Fast forward to 2006. Someone in marketing had a genius (or insane) idea: “Let’s paint the walls burgundy and charge £200 a night!”
And it works. Brilliantly.
The cells are now suites. But they kept the original cell doors. You sleep in a room with a 12-foot ceiling and a solid iron door you could bang your fists on. Just… don’t. The staff get jumpy.
What’s It Actually Like Inside?
First, the lobby feels like a nightclub for history nerds. Dark wood, moody lighting, and a long bar where prisoners used to “parade” for exercise.
Malmaison Oxford prison hotel review: A (luxury) night behind bars
The corridors are still those classic, echoing prison hallways. They kept the original spiral staircases. You half expect a guard to shout “LIGHTS OUT!” as you reach for your room.
But here’s the fun part: the bathrooms. They installed luxury rain showers and giant tubs right inside the old cells. So you can soak in a bathtub where someone once etched “I’ll be out in 1993” into the wall. Classy.
