Aria Hotel Prague
Hotel · Mala Strana ·
Elegant music-themed rooms, rooftop dining, and private garden access
Elegant music-themed rooms, rooftop dining, and private garden access
"Music fills the air inside Aria Hotel, both figuratively and literally. The boutique property, which was a T+L World’s Best Awards winner in 2022, is comprised of 51 rooms and suites, each inspired by a musical style, artist, or composer. Individual floors honor different genres, whether classical, contemporary, jazz, or opera, and were designed by Rocco Magnoli and Lorenzo Carmellini, two Italian designers who previously collaborated with Gianni Versace. Here, they’ve handpicked custom-made furniture paired with Saffron beds, luxury bathrooms, and Molton Brown toiletries. The musical theme extends beyond the rooms, too. Guests are granted access to an expansive musical library, available both in a physical library housing more than 5,000 CDs and DVDs, plus a collection of musical literature, as well as a digital one via Apple TV. Situated within Malá Strana (Lesser Town), the hotel also has spa services, screening rooms, fine dining, a rooftop terrace restaurant, and private access to Vrtba Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is also Prague's oldest Baroque garden." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Would you rather stay in the Ella Fitzgerald or the Abba room, the Dvorjak or the Beatles? Or how about the Hendrix Room—though it might be a bit loud for some. When the Czech owner of the Aria asked Versace designers Rocco Magnoli and Lorenzo Carmellini to fill his new hotel in the Mala Strana district with music back in 2003, that’s exactly what they did. A marble floor embossed with the notes of a Gregorian chant leads into the winter garden lobby where a Bosendorfer grand waits to be played. In a cubby to one side, resident music concierge Dr. Ivana Stehlikova will sort tickets for the Rudolfinum and other venues, as well as rummage through her extensive DVD and CD collection for any requests. And on the three floors above, each bedroom is named for a different composer or musician, with an angular caricature by Czech artist Joseph Blecha outside. But this is overwhelmingly a classical hotel rather than a rock-and-roll one—though more light opera than Mahler symphony. The recently refurbished bedrooms glow in a haze of soft, velvety elegance, with powder pink and blue sofas and armchairs, without slipping into chintz; while carefully edited antique pieces—an Art Deco clock, gilt-framed oil paintings—are placed here and there. The owner’s art collection also stretches to a few works by Dalí—an impressive statue of the artist, holding an egg aloft, stands in one of the dining rooms (the restaurant, Coda, has a fine line in re-interpreting Czech favorites, with lovage gnocchi, venison with croissant dumplings, and plum ravioli on the menu). Up on the rooftop is a summer terrace with wraparound views of the Castle and spire-spiked skyline; next door is a gem of a baroque garden from 1720, all parterres, yew balls, and terraces, which guests have special access to. Aria is the sort of idiosyncratic, slightly eccentric place that Prague does very well—you’d have to be tone-deaf not to love it." - Rick Jordan
"Prague’s centuries-old connection to music survived occupation by both the Germans and the Communists, so it’s fitting that those deep roots strike a chord at Aria Hotel Prague , where all of the rooms are named after famous composers or singers, from homegrown sons like Dvořák and Smetana to contemporary icons like the Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Elvis Presley. The hotel even has a music director who can point you to the city’s best performances, as well as assist with suggestions in the music library; guests borrow CDs or concert DVDs to watch in their rooms, which are all outfitted with hi-fi sound systems that include Marantz speakers, plus flat-screen TVs, Blue-Ray players, iPads, and Apple TVs. All 51 accommodations were given a head-to-toe makeover in early 2018, resulting in sumptuous rooms decorated in shades of soft peach, dusty rose, and sandy taupe, and combining a pleasing mix of antiques and modern furniture. During summer, the superb CODA restaurant commands stunning rooftop views, while the Winter Garden Atrium is cozy perfection in colder months with its piano recitals accompanying afternoon tea or wine."
"Located within walking distance of the Castle, Old Town Square, and many of the city's most beloved landmarks, the Aria Hotel’s musically themed suites offer a fun, and welcome, reprieve from stuffier digs. Designed by Italian architects Rocco Magnoli and Lorenzo Carmellini (best known for their collaborations with Gianni Versace) this formerly modest, grey complex was transformed into a quirky, but sophisticated, music-themed hotel in 2003. Spread over four floors, the 51 guest rooms are each dedicated to four specific genres: Contemporary, Classical, Opera and Jazz, and pay homage to legends like Brahms, Bernstein, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, The Beatles, and Mozart (the latter is the theme of the two-bedroom presidential suite, as he first visited Prague as a child). CODA Restaurant, whose tables trickle out to the open rooftop, might offer one of the best meals (and views) in the city."
"The original owner of Aria brought his stateside savvy and love for his hometown to bear on this former theatre. His mission: to create the most distinctive hotel in the city. The result is a treat for all the senses. Feast your ears on archive performances, state-of-the art technology and the show-stopping Bösendorfer grand in the Winter Garden. Rest your eyes on the elaborate entrance mosaic, feel the warmth from the heated Chilean granite floors and inhale the aroma of the fire in the intimate Fireplace Lounge. As for your taste buds, Coda, the hotel’s restaurant, will keep them royally entertained.In keeping with its stunning Renaissance surroundings, Hotel Aria is a sensual tour de force. Whether sipping cocktails in the Vrtba Garden, wallowing in a massage and sauna, or simply revelling in the unique design of your room, this is harmony so pure that you'll want several encores. Highs Every room is a unique musical experience, with astounding attention to detailViews to die for over carefully tended Vrtba gardens (from some rooms)Staff who cannot do too much to help, happy to share their musical nousCutting-edge technology: plasma screen, top-notch audio-visual facilities, iPad's and Apple TV's Lows The richness of the food matches the clientele – you may wish to slum it gastronomically every now and then to give your purse strings and waist band a breakRoom service can be rather pricey, even for the capitalThere is sometimes a run on reception staff, as a result of their eagerness to ensure you want for nothing" - Laila Ram
