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Serving time in a prison is likely to bring up feelings of fear in the minds of regular individuals.

However, one of Australia’s most notorious prisons has been converted into a high-end five-star hotel.

The Interlude, located in Melbourne, is based on the foundations of the former B Division of HM Prison Pentridge.

The jail previously housed some of Australia’s most notorious offenders – such as Ronald Joseph Ryan, the final individual executed in Australia, and Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, a convicted felon, gang associate, and writer.

However, visitors can reside in the very halls where criminals previously wandered—and accommodations begin at AU$449.00 (£232) per night.

At the core of everything is an opulent subterranean swimming pool, constructed over three months in an effort to reduce damage to the historic building.

The hotel consists of 19 suites, which were formed by removing the thick bluestone walls to connect four or five cells.

Every room features high ceilings and stone walls – yet is also equipped with all the modern amenities and fixtures one would anticipate in a contemporary hotel.

The distinctive hotel offers a deep-dive into the area’s history, traditional cuisine, and health-focused lifestyle.

It features high-end facilities such as Hunter Lab hair and beauty products along with an upscale mini-bar offering locally sourced items.

It also features a ‘Reflection Garden’ where you can discover the history of the region, or you can venture into the historical surroundings of the Pentridge area.

The Interlude features a wine bar, dining establishment, and room service options.

From 1851 until 1997, the location functioned as a correctional facility.

Known as ‘The Bluestone College,’ ‘Coburg College,’ or the ‘College of Knowledge,’ the old Pentridge Prison site was the biggest prison complex built in Victoria, Australia, during the 1800s.

HM Prison Pentridge was founded in 1850, situated on a 140-acre government-owned area, 8 kilometers north of Melbourne, within the village of Pentridge, now referred to as Coburg.

The facility was officially shut down following the government’s plan to outsource prison management, with the majority of inmates moved to HM Prison Barwon.

In 1999, the Victorian state government transferred ownership of Pentridge to independent real estate developers.

In 2023, upon its opening, the hotel constructed on the site aimed to be ‘the world’s first urban wellness retreat located within a converted prison’.

The Interlude hotel has also stated that the land where Pentridge was constructed held sacred significance for the Wurundjeri people, who are the traditional custodians of the Melbourne region.

Therefore, a symbolic purification of the entire area occurred prior to the hotel’s opening for guests.

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