Nestled in the UNESCO preserved grounds of Strahov Monastery in Prague 1, the Crowne Plaza Prague Castle hotel is a complex that has recently undergone extensive renovation and construction, blending the centuries old with the tastefully modern. The main building of the hotel used to serve as stables to the monastery and dates back to th 16th century, with some walls dating back to the 14th century, and a brand new wing has been added on in order to create space for more guest rooms.
The painstaking reconstruction of the old stables involved carefully removing original 16th century hardwood ceilings for restoration, before they were returned to the building. These original ceilings can be seen in guest rooms that are located in the old wing of the building. During the work on external architectonic features like windows, doors, mantelpieces, skylights, gateways and plastering all of the details were consulted with representatives of landmark conservation authorities.
According to the architect Ivo Nahálka, one of the most difficult parts of the project was the connection of the historic stables and technical structures to the new building, along with the repair and restoration of the baroque truss where the new rooms are located.
Although in the historical center and only a few minutes away from Prague Castle, the grounds of the monastery and hotel are cloistered, peaceful and very safe. The spacious lobby, the Senses Restaurant and the 138 guestrooms feature a regal and warm color scheme consisting primarily of orange, amber and yellow with gold accents. A large airy congress room, which can seat up to 180 delegates, also serves as the perfect venue for corporate meetings and training sessions. The most attractive feature of this meeting facility is the large skylights that flood the room with natural light, making a full-day business meeting so much more agreeable. And if daylight is not desirable, for example when projections are being shown, the push of a button will cover the skylights with screens in a matter of seconds.
Although the Crowne Plaza brand is part of the Intercontinental Hotels Group, which is one of the largest hotel companies in the world, the historically significant location means that the Crowne Plaza Prague Castle has beenintentionally kept to a smaller scale. “The outlook of the hotel is as a boutique hotel,” says Ladislav Kučera, Director of Sales and Marketing. “We could not place anything too big or tall in this location. As a UNESCO site, it was really challenging. It has a lot of history and is appealing from the outside. It doesn’t look like a huge hotel.”
The hotel’s Senses Restaurant offers an ever-changing international menu, with a pleasant view from the terrace, making it a popular spot for business lunches, away from the bustle and less-than-fresh air of the city. The restaurant is fast attracting the attention of locals as well as guests staying at the hotel, due to quality cuisine served at an affordable price. Within the monastery there’s another full restaurant and a brewery, which is open to the public and where the award-winning St. Norbert beer is brewed.
The onsite Ayurveda Spa is an unusual feature, which offers a wide range of traditional eastern treatments. “Ayurvedic medicine is 5,000 years old,” notes Kučera. “It started in India, and we have a doctor and therapist from Sri Lanka. It’s unique for Prague to have this kind of treatment. Everything in the spa is authentic; everything was brought to Prague from Sri Lanka.” There are authentic massage beds and fittings to recreate the atmosphere of the Far East. First each client has a consultation with the doctor then a treatment is selected, which could range from a simple head massage to a half-day detox ritual. A relaxation room is available for after the treatments, so that the therapy can take full effect.
The sense of luxury that pervades the public areas carries on through to the guest rooms. There are large, comfortable king-size beds, for example. Every room has individual air-conditioning controls so guests can control the temperature precisely, and the bathrooms feature warm-colored marble that can be automatically heated. A far cry no doubt from what the members of the Norbertine order had in mind when they founded the monastery site way back in 1143, but the march of progress is inevitable and, in this case, remarkable.
