First look: Inside Fairmont Golden Prague, a revived brutalist beauty

When the InterContinental Prague opened on the banks of the Vltava River in 1974, it marked one of the first American investments behind the Iron Curtain. After a 5-year, multimillion dollar renovation, this nine-story brutalist hotel in Prague's Old Town reopened on April 15 as the Fairmont Golden Prague.

In addition to preserving the landmark reinforced concrete structure, the renovation also salvaged original interior elements like wooden sculptures, stained glass windows and golden light fixtures designed by celebrated late 20th-century Czech artists — earning it a spot on TPG's list of the most exciting hotels of 2025.

First impressions

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LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

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Guests enter the expansive lobby through sliding glass doors just off tony Parizska Street. Friendly bellmen will guide you to the check-in and concierge desks to the right, or to the lounge area where other guests quietly mingle around a fireplace to the left. A wall of sculpted glass versions of icons found on buildings around Prague — from pretzels to crowned snakes and ostriches — is a new addition to the lobby by local artist Martin Janecký. Keen eyes will spot original elements dating back to the '70s, like the undulating wooden wall by Czech sculptor Josef Klimeš behind the lobby bar, Coocoo's Nest.

The rooms

The Fairmont Golden Prague has 320 guest rooms and suites across nearly two dozen categories, including Fairmont, deluxe and signature rooms, with either one king or two twin beds and also the option for a river view. Fairmont Gold offers a hotel within a hotel concept on floors seven and eight, with a 24-hour lounge featuring complimentary canapes, breakfast and an honor bar. In addition to a 1,614-square-foot presidential suite, there are also one-bedroom suites with sofa beds ideal for families.

Each room is decorated in an elegant modernist style with dark wood floors and walls, leather headboards and knotted glass pendant lamps.

I stayed in a signature river view king room, which had a spacious bathroom, walk-in closet and a king-size bedroom with views of the Vltava River and Letna Park. The corner room had a chaise lounge situated for enjoying the view and a small round table that could be used for in-room dining or as a small writing desk.

My favorite detail in the room was the sculptural glass wall between the bedroom and walk-in closet by the Bohemian design house Lasvit.

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The bathroom had double sinks and a deep soaking tub, as well as a separate rain shower and water closet. Rooms come stocked with Le Labo Rose 31 bath amenities.

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Meanwhile, the hotel stocks its minibars with soft drinks and Champagne, Czech wine and local Pilsner Urquell beer. Complimentary Nespresso coffee and Jing tea are also on hand.

Dining at Fairmont Golden Prague

The Fairmont Golden Prague has three restaurants, two bars and a spa cafe, as well as 24-hour in-room dining.

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Greenhouse. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

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Greenhouse, the hotel's ground-floor beer garden-style restaurant, is accessible through the lobby as well as directly from the riverfront side of the hotel. It's open every day from 12 to 11 p.m. It serves classic Czech beer hall dishes like beef goulash with bread dumplings for 440 crowns ($19.73), plus several plant-based options like a tomato tartare for 260 crowns ($11.66). In addition to a full Central European wine menu, it has two classic Czech beers on draught: Pilsner Urquell and Kozel Dark. You can order a third of a liter for 64 crowns ($2.87) or half a liter for 78 crowns ($3.50).

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Kafka Brasserie. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

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Kafka Brasserie serves breakfast daily from 6:30 to 11 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to noon on weekends. (It is named after the artist Čestmír Kafka, not the writer.) A continental breakfast buffet of bread, meat, cheese, fruit and more is available for 500 crowns ($22.51), while made-to-order dishes like Czech hemenex (310 crowns or $13.95) — which is ham and eggs — and short rib eggs Benedict (390 crowns or $17.56) are served a la carte. Look for original details like the coffered wood ceiling and stained-glass window, and choose a window seat for castle views.

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Coocoo's Nest. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

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The lobby bar Coocoo's Nest is an homage to Czech director Miloš Forman's 1975 film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (notice the pill-shaped chandelier over the bar). Signature cocktails are also on-theme, like the Negroni Nest made with Plymouth gin, Dolin Rouge vermouth, Campari, cedar and sandalwood (305 crowns or $13.67). Drinks are served with complimentary snacks like green olives, smoked almonds and potato chips.

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Golden Eye. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

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Both rooftop establishments on the eighth floor — Zlata Praha and Golden Eye — were closed the Monday night I stayed at the hotel, but I was able to peek my head in during a tour to admire the views. Facing the riverfront and Prague Castle, Golden Eye draws on Asian influences for both its decor and cocktail menu. The hotel's fine dining venue, Zlata Praha, has floor-to-ceiling windows with arguably the best views of Old Town Square and its iconic spires. It serves contemporary Czech cuisine using local ingredients a la carte (510 to 810 crowns or $23 to $36 per dish) or as an 11-course tasting menu for 2,990 crowns ($135). The gilded globe light fixtures are original to the restaurant and were designed by Czech artist Hugo Demartini in the late 20th century. Both rooftop venues are open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 p.m.; Zlata also has an outdoor terrace that serves drinks in the afternoon and evening.

Amenities and service

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From the front desk staff to the servers at each bar and restaurant, the service was friendly and the staff was eager to help. Each time I entered the lobby, the bellmen greeted me with a short conversation, and I usually got a friendly wave from the concierge.

Located off the sunken garden below street level, the spa is quiet and full of natural light. I enjoyed the 90-minute Lavender Dreams Journey treatment, which combined a full-body scrub with a hot-stone massage. The name is apt: I was so relaxed, I nodded off toward the end.

At the far end of the spa level is the L-shaped indoor-outdoor pool. There's also a hot tub outside and a communal sauna and steam room in the indoor section. Meanwhile, just down the hall from the spa is the 24-hour gym, which has a yoga studio and a separate room with Technogym treadmills, weight machines and spin bikes.

Location and logistics

Fairmont Golden Prague is where luxury-shop-lined Parizska Street meets the Vltava River in Prague's historic Jewish Quarter. The bustling Old Town Square is just a six-minute walk away, but the streets around the Fairmont are blissfully quiet.

Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG) is a 20-minute drive west of the hotel. Ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt are available and cost between 400 to 600 crowns ($18 to $27).

Prague's main train station is about a 10-minute drive from the hotel. Expect to pay about 135 crowns ($6) for a ride-hailing service.

Prague has an extensive metro, tram and bus network, but there's an extra fee to bring large luggage aboard.

What it costs to stay at the Fairmont Golden Prague and how to book

Rates at the Fairmont Golden Prague start around $500 per night.

Fairmont hotels are part of the Accor Live Limitless loyalty program, which is free to join. Members with entry-level Classic status can book the Fairmont Golden Prague directly through Accor to save 10% with the members' rate and earn 25 points per 10 euros ($11) spent. Redemptions can be made in increments of 1,000 points to save 20 euros ($22) on hotel bills.

Accessibility

The Fairmont Golden Prague has 16 accessible guest rooms designed with wider entrance doors and lowered light switches and beds, as well as spacious bathrooms outfitted with grab bars near the toilets and showers.

The entrance to the hotel has no steps and wide automatic sliding doors for ease of access. Though there are elevators to all floors, including the spa and pool on the lower garden level, the pool itself did not feature a lift.

Bottom line

If you're looking for a luxury hotel in Prague, the Fairmont is an excellent and centrally located addition to the high-end hotel market in the Czech capital. Its rooms are spacious, quiet and well worth the price. Even if it's outside your budget, fans of brutalist architecture and Czech art and design should prioritize visiting the Fairmont Golden Prague for a drink or meal to see how beautifully done the renovation is.

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