Lock it in: YHA jail hostel set to open
Tourists can soon rest their heads where some of WA's most depraved prisoners once stayed.
YHA's accommodation at Fremantle Prison is almost complete after five years in the making.
The budget accommodation group has converted the women's quarters into a 196-bed hostel targeted mainly at international travellers.
YHA WA chief executive Domenic Pimpinella said the site would cater for a range of visitors.
"We will have private and shared dorms and cottage accommodation," he said. "We have adapted prison cells into two-bed dorms and built a new area for private accommodation.
"The three cottages can house eight people and are designed for families or groups."
He said he wanted visitors to get an insight into the prison's significance in WA's history through their stay at the hostel.
"We are looking at having the interpretation of the prison displayed around the hostel with stories, pictures and artefacts so people can walk around and absorb its history," he said.
"We're also looking to get prison outfits for the staff."
Jail tours were expected to be included in package deals.
Fremantle Prison's status as a World Heritage site added to the challenge of redeveloping it.
"It was a big task. We first identified the site in 2009 and got approval to build in 2013," Mr Pimpinella said.
"There were a lot of changes along the way. The project was shelved a number of times."
Mr Pimpinella hopes the accommodation will be complete by March, with online bookings available in April.
