NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

Get locked up in a historic prison hotel

NZ Herald
2 Jun, 2017 12:48 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Het Arresthuis, which means 'house arrest' in Dutch, is a hotel in the Netherlands housed in an historic prison.

Het Arresthuis, which means 'house arrest' in Dutch, is a hotel in the Netherlands housed in an historic prison.

Mark your calendars - the highly anticipated fifth season of Orange is the New Black will finally be released on June 9.

To celebrate the return of the acclaimed prison drama, channel your favourite inmate (minus the whole committing crime thing) and get locked up yourself.

Many historic former prisons have been turned into intriguing hotels - and luckily, you don't need to be a convict to stay in one.

With the help of Booking.com, we're rounded up some of the best of offer - don't worry, the doors only locks from the inside.

The Liberty Hotel - Boston, USA

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The Liberty Hotel in Boston.
The Liberty Hotel in Boston.

What's known today as the lavish Liberty Hotel was originally built in 1851 as the seedy Charles Street Jail. While operating as a prison, it held several notorious inmates including James Michael Curley, Malcom X, Sacco and Vanzetti. Today, the Liberty Hotel elegantly combines historic style and architecture with today's modern conveniences, including Wi-Fi access and state-of-the-art fitness facilities, while featuring playful nods to its infamous past.

Jailhouse Accommodation - Christchurch, New Zealand

Jailhouse Accommodation, formerly known as Addington Prison, in Christchurch.
Jailhouse Accommodation, formerly known as Addington Prison, in Christchurch.

Set in a refurbished 1874 building and formerly known as Addington Prison, Jailhouse Accommodation boasts Gothic-style architecture and a historical display room. It's just a five minute walk from both of Christchurch's main arenas and close to the pretty parks and rivers the city is known for. With modern facilities, this is the perfect way to experience the history of a prison with the comfort of a hotel.

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet - Istanbul, Turkey

Four Seasons Sultanahmet in Istanbul.
Four Seasons Sultanahmet in Istanbul.

Situated in a three-storey, neoclassical prison building with a landscaped courtyard - this is one prison no one will be trying to escape from! Four Seasons Sultanahmet is a beautiful hotel in the centre of Istanbul's Old Town. Beginning its life as the Sultanahmet Prison, the building housed male, female and youth prisoners as well as the occasional artist and politician.

Today, it offers luxury accommodation with original works by Turkish artisans such as handwoven Turkish rugs and marble bathrooms. If you feel like escaping prison life for the day, the 15th Century Topkapi Palace and the 17th Century Blue Mosque are just a five-minute walk away.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Het Arresthuis - Roermond, the Netherlands

A room at Het Arresthuis in Roermond.
A room at Het Arresthuis in Roermond.

Het Arresthuis, which is Dutch for 'house arrest', is a former prison and detention centre dating back to 1863. Located in the historic centre of Roermond, it has been completely transformed to offer guests luxurious rooms - a far cry from the bare necessities offered at Orange is the New Black's Litchfield Penitentiary.

ALCATRAZ Hotel am Japanischen Garten - Kaiserslautern, Germany

A room at the Alcatraz Hotel am Japanischen Garten.
A room at the Alcatraz Hotel am Japanischen Garten.

For a more authentic prison experience, check yourself into the Alcatraz Hotel am Japanischen Garten, Germany's first prison-hotel. Dating back to 1867 and located near the beautiful Japanese Garden in the centre of Kaiserslautern, this prison-turned-hotel offers both cell-style and conventional rooms.

In the cell-style rooms, guests get a small taste of prison life via barred windows, original prison beds (made by former inmates) and even an in-room washbasin and toilet. The hotel's Hinter Gittern Bar, German for 'behind bars', is ideal to relax with a few drinks before escaping to your quiet cell or room for the night.

The Old Mount Gambier Gaol - Mount Gambier, Australia

The Old Mount Gambier Gaol.
The Old Mount Gambier Gaol.

Located just a short drive from the Blue Lake and main street of Mount Gambier, this unique gaol (Old English for 'prison') offers a range of experience accommodation options. Guests can choose to stay in a cell, an old warden's office, or even a self-contained cottage.

Discover more

Travel

Is Paris truly the City of Romance?

31 May 03:00 AM
Travel

Crew reveal secrets of a long haul flight

01 Jun 04:49 AM
Travel

The most disgusting hotel rooms

01 Jun 12:53 AM
Travel

Crowned heads living here

03 Jun 06:00 PM

Opened as a prison in 1866, guests staying at the gaol today have access to many of the historic sites of the prison; such as the old lounge, the library and the prison chapel, which have all been converted into modern common areas equipped with internet, TVs and comfortable furniture.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday

15 Jun 07:00 AM
Travel

What it’s like exploring Palawan in the Philippines

14 Jun 08:00 PM
Travel

Australia’s top winter activities you won’t want to miss

14 Jun 08:00 PM

One pass, ten snowy adventures

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday

Disney Insider: A go to guide to the ultimate Disneyland holiday

15 Jun 07:00 AM

From skipping the queues to planning your parade spot, here's all you need to know.

What it’s like exploring Palawan in the Philippines

What it’s like exploring Palawan in the Philippines

14 Jun 08:00 PM
Australia’s top winter activities you won’t want to miss

Australia’s top winter activities you won’t want to miss

14 Jun 08:00 PM
This beach is the most complained about in the world

This beach is the most complained about in the world

13 Jun 08:00 PM
Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP