The Contra Costa Times
OXFORD, Calif. — The elegant iron-railing balconies were once catwalks where guards stood watch over the inmates to make sure they didn’t try to break out. If you look closely, you can still see the outline of holes from the iron bars on the windows at Boston’s Liberty Hotel.
Severe shades of gray and brown greet guests at the Malmaison in Oxford. Framed prints of gargoyles complete the room’s somewhat dungeonlike feel. But in stark contrast to both are the sleek, flat-screen TV with an accompanying CD player.
At hotels such as these, guests have stepped inside the novel trend of former jail cells turned into vacation lodging.
For luxury hotels, such as the Liberty and Malmaison, the emphasis is on masking its past use while preserving the historic architecture. At some worldwide hostels, embracing their former identity only adds to the mystique for guests.
And while they all share the same distinction as former jails, each has its own unique charm.
Liberty Hotel
The old Charles Street jail, near Boston’s stately Beacon Hill neighborhood, opened in September after a five-year, $150 million renovation. Architects took pains to preserve many of the 156-year-old building’s features. The old sally port, where guards once brought prisoners from paddy wagons to their cells, is being converted into the entrance to a new restaurant, Scampo, which is Italian for “escape.”
In another restaurant, named Clink, diners can look through original bars from cell doors and windows as they order smoked lobster bisque or citrus poached prawns from waiters and waitresses wearing shirts with prison numbers. The hotel bar, Alibi, is built in the jail’s former drunk tank.
Cambridge developer Richard Friedman said the architects tried to retain some original elements while not reminding people too much of its dark past. “How do you transform that into a joyous place where people have fun and a good time?” Friedman said. “We tried to use a sense of humor.”
Eighteen of the hotel’s 298 rooms are built in the original jail. Those rooms feature the original brick walls of the jail but also have high-definition TVs. The remaining rooms are in a new 16-story tower. Room rates range from $319 to $5,500 (for the presidential suite) a night.
Malmaison
Being so near the center of the lively college-town atmosphere in Oxford, England, didn’t do the prisoners any good, but it’s probably the best reason to stay at the Malmaison, which hasn’t quite perfected the transition from jail to luxury inn. It opened as a hotel in November 2004.
Just beyond the prison’s old gate are the lovely spires and medieval alleys of Oxford, which is stuffed with street musicians, interesting bookstores and coffeehouses.
The Malmaison’s sleek lobby is designed to dispel any notion that staying at a former prison means you’re roughing it. The hotel describes its room as “super-slinky” with silky pillows and linens to accent the somber wall covers and original, rough-hewn brickwork.
The unusual hotel plays up the prison theme, but also offers some aspects that are surprisingly graceful, including the long, light-bathed atrium that used to serve as the main prison gallery. On an adjacent hill is an old castle that used to connect to the prison.
Room rates range from $313 to $890 (for a suite with a cinema room).
Langholmens Vandrarhem
About 30 years ago, this hotel and youth hostel served as the Crown Prison in Stockholm, Sweden. Today, it pays tribute to its roots with an on-site prison museum and opportunities for guests to dress up like prisoners.
Built in 1840, the prison was Sweden’s largest until 1975. In May 1989, the facility reopened as a hostel after two years of renovations.
Some hallmarks of its previous life remain: doors that look as if they still belong on prison cells, a massive narrow gallery that runs through the center of the building and compact rooms. But now, the hotel portion offers private bathrooms in each room, which Langholmens proudly calls “cells.”
The old prison entrance hall also has been transformed into a reception area with a boutique and 24-hour cafeteria.
Rates start at $32 per person per night.
Hostel Celica
Meaning “cell” in English, Celica was named the “Hippest Hostel in the World” by Lonely Planet.
Even if it weren’t a former prison, this hostel has unique written all over it. For starters, it sits in the center of Ljubljana, Slovenia, known as a cultural area with tons of galleries and artists studios.
That artistic touch has been kept indoors, too. Groups of artists helped design each “cell” so that no two are alike. Many of them feature actual prison iron bars artfully placed on doors and windows.
While most rooms simply look like slightly upgraded prison cells, they aren’t completely lacking, with free Internet access and an in-house art gallery.
Rates start at $27 per person per night.
Hi-Ottawa Jail Hostel
You won’t forget the prison beginnings of this Ottawa, Canada, hostel.
Unlike the other lodgings, Hi-Ottawa didn’t remodel itself to look like a hotel or hostel. Instead, guests sleep in actual prison cells or the former prison hospital.
That’s not to say the Victorian-era architectural relic went unrenovated. The interior has modern amenities and a TV and game lounge, in what was once the prison chapel.
Some semiprivate and private rooms feel less jaillike. And if you’re traveling with a group, and don’t mind spending extra, the warden’s quarters are a private apartment.
Perhaps the best part of this hostel is a trip to the eighth floor. This unrenovated section gives guests a real flavor of what prison was like for inmates. Tours also are available
Rates start at $27 per person per night in dormitory rooms; $79 a night in private rooms.
Copyright 2007 Contra Costa Times