Hotel Maximilian, Prague, Czech Republic

The Maximilian is a relatively new luxury hotel in Prague, re-opened in 2005 after a complete interior reconstruction by renowned Czech architect, Eva Jiricna (who also designed the sister hotel, Josef) with nods to Bauhaus and Art Deco. It’s well thought-out in both design and services, so it’s very comfortable and easy to be in.

The facilities

Downstairs, glass walls enclose a library with colourful clusters of chairs and a drawing room in soothing creams and coffees. The drawing room at this luxury hotel has a little kitchen which offers an honesty bar and a constant supply of complimentary teas, coffee and cakes. There’s also a business area with a couple of computers, internet access and a printer, all free of charge – very useful. Buffet breakfasts are served in an elegant glass-and-steel room with a courtyard off to one side.

This luxury hotel is chic without being off-putting, so that you feel comfortable coming downstairs for a cup of tea in clubbing gear and trainers or a business suit. There’s an excellent mix of guests – British grandparents, American businessmen, young European couples. Location-wise, it is hard to beat – on an ancient, quiet street facing St Agnes Monastery, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town Square. The surrounding streets dive off into alleyways and courtyards, home to coffee shops and jazz bars, marionette workshops and hidden restaurants. For R&R, there’s a spa complete with Prague’s only flotation tank.

Staff at the luxury hotel are hard-working and generally friendly, though they occasionally get swamped at check-out time. A few balls are dropped (a dvd player that does not work, bathrooms that could do with touching up) but overall Maximilian gets it right.

The rooms

Rooms are quiet and comfortable, with dark masculine colour schemes. Beds are large and super-comfortable, piled high with feather pillows. Double rooms are compact but never cramped; superior rooms are better bets, with enough room for a sofa, and extra touches like LCD TVs and free DVD rental. At all rooms in the luxury hotel, the bathrooms are large, with plate-sized showerheads, lots of towels and generous helpings of White Company toiletries. Soundproofing is effective enough and anyway most rooms face the internal courtyard, guaranteeing quiet nights.

Rooms to book: try 206, a graceful and romantic superior double with large windows opening onto a tiny, standing-room-only wrought iron balcony looking onto the monastery. The suite, 406, also has views of the monastery and has a very sexy glass bathroom, with a freestanding Philippe Starck bathtub and a loo and shower discreetly hidden behind green opaque glass.