Modern hotel, medieval city: Why I loved the Andaz Prague
Prague is a city that's very close to my heart. I have family in the city and recently claimed my Czech citizenship via descent. I visit Prague two or three times per year and have built a network of friends there. Its history is evident around every corner, with amazing architecture, excellent restaurants serving traditional food and drink and a plethora of unique neighborhoods that have something going on at all hours of the day and night.
But for a city that gets so many tourists, it's long lacked many exciting points hotel options. The various Marriotts and Hiltons throughout the city feel dated. There are great boutique hotels that you can book for reasonable rates, but there's been a stark lack of modern luxury hotels — that is, until earlier this year, when the Andaz Prague finally opened its doors.
I had the pleasure of spending two nights at the Andaz Prague on a recent visit there and thought the property provided a great contrast to the city's other luxury hotels, with a feel that's more contemporary than fusty or spartan. Here's how my experience rated.
The vibe: Modern luxury
Hyatt's Andaz brand is focused on providing luxurious hotel experiences that are both modern and embrace the local culture wherever they happen to be. The Andaz Prague is no exception. It fills a huge gap in the Prague hotel scene, with well-designed rooms, a fun lobby and service that I found to be truly excellent.
The lobby has plenty of room to spread out and work thanks to the variety of sitting areas where you can set up your laptop or simply relax and socialize with friends. There's complimentary coffee, a lobby bar, and restaurant with Czech-fusion fare and an impressive menu of cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. The lobby has a very modern Czech design — streamlined yet colorful, with contemporary artworks and midcentury modern-inspired furniture in a variety of textures and palettes — that carries on to other public areas like the hallways and its extensive spa.
Rooms are filled with local artwork, include large bathrooms and have massive windows that overlook the city for plenty of natural light. Gilt accents and finishes give the rooms a classy but contemporary feel — something that can't be said for most of the other luxury accommodations in Prague. The room made me feel like I was in an artist's loft instead of a standard hotel room, which I appreciated when working from the room during the trip.
The consistent theme here is modernity: There's no doubting that this hotel was built in the 2020s. At the same time, it's taken local Czech art and design cues, making these ultra-modern spaces feel like they fit inside a city that has retained much of its medieval architecture.
Getting there
The hotel has an excellent location right in the middle of central Prague and is within an easy walk of public transportation and several major tourist sights. At the same time, you're slightly removed from the tourist throngs of Old Town Square, something I appreciated as someone who visits Prague on a regular basis.
The hotel is located by the city's main railway station, Praha Hlavni Nadrazi. So if you're arriving in the city by train, either domestic or international, there's a good chance you will arrive just two blocks away from the Andaz Prague. There's a Prague Metro stop inside of the station, too, giving you easy access to the C line, which can take you all around the city with ease. It's a short walk from the Můstek station on the A line as well, and many tram lines pick up right outside of the hotel.
If you're coming from the airport, you can take the 119 bus from the airport to the A metro line at Nádraží Veleslaví. Then, you can ride the metro to Můstek. The whole journey takes roughly 45 minutes and costs 40 CZK — $1.71 at the time of writing — when you purchase a 90-minute ticket. Alternatively, you can take Uber or Bolt to the hotel for under $20 one-way.
Booking details
Standard rooms at the Andaz Prague run between $375 and $475 per night.
However, I was booked as a Hyatt Guest of Honor for 25,000 points per night on a standard date. It's a Category 6 hotel, so award rates range between 21,000 and 29,000 points per night, depending on when you book. You can also use Category 1-7 certificates. Thankfully, award space is plentiful through 2022.
Rates were around $400 per night after tax when I stayed, giving me 1.6 cents per World of Hyatt point in value. I was able to stretch this value even further as I was upgraded to a junior suite upon arrival. This would have set me back 40,000 points per night on the same night.
Standout features
- Modern design that takes many cues from local artists and culture, giving the hotel a fresh and unique ambiance.
- Excellent views of central Prague from guest rooms.
- A can't-be-beat location near the main railway station, tourist attractions in Old Town and a plethora of cafes and restaurants.
- The lobby is well-designed with a ton of seating options for working and relaxation, and there are free espresso drinks in the lobby, too.
- Excellent room service breakfast, which is free for World of Hyatt Globalist elites.
Drawbacks
- Room rates are expensive for Prague, often more than twice that of comparable hotels.
- The lobby opens up to meeting rooms, so it can be noisy during events.
- The spa and workout facilities are located in the basement of the hotel, making them feel claustrophobic at times.
- Given the size of the building and the layout, it can be a long walk from the street to your room.
- The workspace in the junior suite felt cramped, even working with a relatively compact MacBook Pro.
