"The name may be a clue—if you’re more of a minimalist kid, or prefer raw concrete brutalism, avert your eyes now. But if you love the theatrical flirt and whimsy of Art Deco, throw on your sequined flapper dress and come here. Designed by architect Jaroslav Beneš in 1914, this hotel is a showstopper, to be set alongside London’s Savoy and New York’s Chatwal for Jazz Age syncopation. Bronze nudes swoon and gesture; almost every surface is alive with hand-painted ceramics and tiled mosaics—birdlife, serpents, sheaves of corn. In the lobby, figures inspired by Ancient Egypt are shown sideways on, draped in white dresses, carrying grapes, and flanked by lions; the staircase is more Cubist, with angular ironwork inset with jewel-like lacquer; a private dining room is adorned with mosaics that resemble embroidered tapestries. Even the small gym occupies a space resplendent with jade-green tiles. The whole place was restored and renovated in 2022—the original bedroom furnishing is long gone, but the new design riffs on the Deco period with fanned wooden headboards, feather motifs, and red and yellow tones. Skip the rather mundane bar, but for heaven’s sake, book (and you’ll need to book) a table at the Imperial Café, a favorite of Kafka’s now run by celebrity chef Zdeněk Pohlreich. With its intricately carved white and gold columns, there’s almost something of the Jain temple or mosque about it; mosaic branches spread across the ceiling, while the waiters below serve dill soup and confit duck to diners. Pure escapism." - Rick Jordan
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