How much would you pay to spend the evening in an office block or prison?

Well it may be considerably more than you think, thanks to two new hotels that have been converted from the aforementioned buildings. And in what seems to be unofficial hotel opening week, the first is The Apex City of London.

Situated in the centre of the Square Mile, the ex-commercial edifice is a handy pied-à-terre for any city types or suburbanites suffering from retail exhaustion. The melamine workstations and cord carpets have been ripped out and the four star hotel has had a transformation that would shame Cinderella.

Apart from the luxuriously understated rooms, louche cocktail bar and opulent Appendum restaurant, it's just a stone's throw from the Tower of London.

And speaking of being incarcerated, that brings me neatly to Malmaison's new Oxford venture. The ex-penal complex has been given the full boutique makeover, so you won't find narrow bunk beds and stainless steel toilet bowls.

But don't feel too guilty about such self indulgent decadence; they are offering reduced rates (ooh), upgrades (ah), and are even throwing in a bottle of Veuve till Jan.

And for that I'd quite gladly get locked up for the evening.