Prague Picks: a Selection of the Best Luxury Hotels in Prague by Angela Moore
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Prague, apparently, is edging up on Paris as Europe’s most-visited capital city. It certainly feels busy, with a constant conveyor belt of tourists moving down Nerudova, over the Charles Bridge and into the Old Town Square, where they jam solidly under the Astronomical Clock. Duck off the main drag, though, and it can still seem that you have this whole, magical, beautiful city to yourself.
So it comes as little surprise that there's now a fine selection of world class luxury hotels in Prague. The city is immensely walkable, which means that location is not a big factor in choosing your hotel. A few things, though – Wenceslas Square is an ugly traffic-choked boulevard, so avoid; Nerudova and the area under Prague Castle, though touristy during the day, is amazingly quiet at night; and the Old Town Square is loud and busy at all times, so avoid hotels right on the Square.
Romantic Hotels in Prague
Prague is a romantic city, so you’ll probably want a romantic hotel. Many of these follow the same pattern – beautiful medieval features like painted wooden ceilings, dark wood, polished floors, creamy white walls. With its stunning rooftop views and fine historical premises, the Golden Well is an excellent example of this traditional, old-Prague style.
My hands-down favourite romantic hotel, though, is the Alchymist Residence Nosticova. Tucked away discreetly down a cobbled street in embassy-land, it’s an unpretentious delight, with elegant, high-ceilinged suites and a medieval staircase. It’s much-booked by Hollywood stars filming in Prague. The attached restaurant, the Alchymist, is unmissable (for the fantastical décor rather than the food.)
High Design Hotels in Prague
As Prague gains confidence as a tourist destination, its hotels get better and better and more and more experimental. A couple of new design hotels have opened here. You can get Philippe Starck-style minimalism at 987; extremely comfy rooms and hilarious Dr Zeuss-effect décor at the Hotel Yasmin.
Design purists, though, should choose the Hotel Josef, one of Prague’s earliest design hotels and still one of the best. Designed and built from scratch by Czech designer Eva Jiricna, it is luminous, ultra-modern, with lots of glass. It’s also very well-positioned, five minutes from the Old Town Square.
Boutique Hotels in Prague
There are only a few boutique hotels that really stand out in Prague. The first is Hotel U Zlateho Kola ('The Golden Wheel'). It’s toward the top of Nerudova, under the Castle. Downstairs, there’s a chic little café-bar; upstairs are 17 simple, elegant rooms. It’s just wonderful and relatively undiscovered, so very good value.
In complete contrast to the Golden Wheel’s simple elegance, The Alchymist Grand Hotel is a madly OTT confection of gilt, cherubs, mirrors and hand-painted wallpapers. It’s lots of fun and rooms are actually very good, spacious, some with four-posters. Finally, we've been hearing very good things about the Ventana Hotel, also just off the Old Town Square.
Two More Surprise Winners...
Hotel Maximilian, in the wonderful Josefov, is another Eva Jiricna hotel (though it was refurbished, not built from scratch). The hotel is more conventional than others in the TI collection, with handsome but not ground-breakingly contemporary rooms. Why it’s so good is that it’s just so user-friendly. There’s a spa, tvs and dvd players, free internet access in the computer room, an honesty bar, free tea and coffee and pastries all day. Other than room service food, which is pretty dire, everything just works so well.
We also loved the Hotel Le Palais. It’s expensive and quite refined; it’s also stuck a cab-ride from town in a residential suburb. It’s marvellous, though. The rooms are all fresh and bright, in spring colours, with enormous bay windows. The outdoor terrace has views and is perfect for a hot summer afternoon. Other than its superb service, great food, wonderfully comfortable rooms and loads of thoughtful extras, the whole place just has a charm that’s all its own. Well worth the cab ride into town.
Looking for a stylish place to stay in the Czech capital? See our full selection of luxury hotels in Prague.