“Eva Jiricna’s sleek design hotel is a minimalist haven away from the flamboyant architecture usually associated with Prague.”
Hotel Josef in Prague is the elder sibling of the Maximilian. This luxury hotel was designed and purpose-built by the Czech architect, Eva Jiricna. She wanted to build somewhere that would be a refuge from the endless flood of Prague’s decorative, baroque beauty, and this soothing and luminous luxury hotel is the result.
The facilities
The lobby at Hotel Josef is a dramatic open space, with creamy white walls, faintly green-lit glass and a long bar. One of Jiricna’s signature glass and steel staircases spirals downwards. The lobby then leads through to a small, grassy courtyard, where you can have breakfast or sit with a drink.
This, and the glass-walled breakfast room beyond, are a more cheerily comfortable take on the lobby. Location-wise, this is excellent, on the edge of the Josev (the old Jewish quarter, one of the most magical bits of Old Town Prague).
The rooms
By Prague’s standards, the 109 rooms at the Hotel Josef are relatively compact. Jiricna went all-out with the glass to compensate and make rooms seem larger (fitting in a city known for its glass.) As a result, rooms have glass walls or huge windows and glass fixtures and fittings. There are soothing neutral colours enlivened with splashes of fuchsia and tangerine.
Room categories from superiors and up also have glass bathrooms. While this can be an appalling concept, these are extremely well-executed and discreet. A large glass box with limestone-tiled floors contains wash basins and towel racks and so forth, while green opaque glass walls shield the loos and showers.
Rooms 801 and 704 are special rooms, suite-sized and with tiny balconies and great views. Both have tubs as well as showers and in 704 there are views of Prague Castle from the bath.
Amenities are good throughout: extremely comfortable beds, TVs and DVD players, robes and slippers and lots of White Company goodies in the bathrooms are available at this luxury hotel. No proper closet space will irritate some people but the expensive designer furnishings and clever modular fixtures will make up for that.
Star rating:
Address: Rybná 20, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic
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Address: Rybná 20, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic
Rates from:
EUR 95
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Who stays here
This hotel is perfect for modern design lovers, as well as tourists looking for a great base to explore the city.
Come for
- Location - just minutes off the of the Old Town Square
- Views from the top two floors
- Cool glass bathrooms
Not suitable for
- Historic features
- The glass-phobic
Children
Children are welcome to stay at the hotel, and they can organize a babysitter if needed. Extra beds also are available for families.
Eating in
There is no restaurant at this hotel, though there is a cool lobby bar. The breakfast room is in the orange building, where floor to ceiling windows overlook the courtyard and where you can eat in summer. Room service runs until 1 a.m.