The room
The room was the highlight of my stay the Andaz Prague. I was upgraded to a junior suite at check-in, and it was gorgeous.
You're greeted by a long hallway when you first walk into the room. You can immediately see the intuitive and modern design with the built-in wardrobe in the hallway and small lighted shelf for your keys and other pocket items. There is an open-concept closet with plenty of room for luggage and clothes, not to mention beautifully embossed wooden paneling. You'll also see a colorful bust sculpture at the end of the hallway, which adds a whimsical artistic touch and pulls the room together.
Walking into the main part of the room, you'll see a seating area with a large, curved couch, a chair, a glass-topped coffee table with a decorative tic-tac-toe set and a console with a Nespresso machine and the minibar. I thought all of the furniture was well-proportioned for the room, and appreciated the dark tones and matte brass finishes.
The minibar is stocked with local snacks and soft drinks, all free of charge. I was also left fresh fruit and candies with a note thanking me for my business and loyalty to Hyatt.
Across from the couch is a TV that rotates so you can view it from the living room or the bedroom. On the opposite side of the TV is a landscape painting, which brings the room together. It's a thoughtful touch, too, since it sure beats looking at the back of a TV when you're lounging in bed.
The sleeping area is large, with a king-size bed placed between a rounded wooden dresser and a narrow table that served as a desk. I found the bed to be very comfortable, although the desk was too small to work at comfortably for any extended period of time. This also made eating room service difficult given the limited amount of surface space. On the bright side, there was plenty of Prague-inspired artwork lining the sleeping area.
The bathroom was a treat, too. There was a separate shower and bathtub, both outfitted with premium Klara Rott toiletries. The vanity was large and had two sinks. Towels were soft and replenished every day by housekeeping. The design feet sophisticated but unstuffy thanks to high-end materials like deep-veined marble tiling and brushed brass fixtures as well as eye-catching oval mirrors above the sinks.
But my favorite part? The two massive windows that overlooked central Prague. Trust me when I say there's no better way to wake up than to a panorama of your favorite city — after raising the electronic shades, that is.
Food and drink
The Andaz Prague has an on-site restaurant and bar which offers sit-down service and room service. I opted to test Globalist breakfast benefits by ordering to the room using the paper card provided by housekeeping that I hung on my door before retiring for the evening.
I ordered a selection of bread, juice, French press coffee and eggs Benedict. All arrived right on time (I requested a 9:30 a.m. delivery) and presented nicely on a cart. There was no delivery fee or service charge, but I did tip the delivery person.
The food was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend trying the green juice. The French press coffee was tasty and far better than the in-room Nespresso machine.
The on-site restaurant is split into two different offerings: Zem and Mez.
Zem offers avant-garde Czech food that blends Czech produce with Japanese flavors. Mez is the hotel's bar and offers a variety of cocktails, wine, sake and beer. The dining area is dotted with plants and has a skylight surrounded by a pop-art mural. Somehow, it all meshes very well. At Zem, you can expect to sample delicious plates like grilled pork belly, beef tartare and cold, marinated sea bass.
Amenities and service
You'll find a workout room and spa in the hotel's basement. As mentioned, the location can feel a bit claustrophobic, but nevertheless, they're great amenities to have if you're on vacation.
The workout room is basic, with a selection of cardio equipment and weights. There's also a water station and towels readily available.
The full-service spa, designed by Czech skincare brand Klara Rott, has everything from a sauna to a cold shower and a relaxation room. The spa continues the design-first thinking of the hotel, with ultra-modern furniture and mood lighting throughout. I didn't have a chance to actually try a spa treatment, but the friendly attendant showed me around. You can schedule spa appointments at the front desk or by using the phone in your room. You can view the full spa menu on the spa's website, but expect to pay 5,500 CZK (roughly $253) for a facial or 3,900 CZK (roughly $167) for a 50-minute massage.
Overall, I found hotel's service to be top-notch. Everyone from the front desk agent to the room service delivery person was friendly and wanted to make my experience excellent. Every time I sat down in the lobby, I was offered a coffee or water. Likewise, I was offered help with a taxi upon checkout and was repeatedly thanked for my loyalty to Hyatt.
Checking out
Prague has long needed a modern luxury hotel, and the Andaz Prague finally fills this gap. From an excellent lobby to well-designed hotel rooms, the property exceeded my expectations and is a look at what the Andaz brand sets out to be: locally-inspired modern luxury. On top of this, its location in central Prague puts it near transportation, excellent dining options and major tourist sights — but removed from the craziness of Old Town Square.
While it's an expensive hotel by Prague standards, but you can get a good deal when you redeem points for your stay, especially on off-peak dates. And if you're a Globalist, rest assured that your elite benefits are honored here.
I fully plan to return to this property on my next visit to Prague.