Mandarin Oriental, Prague
Hotel · Mala Strana ·
Historic monastery hotel with plush rooms, spa, and Asian restaurant
Historic monastery hotel with plush rooms, spa, and Asian restaurant
"A top pick for traditionalists seeking old-world elegance, this luxury stay is set within a Medieval monastery and stands out for its state-of-the-art spa." - Elly Leavitt
"The Mandarin Oriental property in Prague, built on the site of a former 14th-century Dominican monastery, features 99 rooms and suites with historical elements such as exposed beams, period windows, and antique wooden floors. Upgraded rooms offer separate seating areas or tranquil terraces, and some bathrooms include deep soaking tubs." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"There’s a portrait of a man called Leo Moser in the suite that bears his name. Balding, mustachioed, slightly bank-manager-like—but actually an artist in glass, etching delicate designs onto shell-thin crystal and creating rare, jewel-like colors. He designed wine glasses for Edward VII and founded the Giant Snifters Club—to join, you had to successfully swirl a shot of Bercherovka in a cartoonishly large glass (Sophia Loren and Louis Armstrong were both members). There are Moser bowls and a chandelier above; by the bed, a beautifully engraved lampshade casts patterns on the walls like a shadow theater. Similarly, the Mandarin is a place of light and almost sculptural space. Painstakingly formed from a Dominican monastery, it’s part hotel, part archaeological project—some of the finds unearthed during the process (medieval spoons and knives) are displayed in the corridor below the spa, set in the former chapel. The 14th-century brickwork lies below a glass floor; ghostly frescoes can be seen on the walls, illuminated by a halo-like light. I wonder if the Dalai Lama and Madonna, who both stayed here, appreciated the spiritual echoes. Portraits of Byronic monks line the corridors; an internal cloister of high arches is decorated with Latin text, almost an art installation; bedrooms have white vaulted ceilings. Compared to the rest of the hotel, the lobby and bar are constrained (dally for a Havel’s Schnauzer, made with Becherovka and elderflower); though the adjoining restaurant, where a new Czech-inspired menu has replaced the Asian one, spreads out onto a terrace. Set behind gates in the Mala Strana district, the Mandarin feels a world apart, yet the Kampa Park (and its brilliant art gallery, with its line of yellow penguins outside) and Charles Bridge are only minutes away, while Prague Hill slopes up behind." - Rick Jordan
"Built on the site of a former 14th-century monastery in Malá Strana, the Renaissance and Baroque property seamlessly blends history with cutting-edge modern amenities. Its 99 individually designed rooms are understatedly plush, with parquet floors, vaulted ceilings, and polished-limestone bathrooms. The Gothic spa’s glass floors reveal the ruins of a chapel below. Eclectic pan-Asian fare is served at Spices Restaurant and Bar—try the peking duck and foie gras spring rolls, or the melt-in-your-mouth sea bass, which is cooked in banana leaves and served with Kerala curry."
"This five-star hotel is the best of both worlds, blending the contemporary luxury that Mandarin Oriental is known for with the charm of a unique historical complex—in this case, a Dominican monastery in the Malá Strana. Working carefully to retain the property’s heritage, the brand preserved period features of the Baroque, Gothic, and Renaissance eras, like vaulted ceilings, stone doorways, and exposed wood beams, while incorporating Asian-influenced accents like lacquered ginger jars and sleek furnishings. Due to the singular nature of the grounds, no two of the 99 spacious rooms are alike; some suites have Czech crystal and artwork and views of the original cloister garden, the city, or Prague Castle. The public spaces are just as intriguing, including a grand ballroom that was once the monastery’s refectory and a spa where a glass floor reveals the remains of a 14th-century chapel."
