Robbie Knox

We Spent the Night in PRISON

The video follows presenters Robbie Knox and Steph Toms as they spend a night in Bodman Jail, an 18th‑century Cornish prison that has been partially transformed into a boutique hotel. Built in 1779, the jail was the first in Britain to house inmates in separate cells, a design that set the standard for modern prisons. After a £65 million, five‑year refurbishment, the site now offers 70 guest rooms built around the original cells, a champagne bar, and a soft‑drink lounge. A high‑tech museum walks visitors through the jail’s grim past—thousands of prisoners, public executions that drew tens of thousands of spectators, and even the wartime storage of the Doomsday Book. The hosts contrast the historic brutality with today’s comforts, noting the irony of sipping champagne where executions once took place. They point out details such as the individual cell histories, the interactive water‑spray exhibit, and the quirky banter about prison food versus the hotel’s gourmet menu. Bodman Jail’s conversion illustrates a broader trend of repurposing heritage sites for experiential tourism, generating new revenue streams while preserving history. For the hospitality industry, it signals growing consumer demand for themed stays that blend education with luxury.