As crime rates continue to fall, countries around the world are realizing their abandoned jails and prisons could be better served to house a different kind of resident: tourists.
16 prisons that have been transformed into luxury hotels
Around the world, prisons that have fallen out of usage have been repurposed to cater to another kind of resident: tourists.
From Boston's chic Liberty Hotel to the spooky iron-clad corridors of the Jail Hotel in Switzerland, here are some of the most drastic transformations from prison to hotel.
Talia Avakian contributed to an earlier version of this article.
Alcatraz Hotel: Kaiserslautern, Germany
Best Western Premier Hotel Katajanokka: Helsinki, Finland
Four Seasons Sultanahmet: Istanbul, Turkey
Het Arresthuis Hotel: Roermond, Netherlands
Ottawa Jail Hostel: Ottawa, Canada
Hostel Celica: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Hotel de la Paix Luang Prabang: Luang Prabang, Laos
Jail Hotel: Lucerne, Switzerland
Karosta Prison hotel: Liepaja, Latvia
Långholmen: Stockholm, Sweden
Malmaison Oxford: Oxford, United Kingdom
The Liberty Hotel: Boston, Massachusetts
The Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Now, the hotel has 117 rooms designed by Dutch artists to offer a contemporary feel and eclectic features like swings hanging from wooden beams and spiral staircases. The hotel also has rooms with beds that can sleep up to eight people at a time. It hosts four different mezzanines, a large terrace, a restaurant, and a bar.
The Old Mount Gambier Gaol: Mount Gambier, South Australia
Unitas Hotel: Prague, Czech Republic
Bridewell Hotel: Liverpool, England
When it opened in 1867, the main Bridewell prison in Cheapside featured 60-90 cells measuring 7 feet by 7 feet and brick walls three-feet thick.
Today, the renovated prison retains its brick-heavy interior but outfits the 85 rooms with full ensuite bathrooms, LED Smart TVs, and a glass-enclosed lounge space that once served as the recreation yard.
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