Inside 5 Luxury Hotels That Used to Be Prisons

Infamously known as the Charles Street Jail for more than 100 years, The Liberty Hotels was home to the most dangerous criminals including Malcolm X.
Today, it has a luxe interior with 298 rooms and 5 upscale restaurants. Often backlit in neon green, pink, and purple, the hotel has managed to maintain the sullen jailhouse-feel.

Built in 1919, Sultanahmet served as the first jailhouse for the Ottoman Empire where Turks imprisoned many known names of the literature world. In the 1990s, the Four Seasons chain took over the property and transformed it into a luxurious oasis in the bustle of the old city.

Located in the heart of Stockholm, Langholmen has maintained most of its prison feel in the décor. The prison was home to Sweden’s most wanted until 1975. Today, it's a contemporary hotel equipped with restaurants, bars and a mini café.

A converted prison from 1837, Hotel Katajanokka has kept the caged feel intact with barred widows, central corridor and high bricked walls. They even have a restaurant named Jailbird that offers a variety of eccentric dishes.

Located within walking distance of Oxford University, the Oxford Castle was as a prison for 200 years. In 2006, Malmaison Oxford Hotel decided to renovate it as a luxury hotel with traces of its history reflected in the original cells doors and exposed brickwork.