Lock Up

Now there aren't many of us that would choose to stay in a prison overnight, let alone pay for one. But with news that Alcatraz, San Francisco's military prison is going to be renovated into a luxury hotel it looks like we may just be changing our minds.

And it's not the only one either as there are tons of hotels around the globe which once housed some of the world's most dangerous criminals.

We've picked out some of our favourites:

Hotel Katajanokka, Helsinki, Finland

Katajanokka prison dates back to the 19th Century but was turned into the four star luxury hotel last May. The prison-themed Jailbird restaurant no longer serves just bread and water, but a wide range of tasty local dishes. The guest rooms are renovated cells but instead of hard bunk beds with a toilet in the corner all rooms are equipped with en suite bathrooms and modern design. The Junior suite even has a private sauna.

From £74 per night
http://www.hotels.co.uk/...otel-helsinki

The Liberty Hotel, Boston, US

The 19th-century Charles Street Jail in Beacon Hill lay vacant for 15 years before developers turned it into the five-star, rather ironically named, Liberty Hotel, one of Boston's most stylish hotels. The original four-wing main structure is home to the Clink tapas restaurant and a cocktail bar named Alibi. Across a courtyard that used to be the prison exercise yard is a museum dedicated to the building's history. Take in the views of the Charles River and Boston from the terrace desk, and you’ll begin to wonder whether a prisoner’s lot was all that bad.

From £147 per night
http://www.hotels.co.uk/.../hotel-boston

Protea Hotel Breakwater Lodge, Cape Town, South Africa

Built to house male convicts working on a nearby breakwater, this jail was the first in the country to be turned into a hotel in 1991. The historic Breakwater Lodge, on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in the heart of Cape Town houses a restaurant and bar which have amazing views of Table Mountain and the harbour.