Checked in, locked up: Welcome to Fengselshotellet in Arendal
By Celina Tran | Photos: Fengselshotellet
Situated in the stunning Norwegian coastal town of Arendal, Fengselshotellet is one of few hotels that can firmly and wholeheartedly boast a unique stay. Unique indeed, guests here check into a place where cell service has a whole new meaning, and where serving hard time can actually be quite comfortable.
When you hear Arendal, what springs to mind might be coastal charm, a lively dockland, or a rich cultural life. While the pearl of the Norwegian south offers all that, it is also home to something slightly less dreamy. Fittingly named, Fengselshotellet (the Prison hotel) in Arendal welcomes guests into what was once a high-security prison dating back to 1862, with hard labour replaced by fresh linens and a sea breeze.
While the boutique hotel offers modern comforts, it is still deeply dedicated to its history and architecture. Guests check in only to be locked up into former cells, or rather reformed, minimalist snugs – cell block chic, if you will. Original features such as heavy doors, narrow corridors, and iron details all remain firmly in place, giving the experience an authenticity you will not find in your average getaway.
From sentences to suites
Founded in 1862, Arendal Prison was a neo-romantic style, high-security prison built to house convicted criminals imprisoned for anything from a few months to a life sentence. The conditions, which consisted of isolating cells and small outdoor areas, were so harsh that inmates were not meant to stay there longer than a year at a time before being transferred, and remained largely unchanged until its closing in 2020.
Towards the end of its lifetime, a reformed prisoner named Audun Garthe was serving an old sentence in Arendal Prison, when rumours began to circulate about the prison being put up for sale.
“I had fallen outside of society at a young age and gotten involved with the criminal world, so at the time when these rumours were going around, I was thinking about how the space could be used to educate not only young people, but also police students, prison guards, and wider society about crime and how to prevent it among youth,” says Garthe, general manager and founder of Fengselshotellet. “At first, I was trying to convince other people to buy the prison, but I couldn’t get enough investors. When it was finally bought in 2020, I figured why not just text the owner, Frode, with my idea, and soon he replied to set up a meeting.”
After this, Garthe set out to refurbish the hotel. While he wanted people to feel like they were in a prison, it should not come without its comforts – new beds, art, and furniture all rooted in a prison theme. “When we opened in 2022, I was still wearing an ankle monitor and serving the last of my sentence, possibly making me the only person in the world who’s gone from prisoner to prison director during their sentence,” he laughs.
Guided tours, crime festivals, and… kidnappings?
Today, the hotel welcomes guests from all over the world. Some choose the full experience where they stay in cells overnight, others might choose to partake in guided tours or other activities.
Garthe gives those who are interested a detailed tour around the grounds, starting in the holding cell and stretching throughout the prison. Along the way, he talks about the inmate
experience, as well as the prison’s rich history and many tales, including the one about Norway’s biggest prison break that took place in 1999.
“We also have treasure hunts, true crime rebuses, and murder mysteries to be solved in a holding cell. There’s a karate room on the third floor, an activity room in the basement with table tennis, arcade games, air hockey, and a cinema,” says Garthe.
But this is not just a novelty stay. The hotel leans into its past with stories, tours, and a touch of dark humour, inviting visitors to reflect on the building’s history while enjoying a sentence they will not want to escape, all while helping towards rehabilitation efforts and the prevention of youth criminality. “It gives me a chance to talk about how people often end up outside society and in these environments, how bullying is related to crime, and prevention, which is at the very heart of the project,” says Garthe.
The hotel gives 10 per cent back to crime preventative work and gives schools free tours and talks. To fundraise for this, it hosts an annual true crime festival at the end of August every year, where everyone from victims and rehabilitated criminals to celebrities and spies come to talk and learn. “To learn from crime, we must understand it. Through our work, we’re trying to reach out to the next generation,” Garthe stresses.
At Fengselshotellet in Arendal, the verdict is clear: this is one lock-in experience worth committing to.
Web: www.fengselshotellet.no
Facebook: Fengselshotellet i Arendal
Instagram: @fengselshotellet
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