Shrewsbury Prison to be turned into boutique hotel

A former prison that has featured in TV dramas and celebrity reality show Banged Up is to become a hotel.

The old HMP Shrewsbury site will have 20 bedrooms and a restaurant, with its owners saying guests will get to explore the building's past.

Talks about the Grade II-listed jail becoming a hotel first took place in 2014, a year after inmates moved out.

Cove Group chief executive Joel Campbell said the project was about "preserving a piece of history".

Immersive experiences on offer when the hotel opens will include Prison Break, where guests don orange jump-suits and try to escape from their cell.

The redevelopment of the historic jail - built in 1793 - will also include conference facilities and a 72-space car park with provisions for electric vehicle charging, accessible parking and bike racks.

A company spokesperson said conversion work had begun at the back of the site on Monday.

They said the building was "expanding and evolving" and the hotel was an added extra to the prison.

It is not the first prison in the UK to be re-modelled as a hotel.

Back in 2005, the 11th Century former jail in the middle of Oxford was converted into a Malmaison hotel.

More recently, Business Insider reported the venue had been criticised for becoming a destination for social media influencers to take their selfies.

After the firm that took over Bodmin Jail when it shut went into administration in 2009, it was also converted into a hotel.

Guests there can now enjoy a Dark Walk Experience, as part of the recently opened £8.5m immersive visitor experience.

Cove Group first purchased a short-term lease on Shrewsbury prison in 2015 before taking full ownership.

Mr Campbell said turning it into a hotel would be a "thrilling venture".

"This project is not just about preserving a piece of history; it's about redefining the visitor experience," he said.

"I am excited to see how this development will not only honour the past but also pave the way for a new era of sustainable tourism."

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