Malmaison Oxford
‘And I sentence you to be taken from here to Oxford Castle Prison where you will be hung from the neck until dead’ - is what guests of the Oxford Castle Prison would have heard before arriving at this imposing building.
You, however, are far more likely to hear the words, ‘can I take your bag, sir?’ Happily, capital punishment was abolished in the UK in the 1950s, and the prison closed its doors in 1996.
It is now a unique luxury hotel in one of England’s most famous and beautiful towns. Considering their more sensitive guests, the parts of the prison used for executions have been turned into offices, not bedrooms – which is nice.
Here, you have the unusual opportunity of staying in Oxford Castle, which was first built by William the Conqueror in 1086 and has been beautifully maintained.
The castle's interior has been refurbished into a heritage and shopping center. With Oxford's famous architecture and history on your doorstep, you will have plenty to delight you during your stay.
The grand entrance will take your breath away with its massive medieval castle towers.
Malmaison's lobby has a dark theme and a mixture of heritage elements, like the chandelier mixed with modern furniture, large screens, a pool, and chess tables.
The former cells are now modern rooms open from the prison block.
It's so spectacularly renovated that you might forget its original role.
The doors are original, but you get a modern hotel key card instead of a guard closing you in.
The doors may look intimidating, but it's worth knowing that the parts of the prison where the capital punishment happened were converted to offices and not rooms.
And as you will notice, some of the higher class rooms are so luxurious you would never say they used to be a part of a prison.
For example, the selfstanding bathtubs with candles in the bathroom.
