Hotels Around the World That Were Once Prisons: Six Remarkable Stays
Hotels Around the World That Were Once Prisons: six stays from Istanbul to Cornwall that keep cell doors, iron walkways and history inside the walls.
RUKAIYA KADIWAL 
From above, a group of pale yellow buildings with dark roofs sits among green trees, and the water of Stockholm glints beyond. Today it is a hotel, but it began as a prison. This is the island of Långholmen, and it opens the story of Hotels Around the World That Were Once Prisons.
Outlook Traveller published a guide to six former prison hotels around the world on 21 October 2026. Their cellblocks, iron walkways and stone facades have been given a second life. The past has not been scrubbed away. It remains part of the architecture and often part of the stay.
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet
The Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet was built between 1918 and 1919 as a prison beside the city's courthouse. Architect Mimar Kemaleddin Bey designed it. It held people awaiting trial and those serving short sentences. Former inmates included the writers Orhan Kemal, Sabahattin Ali and Nazım Hikmet Ran.
The architecture reflects the First National Architecture movement. Pointed arches, decorative tiles and domes soften the usual image of a jail. It became a Four Seasons hotel in 1996 and reopened in 2022 after a renovation. Historic marble and stonework survive in parts of the building. Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are within walking distance.
The guide lists a Superior Room at approximately INR 101,145 a night for two guests. Prices vary by date and room category.
The Liberty Hotel, Boston
The Liberty Hotel Boston stands at the foot of Beacon Hill. The building was the Charles Street Jail, completed in 1851. Its granite exterior, large arched windows and central rotunda gave prisoners light and air. The jail held prisoners for about 120 years. It was declared unfit in 1973, and the last prisoners left in 1990.
The hotel opened in 2007 as an adaptive reuse project. The central atrium remains a defining feature. Historic iron catwalks and original window openings recall its past. Guests can arrange a history tour through the concierge, subject to availability. Rates start from approximately INR 78,180 a night.
Het Arresthuis, Roermond
The name means House of Detention. Het Arresthuis Netherlands is a former prison in Roermond, now a five star hotel. Some rooms sit in the historic cellblock. Categories include the Comfort Cell and the Deluxe Cell. Suites carry names such as De Directeur, De Rechter and De Cipier.
The fine dining restaurant Damianz serves seasonal menus. The old city centre is a short walk away. Prices for the Comfort Cachot start from approximately INR 17,700 a night. The Suite De Advocaat goes up to INR 23,542.
Långholmen Hotel, Stockholm
Långholmen Hotel Stockholm occupies the old Crown Prison complex on a narrow island in the city centre. The institution shaped the island for about 250 years. Prison operations ended in 1975. The hotel and youth hostel opened in 1989, and former cells became guest rooms.
The green setting also has a story. In the 19th century, prisoners planted thousands of trees on the island. An on site prison museum, From Crime to Chains, explains the conditions prisoners faced. Overnight guests can visit without paying the usual admission fee. Standard Cell rates start from approximately INR 14,681 a night, with breakfast included.
The Bodmin Jail Hotel, Cornwall
The Bodmin Jail Hotel Cornwall sits in a jail built in 1779. More than 20,000 tonnes of granite from Bodmin Moor went into it. It closed in 1927 and stood derelict for decades. A restoration then added glass, steel and contemporary design while keeping the stark character.
There are 70 guest suites. Each one combines three original cells into a bedroom, living area and bathroom. A pitched glass roof covers the central atrium, and metal walkways reconnect the upper levels. The former chapel is now the Chapel Restaurant. The Bodmin Jail Hotel room rates start from approximately INR 27,159 for Luxury King Cells. Luxury Family Cells go up to INR 29,180.
Malmaison Oxford
Within Oxford Castle, the former HM Prison Oxford is now the Malmaison Oxford prison hotel. The prison closed in 1996 after about 150 years of operation. Original cell doors, exposed brickwork, iron railings and elevated walkways survive. Plush furnishings and subdued lighting sit beside them.
That contrast keeps the severity of the architecture while softening the rooms. The hotel is about a five minute walk from Oxford railway station. Standard Cell Room rates start from approximately INR 25,145 a night.
Why Hotels Around the World That Were Once Prisons Appeal
These properties are among the hotels converted from prisons that travellers search for. They also belong to the wider group of unique historical hotels around the world. Each keeps something of the original building, from cell doors to iron ironwork and stone walls.
Some offer luxury hotels with prison history, and others suit smaller budgets. A few lean on the hotels with preserved prison cells idea. Together they cover Istanbul, Boston, the Netherlands, Sweden and England. Many also count as historic hotels in Europe and prison hotels in Europe.
A Fair Look at the Guide
A careful reading is useful. The article is a travel feature, and its prices are approximate figures in Indian rupees. They vary by date, room and package, so guests should check each hotel directly. Some packages, such as the Bodmin breakfast offer, do not include museum tickets.
The guide also does not rank the hotels or compare their service. It offers no guest reviews. Other heritage stories follow the same theme of history and hospitality, as in the story of the Marco Rubio Taj Mahal Palace Tata Suite and its hotel. Anyone seeking luxury stays in historic buildings should read the details before booking.
What the Walls Remember
A hotel built in a jail asks guests to hold two ideas at once. Comfort is on offer, but the building still remembers confinement. That tension is what draws many travellers.
The six places show how hotels around the world that were once prisons can honour the past without repeating it. The doors still stand. Now they open from the inside.
Find out more on the official website of the Istanbul hotel: https://www.fourseasons.com/istanbul/
