Even in a city rich with beautiful buildings, NH Collection Prague Carlo IV stands out. The grand neo-Renaissance façade, swathed in heraldic symbols and architectural allegories, has the look of a venerable royal palace. In reality, it was built in 1890 as a mortgage bank.
Today, it’s one of Prague’s most luxurious hotels. The grandiose palatial style can still be seen all throughout the property, from the marble floors and coats of arms in the lobby to the frescoes and chandeliers of the Presidential Suite. Yet there’s also a distinctly modern side to this hotel, most notably in the sleek lines of the 1890 Restaurant & Bar and the crisp minimalism of the spa.
It’s this mix of heritage elegance and contemporary luxury that makes NH Collection Prague Carlo IV one of the city’s most appealing accommodation options. And the great location doesn’t hurt, either.
- Bask in the beauty of the lobby area, a vast neoclassical hall with shiny marble floors, stuccoes with Bohemian coats of arms and antique furnishings throughout. Look out for the odd interior windows — they used to be the bank teller kiosks.
- The Vault Bar is one of the loveliest rooms in Prague, made of all dark woods and gleaming surfaces. You’ll also find thick walls, wrought iron doors and finely crafted locks, which reveal its glorious past as a bank vault.
- The Prague hotel is in an ideal location, just a five-minute walk from the main train station and 10 minutes from Wenceslas Square and the Old Town Square. Yet it’s just far enough from the tourist epicenter to make it a respite from the selfie-snapping hordes.
- Head underground to explore one of the city’s most impressive spas, complete with a tranquil blue mosaic-tiled heated pool under a vaulted ceiling, a fitness studio and three treatment rooms.
- For total relaxation try one of the spa’s complex packages that combine facial and body treatments.
- On arrival, it isn’t crystal clear where you are supposed to go. Walk straight through the double doors into the grand lobby, then look left — there will be someone waiting to help you behind the check-in desk.
- Skip the elevator when heading up to your room.Carlo IV has some spectacular staircases with alabaster columns and restored frescoes on the walls that you won’t want to miss.
- There are two nearly identical presidential suites in this luxury hotel. So don’t worry if there’s a visiting head of state in town; there may be space for you, too.
- The gym is state-of-the-art but small. It’s fine for a casual user, but not for a fitness buff.
- The rooms in the modern part of this Prague
hotel are individually furnished in a deluxe contemporary style, with marble
bathrooms and silk wallpaper adding extra decadence.
- The suites in the older building of Carlo IV feature handpicked 19th-century furnishings to complement the high decorative
ceilings and lavish period features.
- All 152 accommodations, including the two presidential
suites and the 13 suites, are the work of renowned Italian designer
Maurizio Papiri.
- This neo-Renaissance building
is not merely handsome — it is also rich in meaning. On the luxury hotel’s
façade, look out for the heraldic lion (the ancient symbol of the Kingdom of
Bohemia) as well as the banking allegory of “labour, land, capital and profit.”
- Inside, the lobby is
decorated in the coats of arms of all the most important cities of Bohemia. The
modern part of the building is covered in glass frames decorated with green and
red leaves.
- The Prague hotel’s mix of classical
architecture and contemporary design is best demonstrated by standing in the door
between the main lobby and the 1890 Restaurant & Bar. You won’t find such a stark transition
from the old to the new anywhere else, but it works well.
Bar
Gym
Indoor pool
Restaurants
Spa
