Tried & Tested

Hotel check: Crowne Plaza Prague

29 Jul 2011 by BusinessTraveller

BACKGROUND A Grade II listed national monument, the four-star hotel was originally built as a luxury meeting space for army delegates of the Soviet Union, and was first named “Hotel Druzba”, meaning “collective.” It has been a Crowne Plaza for ten years now, and is the second in the Czech capital. Other Intercontinental Hotel Group properties in the city include the Intercontinental Prague and two Holiday Inn hotels. 

WHAT’S IT LIKE? The 254-room hotel maintains its original Socialist Realist architecture and character, with its mainly unelaborate décor combined with the grand, imposing feel of the building. However, being intended as a luxury hotel, there are subtle touches of glamour to its design, and it’s interesting to see how these exist while upholding Communist ethics of restraint.

A red-carpeted staircase leads you from the lobby entrance up to the hotel’s main restaurant, Harvest, and the lobby itself has a high ceiling and gleaming marble surfaces. Throughout the 15 floors of the hotel, the décor remains simplistic yet stately. The artwork includes carvings, tapestries and sculptures themed around Czech history and culture, for example most of the 16 meeting spaces are named after Czech legends, and the “Bruncvik” room contains a wooden carving of the knight, where it’s said that his eyes follow you around the room wherever you stand. The hotel boasts the largest conference facilities in Prague and is well tailored towards business clientele.

WHERE IS IT? A fifteen-minute drive from both Prague Airport and the city centre, the Crowne Plaza Prague feels a little far out from where you want to be, but its location does come in handy for catching a flight. It’s situated opposite a tram roundabout, although work is underway to close the closest station to the hotel and move it up the road- the new station named “Zelena” opens September 1 and will connect to central Prague. The hotel also neighbours Prague’s army quarter.

ROOM FACILITIES I stayed in a Tower Suite on the 8th floor. There was a pleasant view of the tram roundabout from my window, and good natural light entering the room. The suite felt spacious and comfortable, and it had warm yellow and taupe colours with contemporary décor that would suit most tastes. The bed consisted of two twins joined together and was piled with plump pillows.

The large lounge area of the suite had a good-sized desk, and a small sofa complete with a coffee table. There was great storage throughout the suite, with wooden cupboards that concealed a laptop safe, ironing board, hairdryer, minibar and tea and coffee making facilities. There were flatscreen TVs in both the lounge and the bedroom, but they only had pay-per-view films and local radio station channels. The white-tiled bathroom had a shower over the bath, White Company toiletries and a complimentary toothbrush and toothpaste. A bottle of water cost £2.90, and internet was charged at £15 for 24 hours.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS Crowne Plaza Prague has two restaurants.  Harvest is the main restaurant for guests – its entrance is draped with tapestries of idyllic Communist scenes of farmers and their families at work, while the décor inside is classical, with cream and peach furnishings and elements of grandeur with its chandeliers and columns.

I tried the breakfast buffet, which offered cakes, breads, fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, cheeses, cereals, sausages, bacon, eggs, juices and there were tea and coffee-making machines for cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolates. The atmosphere was relaxed and waiters were clearing tables efficiently. Breakfast is served from 6am to 10.30am on weekdays and is free for guests. Harvest is open from 12am-3pm for lunch and 6pm-11pm in the evenings, serving both international and Czech cuisine. Main courses cost from £10.

The hotels’s other restaurant, The Volcano Grill and Garden Restaurant, is located in the hotel’s secluded gardens. It feels like an Alpine lodge with chalet-style wooden walls. This restaurant is exclusively for events and corporate groups, with a capacity of 180. It serves traditional Czech dishes and offers folk dancing and music as entertainment.

Armstrong Bar, located at one end of the hotel lobby, pays tribute to Louis Armstrong’ visit to the hotel in 1964- the black and white photography is a point of interest. It has cozy places to sit and socialise, with coffee tables and plug sockets for laptops. Tall windows and bright muslin curtains give warmth to the cool, grand marble walls and floors, and the sleek wooden bar serves beers for just over £3 as well as offering a selection of tobacco products. There is also a bookshelf and a flatscreen TV showing Sky Sports channels. Live piano performances entertain guests in the evening.

The Sky Lounge bar on the top floor of the hotel is similar in style, with bright orange and lime green furnishings combined with marble surfaces. However, it has a more luxurious feel –it is reached via a wide stairwell with intricate gold grape designs within its bannisters, and there is a mosaic in the central wall of the lounge. A 360-degree balcony surrounds the lounge and offers beautiful city views. Entry is free for guests staying in Executive Rooms and Suites, and others can pay £30 for access.

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The hotel boasts 16 meeting spaces over three floors. The largest of these is the Congress Hall on the ground floor, which can hold 380 delegates and backs out onto a gallery and the hotel gardens. All rooms have good daylight, high ceilings and are typically corporate with classical-looking chairs and features. Internet is charged at the same rate as in the hotel rooms, and AV facilities are available. The hotel has a small business centre, which can be used for free by event organisers.

LEISURE FACILITIES There is a fitness centre for guests, open from 6am to 10pm, which has a sauna and offers massage treatments, although there is no separate spa.

VERDICT An interesting business hotel with great bars and good access to the airport.

FACT FILE

HOW MANY ROOMS? The hotel has 254 rooms divided into four categories: Standard, Deluxe, Superior, Executive Rooms and Tower Suites. The third floor is a smoking floor.

ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The amount of space and the comfortable bed.

PRICE A Tower Suite costs £180 per night including tax.

CONTACT crowneplaza.com

Rose Dykins

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