Situated across from the Vltava River, Intercontinental Prague is an excellent hotel option when visiting Prague in the Czech Republic. Built in 1974 for visiting dignitaries, it was an ideal location for keeping tabs on the comings and goings of powerful officials during the communist regime.
If you look across the river and up to the Metrodome Clock on the hill, that used to be the location of a giant statue of Joseph Stalin, the former president of the Soviet Union and later, pop musician Michael Jackson has his 32 foot tall statue placed there to promote his HIStory world tour. The California celebrity used the Intercontinental as his hotel during his stay in Prague.
No doubt, there is plenty to see and do in Prague, so three to five days is an ideal amount of time to discover this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hotel is steps from the Jewish Quarter and an easy walk to Charles Bridge, the church of Santa Maria, St. Nicholas Church and the famous Astronomical Clock. I was staying at the Intercontinental as I was embarking on an Amawaterways river cruise down the romantic Danube and this luxury hotel would serve as our base before the pre-tour excursion.
With 372 rooms, we stayed in room #758, a standard king with a river view. Our ample-sized hotel room had two chairs to look out to the river, a desk, a mini bar that was checked daily and hot water carafe for making instant coffee, tea or really good hot chocolate. The bathroom was a dual tub/shower and had a hair dryer and Agraria bath amenities. Two fluffy white cotton robes hung in the bathroom and slippers were left nightly by the bed with the accompanying turn down service. Another nice touch from this hotel, which would be considered five star, however, the hotel opts to hosts meetings and thus does not qualify for the star rating system, is the night time story left on the pillow each night. Speaking of pillows, the Intercontinental offers a pillow menu for guests who prefer hypo-allergenic or perhaps a firmer pillow.
Health Club, spa, pool
One of my favorite benefits of the hotel was the on-site health club, complete with in-door, heated swimming pool, fitness center and day spa. The salt water pool was refreshing after a full day of walking the cobblestone streets of Prague and soaking in the hot tub with its bubbling jets was a well- deserved treat. I didn’t get a chance to try out the spa services this trip, nor did I have time to take advantage of the fitness classes offered such as yoga, pilates or water aerobics – all complimentary.
Intercontinental dining
The breakfast buffet offered at Primator Restaurant was very high quality with a large offering of culinary items. Priced at 850 koruna or $34.51 on our particular visit, the hotel offers package deals that include breakfast. As always, check the hotel’s website for current pricing and rates. The hot buffet included a made-to-order omelette station, a variety of eggs, including poached, scrambled and hard boiled. Also included at the buffet were sausages, a variety of meats, cheeses, breads, fresh fruit and many flavors of yogurts, in addition to homemade granola. Juices, tea, hot chocolate and specialty coffees were also offered. Additionally, the hotel offers afternoon tea and sandwiches from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., while the lobby bar is open from 9:00 p.m. until midnight. If you want to experience the oldest afternoon tea served in Prague, head to Café Louvre. For a wonderful dinner, with an even better view, go to Zlata Praha roof top restaurant & terrace on the ninth floor of the hotel. This is the best place to watch the sunset in Prague.
Need to know: Check in: 3:00 p.m. Check out 12:00 p.m. The hotel is pet-friendly for an additional fee. The 8th floor offers lounge level with private dining, afternoon snacks, cocktails and two computers and a printer, especially convenient for business travelers, as well as printing boarding passes.
Insider tip: During our tour of Prague Castle we noticed a group of tourists with a guide on electric bicycles. The company’s office was based on the first floor of the Intercontinental Prague. These electric bicycles looked like the way to go for covering a lot of territory and learning about this historic city. We opted for a private walking tour of Prague with Jitka Simkova of Prague Walks; it was excellent, personalized and informative. For additional information on Prague or the Czech Republic, visit Czech Republic Land of Stories.
If You Go:
Intercontinental Prague 420 296 631 111
110 00 Praha I, Czech Republic
Intercontinental Prague review and all photography by travel writer Nancy D. Brown. I received a media rate at this hotel while writing an article about Prague for another publication.
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