Review: W Prague Hotel

I want to start this article by stating that the W Prague is the very finest luxury hotel I have ever stayed at.

This may sound like an exaggeration. It isn’t. Every single thing, from the decor to the design, to the dining, and above all else, the service, was superlative. One night probably wasn’t enough to fully take into account just how great a place this was to stay.

I want to be back and encourage you to think of this as a true luxury property in Prague. With that in mind, this place is luxury and commands luxury prices on points or cash, so prepare accordingly.

Booking & Check-in

I booked a discounted cash rate for this hotel several weeks in advance. For reference, cash rates at the W Prague hover between 7,000 and 10,000 Czech Koruna (roughly ~$465 to $665 CAD), or if you are looking to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, you can expect to pay between 50,000 and 70,000 points per night.

However, I wasn’t treated like a discount customer. In fact, I had to take the following photos later in the evening because of the sheer amount of help I received. 

The hotel is built on the edifice of the historical Grand Hotel Europa (which I believe was of the continental style that inspired Wes Anderson’s film The Grand Budapest Hotel).

The second my Uber from the airport pulled up, the doorman was there helping me with my luggage. I then went through a magnificent lobby combining art deco architecture with classic European baroque painting.

In my mind, this is what elevated luxury looks like.

Once I was at the main reception, I was checked in without a hassle, and both of the receptionists were extremely welcoming and friendly. They offered me a welcome mocktail made at the downstairs bar, the Minus One, and it was delicious as they told me all about the benefits I would be enjoying as a Platinum Elite.

To be honest, I felt much better than Platinum being checked in like this. I have been Titanium Elite in many amazing hotels before, and this one treated me better than all of them, including the Westin Tokyo in the hospitality-obsessed Japan.

The best part was that I’d submitted a Marriott Bonvoy Nightly Upgrade Award Request for my stay. It was confirmed almost a week in advance, and they gave me one of the nicest rooms in the entire hotel. Did they need to? No. Did they? Yes. 

The lobby was incredible with these decorations, and as a sucker both for the classic European style and Art Deco, I was in my happy place.

I cannot overstate how happy I was with the staff. They insisted on taking my bags to my room for me. They welcomed me with open arms and showed me to my room, as well as around the hotel. Heck, one valet even went with me around the hotel at about 1 in the morning to take photos of some of the more remote locations and make sure I had cold Italian sparkling water while I did so!

This is the type of service we just don’t have in North America. It was superlative.

Location

The W Prague is located in the heart of Prague, just across the street from a huge statue of St. Wenceslas, and yes, that is the Good King Wenceslas of Christmas carol fame.

Praha 1 is the city’s administrative unit for denoting the exact center and is within walking distance from many tourist locations and government buildings, restaurants, pubs, and the other miscellany that make Prague come to life.

This also comes with premium pricing, tourist trap shops (a pizza shop next door was selling slices for about 170 Czech koruna, or ~7 euro/$12 CAD. Ripoff), and a lot of foot traffic.

Parking

Parking is available. I kind of don’t want to know the pricing, but Prague isn’t really a driver’s city. In fact, the outside of the hotel was filled with construction.

Room – Heritage Bohemia Suite, Suite, 1 King, City View

My room was on the second floor. Even the common area leading toward it had a sense of grandeur that was beautiful to behold. Look at this chandelier and these railings:

The Heritage Bohemia Suite is enormous, which is sort of misleading from the small hallway leading to its entry. It lived up to all its surroundings and then some.

Once inside, a small entryway presented itself with a bench and a circular mirror.

From there, the room opened up into an open-concept living room.

The coffee in the minibar was included, but everything else was extra. God only knows how much it must have cost.

The only downside of this particular suite was that it had no windows due to being in the interior of a hotel in the middle of an old medieval street.

After the living room, the concept moved into a bedroom with a king bed so enormous it looked more like a California king had taken up the habit of steroids.

It came with a TV at the foot of the bed, lots of complimentary water, and best of all: USB-C plugs directly installed into the power supply. I was dumb and had left my power converter in Canada, so this capability saved my phone’s battery.

