Review of Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa, by Angela Moore

Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa is a conversion of four Renaissance and Baroque houses on a quiet street in Mala Strana, Prague. The hotel is decorated in a frothily ornate, neo-Baroque style, which may be too much for some people. Others will love the romance, the decadence and the great sense of fun.

It is certainly not understated. Downstairs, every room is filled with things - gilded cherubs, leggy marble-topped tables, striped silks, lamps hung with strands of beads, crystal chandeliers. Ceilings are stuccoed to within an inch of their lives and painted with riotous cherubs and climbing vines. The Italian owner found much of the furniture and artwork himself, and some of it is astounding, like the delicate hand-painted French wallpaper in the restaurant.

The Alchymist's owner also found the amazing carved Indonesian box bed in the cellar spa and sushi bar, where the style suddenly switches to neo-Bali. The spa and gym are extensive, offering a wide selection of treatments in a space lit by a crystal chandelier. The series of public rooms are large and high-ceilinged enough to take this assault on the senses, so they don't look cluttered. There is also enough space so that you can always find a quiet corner to sit in and in summer the restaurant opens into a little private courtyard terrace.

The 46 rooms are very romantic, still eccentrically decorated but much less ornate than the public spaces. Double rooms and junior suites are very spacious, with huge beds, lovely wooden floors, more crystal chandeliers and lashings of gold leaf. Each room has a couple of lovely antiques in it. Bathrooms are great, with lots of space, Italian marble and rain showers as well as tubs. Mod cons like air-conditioning, flatscreen TVs and CD players come as standard with every room.

The Royal and Royal Deluxe suites are very charming, with wooden beams running through the rooms and little kitchenettes. The Alchymist Suite will have lots of honeymoon appeal, with its four-poster bed, oversized bathroom and freestanding bath tub. There is also a suite that would suit a family, with a fully equipped kitchenette and two bedrooms, one with twin beds.