A night in a dungeon .. How famous prisons turned into luxury hotels that attract tourists?

Hafsat Alami - Paris

You might think that spending a night in prison is crazy, but some people choose to spend a night in a cell, and even pay for it too!

They are former prisons that have turned into elegant and luxurious hotels that host their visitors with comfortable beds and available staff to meet their needs, service and multiple amenities, and most of all, they can leave when they want.

Learn about some of the prisons that are today hotels that attract tourists because of its history and the architecture of its various rooms.

Langolmen Hotel
The Langolmen Prison was established in 1724 and expanded over the years before it was closed in 1975. Today the hotel is a museum of what it used to be, and reveals the conditions in which former prisoners lived.

As the name implies, the island of Langolmen consisted of a small land between rocks and old residences dating back to the tenth century, and the name of this island was mentioned for the first time in historical documents in 1435. When building the prison, large quantities of soil were placed on bare rocks and prisoners planted about three Thousands of trees, and thanks to them the island has become a green oasis in the heart of Stockholm.

Today, the cells have been converted into comfortable rooms that contain all the essentials that a tourist may need and give him a quiet stay away from noise or problems.

Dutch hotel Belmarbais
He was one of the most famous prisons in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, and turned into a hotel thanks to the humanitarian association "Movement in the Field". It is run by a group of asylum seekers in the field of hotels and services, most of them are from Syria.

The prison was closed in 2016 after the association was able to provide sufficient funding to convert it into a hotel that attracts tourists from all over the world.

In order to get rid of the place's bad reputation, this hotel offers a humanitarian opportunity for asylum seekers in the Netherlands to work and support themselves. After harboring criminals in the past, it is now a safe and free haven for visitors, and the word "freedom" adorns every room inside it.

Freedom Hotel
The Charles Street prison construction project was completed in 1851 by Gridley James Fox, the most famous architect at Yuskin. It was famous for including the worst reputation of American Boston criminals, but after about 120 years, the prisoners revolted due to poor living conditions, and it was declared that this prison is inappropriate and violates the constitutional rights of the prisoners.

In 2007, it turned into a luxurious hotel consisting of 298 rooms, for $ 150 million, and its rooms feature balcony-like podiums that prison guards once patrolled.

The price per night in the hotel starts from $ 125, and was chosen in 2011 as one of the best hotels in the United States.

Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul
The construction of Sultan Ahmed prison began in 1918 by prominent architect Mimar Kamaluddin Bey, and was used to detain artists and political prisoners, the most famous of whom was the Turkish poet and revolutionary Nazem Hikmat, Mehri Beyli and novelist Orhan Kamal, until he was transferred to the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in 1996.

It contains 65 rooms, all of which retain classical architecture and authentic eastern details. You can still see the original prison structure throughout the hotel, such as arcade arches, marble pillars, hand-decorated tiles in the hallway, domes, and antique wooden doors.

This hotel is strategically located in Istanbul, overlooking the famous historical monuments in the city, surrounded by tall waterfront towers and restaurants serving the most delicious Anatolian dishes.

Malmaison Hotel
In the historic city of Oxford, this building was a castle, demolished, and rebuilt over the years, before finally turning into a Victorian prison.

It remained so until 1996, when the prison was closed and sold to the Malmaison chain of hotels, specializing in converting historic buildings into luxury hotels.

This hotel is characterized by the decoration of its previous rooms, as it still maintains exposed bricks, dark metal doors and dim lighting for prison cells.

Ottawa Hotel
The Ottawa prison in Canada was a prison for the Carleton County from 1962 to 1972, notorious for his poor reputation and inhuman treatment of prisons, and even the top floor of the prison was dedicated to the death penalty, some even claiming that he saw ghosts from ex-prisoners during their stay.

The hotel still maintains the state of the former building to this day, including the gallows, dungeons, stone walls, and steel doors.