We’ve just spent the night in a fabulously renovated 18th century jail, thats now become the luxurious Bodmin Jail Hotel. Located on the mysterious Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, it’s way up there in one of the coolest and most unique places we’ve ever stayed.
I was after a super unique hotel for James’ birthday weekend, and I’m pretty confident a Grade II listed 18th century renovated prison, that once housed hundreds of criminals ticked that box rather nicely!
The jail hotel looked absolutely stunning too, so I quickly booked it. Keeping the whole weekend, along with all the plans a complete surprise. He had no idea where we were staying until we drove in through the towering stone walls of Bodmin jail.
We found a space in the hotel’s own carpark, and registered our cars numberplate to get free parking. Then we headed inside and checked in with the lovely receptionist, who gave us directions on how to find our cell. Or room, if you’d rather!
As soon as you enter Bodmin Jail Hotel, theres no hiding the fact that you’re stood inside an old prison. With rows of cells lining the cold bare stone walls, and internal balustrades with skeleton staircases taking you up the remaining 3 stories. It’s pretty much the same traditional prison layout you’d see on TV. Only this is a whole lot nicer, and far more luxurious! No creepy vibes yet. So far, so good.
In this article...
What are the rooms like in the Bodmin Jail Hotel?
We found our bright yellow cell door on the Navel wing of Bodmin prison, where we stayed in room 124. Inside each room you’ll discover a plaque, sharing information about a former prisoner who once stayed in your exact room many moons ago.
Ours was a man named Nicholas Guard who was sent to jail for knifing 20 year old James Hoskin. He was later held in our cell prior to his execution on the 10th September 1821. We enjoyed reading about him, and thought it was a fun way of adding an extra touch of history to our room. I bet some people’s stories are worse then others!
Bodmin Jail Hotel have created their luxurious and spacious hotel rooms by merging 3 former jail cells together. Two of the cells have been opened up to create an open plan bedroom and living area. Whilst the third cell has been transformed into a gorgeous bathroom with rainfall shower and a deep free standing bathtub. Bliss.
There’s a huge mirror (complete with soft ambient back lighting) that spans the entire width of the room, creating the illusion of an airier space. Which is great, seeing as theres only a tiny cell window in here.
We loved how they kept all the rustic stone work. Along with the slit cell windows with original iron bars, and the heavy duty cell doors. Anything historic that could be saved, has been blended seamlessly with modern day luxuries and high quality soft furnishings. Giving you all the comfort you need for a night or weekend away.
Even though the modern hotel rooms are now uber luxurious, and entirely spruced up from the cold dank jail cells they once were. You can still feel it’s gruesome history trapped within its haunted stone walls, and appreciate that this building was once a working prison.
In my opinion, Bodmin Jail Hotel has achieved the perfect balance between old and new. Renovating the former Cornish prison into a stylish and comfortable hotel. They have done it without loosing this buildings history or character, and thats what makes this stay so special and memorable.
Do they provide anything in the prison cell hotel rooms?
Bodmin Jail Hotel provided us with single use slippers, and lovely thick white robes to use whilst there. But rolled up on the bed were two Bodmin jail t-shirt’s, plus a little note saying they’re ours to keep. We thought that made a fun souvenir to bring home.
They also had a hairdryer and a large wardrobe, which is perfect to unpack on a longer stay. Plus a mini bar which had a couple bottles of Bodmin jail branded water. Finally, over by the TV they had a selection of tea and coffee sachets. All displayed in a cute wooden box for your choosing.
A selection of luxe mini Noble Isle toiletries were provided in the bathroom, using their ‘Summer Rising – Cornish Hedgerow’s’ collection. Noble Isle actually source their organic elderflower and gooseberry from the nearby Victorian gardens at The Lost Gardens of Heligan. Another fantastic place to visit in Cornwall.
I thought this was a really lovely touch, and showed great attention to detail.
Food & drink options at Bodmin Jail Hotel
For evening drinks, the hotel has a Champagne Bar where you can enjoy a broad wine & cocktail menu. Including all the classics, or you could try something a little more unusual with one of the fun Bodmin Jail cocktail creations.
As for food, they have two restaurants on site. The Chapel Restaurant offers contemporary fine dining in the former prison chapel. This looks very swanky on their website photos, and would make for a special dining experience.
If fine dining isn’t your jam, they have another restaurant called The Courtyard Restaurant. This one is bistro-styled and offers all day dining from mediterranean dishes like crispy calamari to slow-braised pork belly. They also offer a selection of family pleasing pizzas, or, on Sunday’s, you can devour a delicious hearty roast.
Breakfast at Bodmin Jail Hotel
Breakfast is served in The Chapel from 7am-11am and was included in our stay. We arrived around 8:30am and it was pretty quiet at that time in the morning. A buffet table was in the middle of the room where you could help yourself to fresh fruit, cereals and heavenly pain-au chocolates. There was a selection of fruit juices in dispensers on the side too.
Breakfast didn’t stop there though, you could also order something from the main menu. We both chose a full Cornish fry up, which was really tasty. If I had to pick fault, the only thing i’d say, is the toast was more like limp warm bread. But apart from that, all the food was really tasty and we very much enjoyed our breakfast in The Chapel.
Is the Bodmin Jail Attraction included in your hotel stay?
Attached to the Bodmin Jail Hotel is the Bodmin Jail Attraction. Here you can dive deep into the dark, dreary history of the prison, whilst learning about he mixed-bag of people who once lived there.
Sadly tickets to The Bodmin Jail Attraction aren’t included in your hotel stay. However, I recommend you pay to visit whilst you’re in the area. It was worth the extra money, and it was one of the best attractions I’ve been to in a long time!
You begin with ‘the dark walk’ which must have cost thousands to create. It uses the most amazing holograms to tell and guide you through the story. In order to keep this attraction a surprise to future guests there is no photography rule whilst inside that part, so I don’t have any photo’s to share.
Self guided tickets cost £19.50 each. But you can spend a little extra for a guided tour, or a paranormal experience! (You’ll need to be over 12 years old for that)
Tip: If you have booked the attraction whilst staying at Bodmin Jail Hotel, let reception know. You can enter your car’s registration again which will give you free parking whilst you explore the jail attraction.
Final thoughts on Bodmin Jail Hotel
We really enjoyed our stay at the luxurious Bodmin Jail Hotel. You don’t get much more unique than sleeping inside an 18th century renovated prison, plus it makes for great memories. The whole place is fabulous and I honestly couldn’t fault it. I also highly recommend doing the Bodmin Jail Attraction whilst you’re here.
Would you like to sleep inside the same walls as past criminals? If so, book a reservation here!
Check out my video of Bodmin Jail Hotel below!
Pin it for later:
Check out my latest posts
- The Dutchy Barn, Tregoose Old Mill: Romantic Stay in Cornwall
- Explore Kinderdijk Windmills: The Perfect Day Trip From Rotterdam
- DIY Garage Conversion: Building a Home Office on a Budget
- Creating a Practical and Low Maintenance Side Garden on a Budget
- Chilly’s Series 2 Bottle & Flip Lid Duo Review: Hit or Miss?