Sleep Behind Bars… Around the World 🌎
At Discover the Frog, we’re not particularly interested in simply finding you a nice hotel.
We’re interested in finding you somewhere you’ll still be talking about when you get home. 🐸
And that’s exactly why we went looking beyond Europe…
Because former prisons have been transformed into some seriously unexpected places to stay all around the world. From historic jails in the USA, to fascinating former prisons in Australia and Japan, there are plenty of stories hiding behind those old walls.
Some still have cells, ironwork and original architecture. Others have been transformed into stylish hotels where you’d never guess what the building used to be.
And that’s the fun of it.
You could simply book a hotel… or you could sleep somewhere with a story.
So come and explore our collection of unique prison stays around the world, and see where the Frog can take you next. 🌎🔒🐸
Because at Discover the Frog, we don’t just find places to stay — we find adventures.
🇦🇺 Australia — The Interlude, Melbourne
Fancy checking into a former maximum-security prison? Melbourne can make that happen. 🐸
The Interlude occupies part of Pentridge Prison in Coburg, a notorious former prison complex that operated from the 1850s until 1997. Rather than hiding its past, the hotel has made the building’s history part of the experience.
Its 19 suites have been created by combining four or five original prison cells, retaining features such as the bluestone walls, vaulted brick ceilings, barred windows and historic corridors. The result is an extraordinary combination of prison architecture and modern luxury — complete with beautifully designed interiors and a subterranean pool. (Time Out Worldwide)
And Melbourne itself makes this an easy addition to a wider Australian adventure. Imagine a few nights in the city, a stay inside Pentridge Prison, then heading off to the Great Ocean Road, Tasmania, Sydney or further into Australia.
Now that’s a hotel with a story. 🔒🐸
🇯🇵 Japan — HOSHINOYA Nara Prison
This one is seriously unusual.
HOSHINOYA Nara Prison opened in June 2026 inside the former Nara Prison, a remarkable red-brick Meiji-era building completed in 1908. The prison was later renamed Nara Juvenile Prison and continued operating as a correctional facility until it closed in 2017. It was designated a National Important Cultural Property that same year. (Hoshino Resorts)
Today, the historic complex has been transformed into a 48-room luxury hotel, while retaining the distinctive central guardhouse and radial cell-block layout. Former cell spaces have been connected and reimagined as spacious suites, creating a stay that is about heritage and architecture as much as accommodation. (Hoshino Resorts)
There’s even a Nara Prison Museum on the site, allowing guests and visitors to explore the history of the building and the Japanese correctional system. Hotel guests have direct access to the museum through a dedicated pathway. (Hoshino Resorts)
And this is where it gets very Discover the Frog…
You could build a Japanese adventure around Tokyo → Nara → Kyoto → Osaka, with a night or two inside this extraordinary former prison as one of the highlights.
Because sometimes the most memorable part of a holiday is where you choose to sleep. 🐸🔒🇯🇵
🇨🇦 HI Ottawa Jail Hostel — Ottawa
Ever wondered what it would be like to spend the night in a real historic jail? In Ottawa, you can find out. 🔒🐸
HI Ottawa Jail Hostel occupies the former Carleton County Gaol, a 19th-century jail in the heart of Ottawa. The building dates from the 1860s and retains much of its original character, including stone walls, barred windows and the distinctive cell blocks.
Today, the former jail has been transformed into hostel accommodation, giving travellers the chance to experience a very different side of Ottawa — quite literally sleeping inside a piece of the city’s history.
And its central location makes it easy to combine with Ottawa’s major sights, including Parliament Hill, the ByWard Market and the Rideau Canal.
It’s certainly not your standard city-break accommodation — but that’s rather the point.
At Discover the Frog, we like hotels that come with a story. And this one definitely does. 🐸🇨🇦🔒
