What a unique experience! Yes, you stay in a real jail cell, bu the bed is comfortable and the room is warm. And going for a wander around the grounds to view the history of the place is fabulous! As a bonus, it is SO peaceful...you might not expect that, but it is actually very relaxing to stay there!

I say this only with great reluctance: the toilet and shower facilities are separate from your cell/room. Like you wouldn't have expected this I suppose? It's a jail after all! But you must be aware that the toilet and shower facilities are shared, and this might not be acceptable for some people.

Loved spending the night in a place with history. Lots of information about the goal located around the site. The room as expected was small- it was a goal cell after all. The bed was comfortable- a double so giants beware. Any larger would not fit the room :) The heater warmed the room nicely. The kitchen area was clean and had what we needed. Lots of styles of cells to choose from. Having courtyards the goal would suit a group of friends or family get together. I understand you can hire the full complex. Good walking distance to the city pubs. Parking out the front. Some rooms have shared facilities. Remember, you are booking an experience. I\f your after luxury then this is not the place for you.

Nothing to mention. Get into the spirit of things and imagine how things were for the inmates.

The gaol cell experience was fun. The kitchen was well equipped. The reading material in the lounge was good. The historic information and the fact that we were living in such a well known building was very good.

Even though it was a cold night I would have liked some fresh air in the cell. I accepted that I was experiencing it as inmates would, in a way. My husband said, as we left, that there might have been a possibility of opening a louvre window above the door. There was a dim light in the room all night.

I knew staying at an old converted gaol was going to be an experience, but it really was better than I expected it to be. Around the time of our stay, Mt Gambier was experiencing a crazy thunderstorm and gale. Despite that, we were pretty warm. James has done a fantastic job making the rooms liveable without taking away from the Gaol experience. The common washroom was right next door, and it had really hot water, too.

Nothing really

This was such a unique experience; we stayed in Cell 21 with private toilet and really enjoyed the share kitchen and common lounge areas. The cell was warm and cosy and great for our one night stay. The grounds were so well kept and we loved reading the history and leisurely wandering the site. James and the prison cats were very welcoming and made us feel right at home. Located right in town and a couple of minutes drive to Blue Lake which was the purpose of the trip.

Authenticity of experience-yet modernised. Staying in a prison, sleeping in cells, the yards, gardens and all the information made it come alive and felt like I was in a movie. Wonderful location as able to walk to town and lake lookout. James was very helpful and knowledgeable. Would definitely stay again and recommend.

Unfortunately our rooms opened onto kitchen and outdoor eating common space. Woken around 7.30am to smoke detector twice, loud talking and crying child. Just life but kinda killed the vibe a bit 😕

Thanks James for a wonder stay! We loved the unique experience of staying in a historic building and learning about its past. The room and the common areas were very clean and the kitchen was well stocked with utensils and cutlery, great for cooking a quick meal or just making a cuppa. The family had a lot of fun playing games in the meals area :) And thank you so much for the dress up photo shoot before we were 'set free' :) It was a great experience and I highly recommend it to anyone (including families) wanting a different experience, not to mention the very reasonable price!

None

A unique experience. Great place to explore. A great stay. Comfortable. Great kitchen facilities and outdoor spaces.

My young adult son not like no door to toilet in cell room lol! Be good to have a cell exactly how it was in working prison to choose say 1 hr time out w no phone like a prisoner and be given a story of a crime we may have pretended to committed and be fed something similar to past.

It's a really cool building. The informational plaques around the jail were very interesting to read. The space was well kept and very pretty, though there was lots of outdoor space, which was unfortunate as it rained while we were there. The room was surprisingly cozy, as was the chapel hang-out area and the kitchen. Kitchen was well stocked. The water pressure was good in the shower and the water heated up quickly.

The room was a bit small for two people and our bags. The light was out in the bathroom, which was ok since there was a window which provided light from outside. The paint was chipping off the walls a little bit in the room.

Stayed in Cell 2 overlooking the courtyard. Excellent execution to turn a prison into comfortable and cosy hostel. Great information boards on the history and life of the prisoners felt like a live-in museum. Nice common facilities were also good. Overall good experience and great value. Room was very clean, and freshly painted.

No weather protection (Eg. awning) over the cell door, so easy for room to get wet with limited space for shoes.