Have you ever got arrested? Or have you ever spent a night in prison? If not, would you like to? In that case, visiting a jail hotel should be the next item on your bucket list.
Jail hotels are the places where you pay to stay in jail like a prisoner. These are some of the world’s craziest and funniest places to visit. In these hotels, you will be treated like a real convict. They provide an opportunity to feel what it’s like to be behind the bars without committing a crime. So stay in one of the places on our list and learn why you should avoid the life of crime.
1. Charles Street Jail – Boston, Massachusetts
The infamous Charles Street Jail was originally a model prison in the 1800s that fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s. If you’re in Boston, don’t miss your chance to visit this place.
Constantly plagued by riots, this jail was finally abandoned and shut down by authorities in the 1990s. Although it was designed by two most prominent architects of the time, Fox Bryant and Dwight, the prison conditions were said to violate the basic constitutional rights of the inmates. As a consequence, the prisoners were relocated to another facility.
Today, it serves a much nobler purpose as a fully-fledged four-star hotel with so much luxury that you wouldn’t believe. The traces of the former formidability are still there, though. The hotel was symbolically dubbed ‘Liberty Hotel’.
Website: Liberty Hotel
Address: 215 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114
2. Karosta Prison – Liepaja, Latvia
While entering into this jail hotel, you’ll be greeted by drunk guards and officers. This jail hotel brings you closer to the real prison atmosphere and the harsh conditions criminals used to live in as a punishment.
If you complain about anything, you might get shot! Keep in mind that you are going to be treated unfriendly and hatefully. After all, prisons are some of the most hostile facilities to be in so embrace yourself!
This former brutal KGB jail has no bells and whistles – just everything it had when it was fully functioning detention and torture center, barbed wire included.
You will be treated as an actual prisoner throughout your stay, complete with threats and warning gunfire and crying fellow inmates. The light is dim and there is stale air all around you. The clothes you’ll be given will also follow suit so that everything is as realistic and truthful to the original setting.
This jail hotel offers all sorts of ‘fun’ activities. You can take part in a spy game and escape from the USSR, find clues and unlock secret messages to free yourself from a locked room or take part in many other blood-pumping activities organized throughout the facility.
Website: Karosta
Address: Liepāja, Karosta, Invalīdu iela 4
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3. Jailhotel – Luzern, Switzerland
A prison hotel from the middle of the 19th century, this jail hotel goes beyond simply renting out former prison cells as overnight rooms. Their motto is ‘Sleep behind bars’ so let’s see what awaits for you there.
‘VIP criminal’ can relax in a double cell with a shower and single beds. You might avoid mistreatment by simply paying extra to stay in what used to be a library or an office, now a completely renovated luxury suite. Some of the artwork painted on the walls belongs to the most notorious criminals who had spent their sentences there. They serve as a reminder of the hotel’s initial state.
The layout of this prison hotel is rather creative, and you’ll surely find something to do during your stay here. You may even read the books that were available to prisoners not so long ago or play games, such as table soccer or pool. Unlike the second prison on our list, this one has been fully refurbished and tastefully decorated so you might forget the fact that you’re sleeping in the former solitary confinements!
Website: Barabas Luzern
Address: Löwengraben 18, 6004 Luzern
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4. Old Mount Gambier Gaol Prison – Mt. Gambier, Australia
The Mount Gambier Jail remained true to its old ways until it was finally refurbished to accommodate curious guests in a pleasant and unique setting.
Today, it offers a great opportunity to spend the night at a highly affordable price ($30 per person in a shared dorm) and more luxurious options ($195 for Cell 27 accommodating an entire family in a private suite).
The hotel has some local flavor and features some interesting odds and ends and regularly-scheduled events from monthly jam sessions to a local produce market. With three onsite courtyards, stylish lounge, historic sites, and a study area, this jail hotel offers an authentic prison atmosphere with budget prices and a stylish interior.
Website: Old Mount Gambier Gaol Prison
Address: 25 Margaret St, Mount Gambier SA 5290, Australia
So, there you have it – the world’s best jail hotels. Although these places served as the final destinations for some hardened criminals, today they look nothing short of exotic. It’s high time you spent the night in some of them.