The Malmaison Group – which is operated by Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB) along with the Hotel du Vin chain – is set to open its new 94-room hotel in Oxford in November this year.

The hotel, which is located in Oxford Castle – a World Heritage Site which was built in 1071 and used as a prison until the mid-1990s – will maintain a historic atmosphere.

The original execution chamber will remain in the basement, the solitary confinement cells will be transformed into wine-tasting rooms and two suites will be created in the House of Correction and the Governor’s House.

The grade II listed hotel will feature a cognac bar with a billiard table, a roof terrace, a restaurant, bars and an art gallery.

MWB has also announced that it has secured £105m in funding for the planned expansion of its boutique hotels. It aims to develop five new Malmaison properties and five new Hotel du Vin sites by 2007.

Construction has started on a new 131-room hotel in Liverpool, while planning consent has been granted for a site in Reading. Details: www.malmaison.com