Travelers are paying to spend a night in ‘jail’
Ever wonder what it’s like to spend a night behind bars? There’s a hotel for that.
Tourists are flocking to Sook Station in Bangkok, a put-on penitentiary, the Daily Mail reports. There, overnighters pose for mug shots, sleep in striped pajamas and share bathroom facilities.
It’s an interesting choice for the country, where, the Mail reports, the central men’s jail has been dubbed “ ‘Big Tiger’ because it eats people alive.”
If your fantasy prison experience starts to feel a little too real, there are reminders that this is only a pretend penitentiary: teddy bears in the cells, manicured lawns outside, comfy-looking beds — and a guaranteed checkout.
Bangkok’s not the only place tapping into traveler’s yen for cushy incarceration. Here are some other getaways where prison chic is always in style.
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From the outside, Jailhouse Inn in Newport, RI, looks like a staid New England inn — sign aside, you’d never guess that it was the town’s jailhouse in its past life.
While the building has been imbued with creature comforts (skylights, freshly baked cookies), it retains blatant reminders of its past via bars on windows, vintage crime-related headlines framed on walls and a door that purports be the Detective Division entrance. (from $219/night)
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The bar is literally behind bars at Alcatraz Hotel in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Guest rooms are set up as cells with slots in doors through which room service meals can be passed.
Communal showers add a final touch of authenticity to this former prison. Bonus: “a beautiful continental breakfast” is included in the price. (from $58/night)
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Situated on a former prison island in Stockholm from which its name derives, this hotel attracts adventurous travelers who get a kick out of bunking down in the original (though renovated) cells.
The spot promises “captivating charm” and resides within close proximity to the trendy Sodermalm neighborhood. Never mind that it’s also where Sweden’s last prisoner execution took place in 1921. (from $231/night)
Sure, the ironically named Liberty Hotel in Boston boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and luxurious linens. But the former Charles Street Prison also retains blatant reminders of its slammer self.
Jail bars accent the two restaurants (appropriately called Clink and Alibi), while celebrity mug shots decorate the bar.
And if petty crime doesn’t put you off, the do-not-disturb sign is worth stealing for a souvenir: It reads “Solitary” and is accented by a jailer’s key. (from $349/night)
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Oxford, England’s Malmaison Oxford Castle touts itself as “being better than your average prison.” That’s an understatement.
The stylish boutique hotel boasts good-sized rooms each built out of three adjoining cells. Doors that once shuttered those cells and windows with original bars keep guests from forgetting that until 1996 people did not stay here by choice. (from $207/night)