“Fantastically modern interiors and stunning atrium in this atmospheric castle and former prison. Sleep in converted cells with original fittings and Gothic colours. New, airier rooms are also available in the additional buildings. Good brasserie food and a smart neon-lit cocktail bar.”
“Fantastically modern interiors and stunning atrium in this atmospheric castle and former prison. Sleep in converted cells with original fittings and Gothic colours. New, airier rooms are also available in the additional buildings. Good brasserie food and a smart neon-lit cocktail bar.”
Hotel Review
“Oxford’s former prison has undergone an impressive transformation to become one of Malmaison’s most quirky and original hotels. The vast, three-storey central atrium is spectacular, mood lighting and red carpets lining the steel walkways. Here, converted cells make up the surprisingly comfortable and ultra-modern bedrooms, with original, heavily dented doors and window bars spookily intact. Get some air in the grassy Exercise Yard or sip cocktails in the brooding Visitors’ Room: a truly unique experience. Good food in the Brasserie, once used for solitary confinement. Prison puns abound in the hotel’s literature.”
Recommended for
- City Style
- Modern hotel in the heart of historic Oxford
Written by Fiona Duncan
Facilities
- Free wifi
- Safe
- Parking
- Bar
- Meeting Room
- Cots available
- Private dining room
- Sit-out Terrace
- Wifi
- Restaurant
- Pet friendly
- Child friendly
- Room service
- Breakfast
- Suites
Activities
- Learning
- Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
- Other Activities
- Oxford River Cruises
- Local markets
- Oxford Covered Market
- Close to nightlife
- Great walks
- Sights nearby
- Bridge of Sighs
- Designer Shopping
- Visit the many smart boutiques
- Museums
- University Museum of Natural History
Map & Location
What's Nearby
See What They Say
“This time we're taking no prisoners.
You've been bad. We know. It's time to pay for all those second rate hotel rooms, the third rate room service, oh, the travel inn expresslodge travesty of it all. This time you're going down. Guilty as charged.
Imagine a prison that's a hotel. (I'm sure you've stayed in a few) Now imagine a prison that's suddenly a luxury boutique hotel in Oxford, destination brasserie and hang-out for high-life hoodlums. Pinch yourself. You're doing time at the Mal.”
Other Reviews
Malmaison Oxford
Near Oxford’s city centre, the thick walls of this former prison offer guests the chance to sleep in a converted cell complete with barred windows and iron doors. Contemporary furnishing, a buzzing cocktail bar, and a popular brasserie make this hotel a memorable and unique base for exploring the 'dreaming spires'.
Originally published by The Telegraph (view article)
Prisons converted into hotels – in pictures
The Malmaison hotel in Oxford was converted from Oxford prison
Originally published by The Guardian (view article)
Hotel Overview
Recommended for
- City Style
- Modern hotel in the heart of historic Oxford
Activities
- Learning
- Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
- Other Activities
- Oxford River Cruises
- Local markets
- Oxford Covered Market
- Close to nightlife
- Great walks
- Sights nearby
- Bridge of Sighs
- Designer Shopping
- Visit the many smart boutiques
- Museums
- University Museum of Natural History
Other highlights
- Free wifi
- Theme hotel
- Former prison, and you sleep in the cells.
- Sit-out Terrace
- Contemporary
- Restaurant
- Historic
- Pet friendly
- Quirky
- Child friendly