming pools. However, you can still see several original observation towers that were used when this hotel was a prison.

Jail Hotel - Lucerne, Switzerland

The building of this hotel was built in 1862, and here was a prison from the nineteenth century to 1998. You can spend the night in a room that used to be a real prison cell, or you can fall asleep where the prison chief's office used to be. In the library you can find the original books that prisoners read earlier.

Karosta Prison hotel - Liepaja, Latvia

If you have the courage, go to this hotel, which was previously a prison where prisoners from the Royal Navy and the KGB were kept. Here, many original elements were intentionally preserved so that visitors could enjoy the authentic atmosphere of the prison. Starting at night on a real prison bed and ending with the opportunity to take a picture in the prisoner's style, this hotel does everything possible to make you feel in a real prison. It is even surrounded by a fence with barbed wire!

Långholmen - Stockholm, Sweden

In 1649, a rich brewer named Joach Ahlstedt rented a part of the Stockholm island of Lengholmen to build his residence there, which was called the Alstavik. In 1724 the residence passed into the possession of the state, after which it was used as a correctional institution for women. Over the next 250 years, this institution was transformed into a full-fledged prison, and in 1975 it was closed.

Malmaison Oxford - Oxford, United Kingdom

The building of this hotel is more than a thousand years old. Initially it was a castle, after which it was transformed into the Oxford Prison of Her Majesty. It remained a prison until 1996, after which it was converted into one of the most comfortable and luxurious hotels of our time.

The Liberty Hotel - Boston, United States

This hotel was formerly the prison of Charles Street, which hosted new prisoners for 140 years, after which it was restored and turned into an ultra-luxurious hotel.

The Lloyd Hotel - Amsterdam, Netherlands

This hotel has a rich history: previously this building served as a residence for immigrants, a refuge for Jewish refugees during the Nazi regime, a prison since World War II and until 1963, and then a detention center for detained juvenile offenders.

The Old Mount Gambier Gaol - Mount Gambier, Australia

This hotel was a prison from 1866 to 1995. It is not luxurious, because in most of the complex there are old cells for prisoners, but you will find here several rooms that are not cameras and where you can spend the night.

Unitas Hotel - Prague, Czech Republic

The Czech freedom fighter and former president Vaclav Havel was kept in this prison, which is now an inexpensive hotel for budget travelers.

Bridewell Hotel - Liverpool, United Kingdom

When it first opened, Bridewell Prison had 60-90 cells four square meters (two by two meters), and its brick walls were a meter thick. To date, the hotel has retained the original brick walls, but now there are 85 rooms, each of which has a private bathroom, TV, and you can go to the courtyard where the prisoners went for a walk. You can see it on the main photo of the article.