Can you guess the sinister secret lurking behind this stunning UK hotel?
These British hotels may be luxurious and comfortable... but it doesn't bear thinking about the people who could have stayed in there before you
THESE hotel rooms may be a bit short on the window front, but otherwise you'd never guess that there was anything particularly unusual about them.
The truth, however, is that by staying in them, you'd be following the footsteps of some of Britain's most feared criminals - since these guest houses are actually all converted prisons.
Cops were slammed earlier this week for offering an eerie Halloween sleepover in Fred West's former prison cell at Steelhouse Lane lock-up in Birmingham, designed to show well-behaved citizens what the "other side" looks like.
But while the £75-a-night event may seem a bit ghoulish, it turns out that there are plenty of places you can spend some time at Her Majesty's Pleasure without falling foul of the law...
Malmaison Hotel, Oxford
Many complain that our cushy prisons are turning into hotels... but you can bet you won't find a jail as luxurious as this.
The £180-a-night Malmaison hotel used to be Oxford Prison, which itself is located inside the high walls of a medieval castle. The prison was active for hundreds of years, and used to house inmates as young as seven.
However, since closing in 1996, the Malmaison hotel chain took over, converting many of the cells into rooms and refurbishing the walkways with stylish glass panelling.
Meanwhile, rooms connected to capital punishment were converted into offices, so you can't spend the night on death row... if that's what you were hoping.
Clink 78 Hostel, London
Clink, in the Kings Cross area of London, used to be a courthouse, but now it's a super-trendy hostel where guests are housed in refurbished cells.
Legendary punk rockers The Clash appeared at the courthouse in 1978 when they were charged for shooting racing pigeons with an air rifle.
If you want to follow in their footsteps then you can bunk up with a partner in crime from £54 or, if you're travelling solo, you can book a room in solitary confinement for £45 .
Meanwhile, a room in a shared dorm works out from £12 per night - attracting a lively backpacker crowd. But no matter how rowdy you get, you can guarantee that you won't be the worst person to have spent the night here.
The Courthouse Hotel, London
Formerly Old Street Magistrates Court and Police Station, this 128-room hotel is located in the heart of Shoreditch - once a gritty corner of London renowned for gangster activity.
It's no surprise, then, that The Courthouse once played host to the infamous Kray twins in its past life.
Today, the cells have been refurbished into private booths, but the prison feel persists... and you can experience it starting at £160 per night.
The Bridewell Prison Hotel, Liverpool
Bridewell prison in Liverpool was used as the city's main lock-up for over 130 years, until it was shut in 1997.
Today, the 90-cell jail is now a boutique hotel, with the exercise yard converted into a glass-covered lounge and the former cells converted into comfortable bedrooms.
Rooms here are furnished with photos of former inmates, and the same thick prison doors still stand at the entrance to each cell.
Guests can spend the night for around £40, but they should take note of the old plaque which still hangs in reception: "Please do not ask for bail because a refusal often offends."
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Penny Rope, Margate
Guests at this prison-themed hotel are kept in their room with heavy metal doors and sleep in cell-like bunks.
Fortunately, they're free to come and go as they please, but otherwise the Penny Rope Bed Chamber feels like the real deal.
Although it was never a real prison, you'd never guess by looking at it. There are no windows in the mock cells, and the bathroom and shower facilities are tucked away in an outbuilding to give the impression of a legitimate old-fashioned jail.
Willing inmates can get a taste of prison life at Penny Rope from £75-per-night.
