Imagine an all-inclusive resort – a private room, three meals a day, access to exercise equipment, a library for intellectual pursuits, scheduled activity times – even access to medical care! Sounds great?
But what if your private room locked from the outside instead? And you were not in charge of when you could leave?
It may be a bit of a stretch to compare prisons to luxury hotels, which is why it is so surprising that there are several high class hotels around the world that used to be prisons. Some have removed most traces of their more morbid pasts, while other establishments play up the association to excite prospective guests. Turning these former prisons into hotels often preserves the historic buildings’ exterior architecture, while the interiors are revamped and updated. Often, one room or suite in each hotel takes up the space of several prisoner cells, and the amenities are vastly superior.
1. The Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet – formerly Sultanahmet Jail
The first hotel is the furthest East in the historically rich city of Istanbul. The Four Seasons Istanbul was formerly known as the Sultanahmet Jail, built in 1918/1919, and was initially used to detain writers, journalists, artists, and other intellectual prisoners. Built conveniently next to the courthouse, the Sultanahmet Prison was an example of Turkish neoclassical architecture. Even though one would assume that a prison wouldn’t have need of visual beauty, the building shows its style through pointed arches, ornate tiles, and dramatic domes and towers. Perhaps the architect, Mimar Kemaleddin Bey, foresaw a more sumptuous future for his creation, as many of these beautiful features translate well to a luxury hotel setting.
Today, the Sultanhamet Prison is known as the Four Seasons Istanbul, and there has been a marked improvement in the accommodations. The hotel features 65 luxury rooms and suites- each equipped with a private bar, wired and wireless internet, and (my personal favorite) a luxurious marble soaking tub in the private bathroom. One of the luxury suites, the Marmara suite, has three private terraces that look out over the city of Istanbul, as well as the Sea of Marmara and the Princess Islands. Guests of the Four Seasons at Sultanahmet also have access to the pool and spa facilities as the nearby Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus. The former exercise yard of the prison has been transformed into a beautiful courtyard garden., and much of the original architectural features remain, making this hotel a living piece of history.
2. Hotel Het Arresthuis in Roermond, Netherlands
Traveling west, one hotel that has the most recent penitential history is the Hotel Het Arresthuis in Roermond in the Netherlands. The building was used as a prison up until 2007, and reopened in April of 2013 as a luxury hotel. The 150 prison cells were transformed into just 36 rooms and 7 suites, featuring names such as The Jailer, The Lawyer, The Director, and The Judge. This hotel has maintained its jailhouse feel, and plays up the association to the delight of its guests. The three stories of cell-blocks-turned-guestrooms look out into a common area, where instead of patrolling wardens there are richly colored and inviting couches and gathering areas. For their special “Penitentiary Dinners”, the hotel sets up a communal dining table on the first floor of the cell block to serve dinner while showing slides of the hotel’s history. Guests are even given a black and white striped cell block hat to make the experience more authentic.
The modern amenities of the hotel include a sauna, a gym, a fully stocked bar, and the Restaurant Damianz. The former exercise courtyard has been transformed into a cozy terrace with outdoor café. Outdoor public spaces also include an organic herb garden and central patio with olive trees. The interior of the hotel is sleek and modern, with pristine white features accented by bright colors. The starkness of the design plays up the hotel’s former purpose, and features such as prison bars and exposed brick don’t hurt either.
3. Liberty Hotel in Boston’s Beacon Hill – Formerly Charles Street Jail
Closest to home is the Liberty Hotel, located in the heart of Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. After an extensive (read: $150 million) acquisition, renovation, and construction process , the seeds of which were planted in 1991 when the property was acquired by Massachusetts General Hospital, and which came to fruition after Carpenter & Company was designated the developer of the renovation project in 2001, the former Charles Street Jail was reborn when the Liberty Hotel opened its doors in 2007. The jail was built in 1851, and the Boston Granite Style building is cruciform in structure, with an innovative granite edifice and 90 ft central rotunda and cupola.
The original design was a collaborative effort between architect Gridley James Fox Bryant and Rev. Louis Dwight- a prominent penologist who advocated strongly for prison reform. The Charles Street Jail has a storied history- it has housed some of Boston’s most notorious criminals. In 1973, prisoners revolted due to living conditions so poor that the jail was declared unfit and in violation of the prisoners’ constitutional rights. The last prisoners were not removed, however, until 1990. The transformation of the prison into a luxury hotel was overseen by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Boston Landmarks Commission, the National Park Service, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority to ensure the preservation of the historical features that make this landmark so unique.
Contrary to some of the other hotels we’ve seen, the Liberty Hotel’s guest accommodations are mostly in a completely new, 16 story building adjacent to the historic jail. The original building features more public spaces, linked by historic catwalks. Here one finds the lobby and reception areas, the restaurant and bar, and even a grand ballroom. Within the hotel lobby bar, one can see vestiges of former jail cells. The adjacent building with the majority of the guest accommodations features most of the 300 guestrooms, which include 10 luxury suites with stunning river views. The rooms feature many amenities common in luxury hotels- a private bar, internet access, luxurious bathrobes, but the hotel also offers complimentary bike rentals to explore historic Boston (when the weather permits) and yoga classes.
There are many more former prisons that have been turned into hotels, particularly in Europe, where western civilization finds its historic landmarks from the past millennia and efforts are made to preserve them. Some hotels offer guests a more macabre prison-themed adventure, while some gems have been transformed into some of the most luxurious and beautiful destinations in the world. Whether you are being “held” as a prisoner or treated like royalty, the most important part about staying in one of these hotels is the freedom to leave- although you may not want to!
(Updated) Click here to see – 4. The Lloyd Hotel, Amsterdam. Formerly, almost everything.
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