In the last few years, there has been an increase in the demand for themed hostels and hotels. In several countries, ancient prisons have transformed themselves into hostels for the most adventurous guests.
Some of the abandoned jails have been remodelled into hostels, hotels and museums. This type of lodging offers guests the opportunity to sleep between bars.
Ottawa Jail Hostel.
The Ottawa Jail Hostel is located in Ottawa, Canada. The jail was built in 1862 and was shut 110 years later. Several decades ago the building was remodelled into a hostel with several large cells, or rooms, that can accommodate groups, and several private cells for couples, the largest of them being the Jailer’s room.
The building is built in a Victorian style. There are several types of rooms. The largest cells can accommodate groups and are located in what used to be the jail’s hospital wing. The double rooms are located in the actual prisoner’s cells. The largest room is located in the room where the supervisors worked. There is a small museum, the Carleton County Gaol Heritage Centre, located on the eighth floor of the hotel, a floor which has not been remodelled and where tours telling the history of the prison and ghost tours take place.
The hostel has a kitchen with several refrigerators where guests can store their food. The jail’s ancient chapel has been converted into a recreation room with a television, game consoles and board games. What used to be the visiting area is now the Internet room.
The hostel is located in the centre of this city. A few blocks away from the hotel guests will find the Rideau mall, Byward Market and several landmarks and museums, including the Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum and the National Gallery of Canada.
Celica Hostel.
The Celica Hostel is located in Ljubljana, in Slovenia. This former Yugoslav prison has been transformed into a themed hostel with its own art gallery.
The hostel has 20 rooms, and each room is an old cell. There are several types of rooms. The large cells can accommodate up to 12 people and have a shared bathroom, one bathroom for men and one for women. The medium cells can accommodate up to seven people and have their own bathroom. The smallest cells share a bathroom per floor, and have a maximum capacity for three people. Some of the cells have access for people with mobility problems and an adapted bathroom. All rooms have the original bars both on the doors and windows. Price is usually up to 28€ per night.
There is a kitchen area with several fridges, and a restaurant with hookah pipes. There are safes and a luggage storage area for the guests to use. Books and board games can be used for a small extra price. There are several city and region maps and guides at the reception desk, and city tours can be organized.
The interior design of the building is artistic, with many colourful murals and paintings on the walls. Part of the ancient building is used as an art gallery.
Napier.
Napier prison is located in New Zealand. The hotel organizes tours around the old jail and the city and group activities, and part of the building has been rebuilt to host guests.
Guests will be able to sleep in the old prison cells. Several cells have been remodelled into modern rooms that can accommodate groups, while other cells have become double rooms with a bathroom. Some of the cells remain unchanged, and the most daring if guests will be able to sleep in these real cells. Price for a bed in the large room is 12€ per person, while double rooms cost 15€ per person per night.
Old Jail.
The Old Jail is a hostel located in Mount Gambier, in Australia. The hostel used to be a jail, and even now the building resembles a prison more than a hostel.
The hostel offers basic accommodation, although they do offer guests a taste of the old jail. Each room is a scarcely furnished cell, and the shower rooms are the same ones the prisoners used. The rooms where the supervisors used to stay are now triple rooms. The only element that differentiates the rooms form the cells is that now the doors can be opened from the inside. Price is between 15.70 and 32€ per night.
Despite the very basic accommodation, the old kitchen has been transformed into a renown restaurant. The Turnkey restaurant offers a wide range of delicious dishes and local wines. There is a television room with a pool table, while another meeting room has a fireplace. The hostel’s façade has been restored in order to look like the original 1866 one.
Karosta.
Karosta prison is located in Liepaya, in Latvia. This old military prison offers guided tours around its territory, and the most adventurous of guests will have the possibility to spend a night behind bars.
The bravest guests will be able to sleep in one of the cells of this prison, which closed its doors in 1997, and enjoy the same food the prisoners had to eat. For those guests who want to go a step further, the hostel offers the option of sleeping, eating and being treated as a prisoner. Price is 11.20€ per night. Many people choose the latter option as a theme night for stag parties, and many of the fake prisoners even try to escape their cells.
Taylor Falls.
The Taylor Falls Old Jail Bed and Breakfast is located in Taylor Falls, Minnesota, in the United States. This small local jail only has four cells and three suites.
Guests will be able to stay at Jail Cottage, a small cabin that was the main jailhouse. The jail’s façade is made from wooden blocks, an unusual feature in its day. The cabin has several double rooms, each with a private bathroom, an equipped kitchen, a fireplace and a private balcony. When the bed and breakfast was still a jail, a saloon stood next to it, and its building has been transformed into a guesthouse with three suites. The Cave suite is located inside the original structure of the building. Price is 99€ per night for those who want to stay in the cells in the Jail Cottage, and 106€ per night for those who stay in the saloon.
