Pentridge Prison in Coburg Melbourne turned into luxury retreat known as The Interlude

A notorious prison that once housed criminals such as Chopper Read and Ned Kelly is now welcoming those who want a relaxing weekend getaway.

Pentridge Prison in Coburg, in Melbourne’s north, has been partially converted into a luxury urban retreat named The Interlude.

The old B Division of the prison, which was once home to the last man hanged in Australia, Ronald Ryan and Chopper Read, is now welcoming guests to stay.

The 19 suites which make up The Interlude all incorporate the thick bluestone walls, with a room the size of between four to five cells.

Due to the thickness of the walls, it took nine months to create a single suite, with each one kitted out with a queen bed, a rain shower and a journaling station, with the Sanctuary suite also coming with a bath.

The accommodation has an underground pool (pictured) and a hidden cellar and also features a restaurant

The accommodation features an underground pool, a hidden cellar and also a restaurant.

The rooms start at more than $750 a night, with its Sanctuary Suite room setting guests back upwards of $1,000.

The Interlude’s General Manager Jesse Kornoff told 7News the prison has been turned from a place you would desperately want to get out of into a place which people want to stay in.

‘People are going to come and pay a lot of money to stay in a fantastic product that realistically people did everything they possibly could to get out of,’ he said.

The Interlude’s first guest was former guard Dennis Bear who worked at the prison for 16 years and he said he was ‘blown away’ by the makeover.

‘People living outside prison walls have a tendency to want to know what it’s really like in there and want to understand that history,’ he said.

‘Now they’ve got that opportunity.’

The 19 suites which make up The Interlude, all incorporate the thick bluestone walls, with a room the size of between four to five cells