The Interlude

The idea of opening a hotel inside Melbourne’s former Pentridge Prison feels like a risky proposition, but the designers of the Interlude pulled it off with aplomb. Many of this stately building’s original features remain intact, from the dramatic entryway flanked by twin turrets to the panopticon, atrium, vaulted red-brick ceilings, and long corridors lined with rough bluestone. But walls have been knocked down to create the hotel’s stylish suites — each occupies the space of four or five prison cells — and cozy fires burn in the onetime jail yard, now a venue for open-air wine and cheese tastings. A particular highlight is the lantern-illuminated subterranean pool, available to book for hour-long private sessions.