Directly behind the bed, on the other side of the headboard, was a small vanity and storage area.

Next to it was an enormous set of closets stocked with the usual bathrobes and ironing boards, and completed with a safe.

The room was amazing, and one of the highlights was the historical 19th-century fireplace. The staff told me all about it because this is a true antique; in fact, it’s so old it’s a national heritage artifact according to the Czech government.

This porcelain is just gorgeous. It doesn’t work anymore, but what a piece of art.

Off to the side of the main sitting area/living room was the bathroom, this time in green tile, which must have been some kind of homage to this fireplace.

The soaps and the like were all ultra-premium. This place just felt like old-world luxury with modern design. It walked the line between looking both old school and daringly new, and won.

The walk-in shower was enormous. This was the one weak point, as the head was somewhat hard to control, but I won’t let that take away from the fact that it was great.

Restaurants & Bars

The W Prague isn’t short on places to dine or hang out, though by the time I was taking these photos (after a nice sojourn to a local cheap pub called Moskyt), they were empty. And even emptied out, they were incredible.

Before we get into the specific venues, I want to mention that there was a common area behind the lobby that sometimes had snacks/refreshments for the guests during the day.

They also stored their extensive wine collection next to it:

Now, Czechia is a beer country, and I am a beer customer. But I think this demonstrates the type of clientele the hotel attracts.

Grand Cafe – Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Complimentary Breakfast 

As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite, I was entitled to a welcome gift, which included the option of complimentary breakfast. I always take the breakfast benefit, and was not disappointed on this occasion.

It was served in the Grand Cafe, the restaurant at the front of the hotel facing the street.

One of my favourite things about this setting was the plates. These are the nicest Art Deco plates I’ve ever seen. Really beautiful.

The way the breakfast worked was that there was a menu of fresh delicacies, like Eggs Florentine, which I could have made to order.

Breakfast also includes a luxury buffet. The buffet was very heavy on pastries and fruits. This was apparently typical, as it’s just common in central Europe to start the day with freshly-baked goods.

I did wind up ordering the Eggs Florentine. They were excellent, though served on a thick wedge of white bread, Texas toast-like, instead of my expected English muffin.

I didn’t complain. It was great. Overall, the food was incredible. I think the breakfast service was adequate but not nearly as amazing as check-in.

W Lounge

In classic W fashion, there was also the lobby bar, called W Lounge, at the rear of the hotel.

Inside was a huge space, again gorgeously decorated. This common area also had the elevator/stairs to the basement gym and spa.

Whilst closed, this place was a sight to behold and even had a viewpoint overlooking their gardens.

Minus One

While I sadly didn’t get to go to the Minus One, for such a compact hotel, the Hotel Prague boasts pretty much everything.

And again, I’m not a wine guy, but the quality of the bar shows they want to compete in a city famous for its parties.

ABOVE Rooftop

While I didn’t visit during my stay, ABOVE Rooftop looks to offer cocktails and Mediterranean plates with a gorgeous view of Prague.

Facilities

Fitness Center

The hotel has a fitness center in the basement that’s available 24/7.

Like most W’s, it was reasonably well apportioned. For sure, it had more and nicer stuff than 90% of other hotels I’ve been in.

Additional amenities, including towels, water, and fruit, were also available.

Spa

While I didn’t have enough time to get any treatments at the spa, I did get to include it in my late-night walkthrough.

The spa, I’m sure, is nice and very pricey when functioning.

Conclusion

I stand by my initial statement that this is the very finest luxury hotel I’ve stayed at.

Nothing has annoyed me more in the current year than hotels ostensibly bearing the brands of Marriott’s premium portfolio demanding $500 and up a night, only to provide a lukewarm experience. Many expensive places have indifferent service, mediocre food, or hard products that have seen better days.

The W Prague is not one of them. Despite being an historic hotel, the renovations have breathed life into it. The food and drink that I took were impeccable. And the service? That could give East Asia a run for its money, and I don’t say that lightly.

I highly recommend the W Prague as the best hotel I’ve stayed at in Europe and possibly the world.