First Look: Fairmont Golden Prague Review

First impression

Guests enter the expansive hall through sliding glass doors near Tony Parizska Street. Friendly Bellman will guide you to the check-in and concierge table on the right, or to the lounge where other guests quietly mix together around the fireplace on the left. The engraved glass version of the walls found on buildings around Prague (from pretzels to coronated snakes and ostrichs) are new members of the lobby of local artist Martin Janecký. A sharp eye will find original elements dating back to the 1970s, such as the rolling wooden walls behind the lobby bar by Czech sculptor Josef Klimeš.

Room

Fairmont Golden Prague has 320 rooms and suites in nearly twenty categories, including Fairmont, Deluxe and Signature Rooms, which include a king or two twin beds, and also choose from river views. Fairmont Gold offers a hotel in the seven-year-old and eight-floor hotel concept and features a 24-hour lounge with free side dishes, breakfast and honor bar. In addition to the 1,614 square foot presidential suite, there is a one-bedroom suite with a sofa bed, perfect for families.

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

I stayed in an iconic royal family with river views with a spacious bathroom, walk-in closets and a king-sized bedroom with views of the Fortava River and Leitner Park. The corner room features a lounge chair with views and a small round table for indoor dining or as a small writing table.

My favorite detail in the room was the sculptural glass wall between the bedroom and walk-in closet of the Bohemian Design House Lasvit.

The bathroom has double sinks and deep soaking tub, as well as separate rain and closets. The room has 31 bathroom facilities at Le Labo Rose.

Dining in Fairmont Golden Prague

Fairmont Golden Prague has three restaurants, two bars and a spa café and 24-hour indoor dining.

Greenhouse is a beer garden-style restaurant on the ground floor, accessible through the lobby and directly from the hotel’s riverside. Open from 12 to 11 a.m. daily, it offers classic Czech beer hall dishes such as beef kale and bread dumplings 440 crowns ($19.73), as well as several plant-based champions such as the Tomato Tartare tartare, which can accommodate 260 crowns ($11.66). In addition to the full central wine menu, it also has two classic Czech beers on the draft: Pilsner Urquell and Kozel Dark. You can order 64 crowns ($2.87) or half liters for one third with 78 crowns ($3.50).

Kafka Brasserie serves breakfast every day from 6:30 to 11 a.m. on weekdays and from 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 such as matching wood ceilings and stained glass windows and choose a window seat for castle landscape.

The lobby bar Coocoo’s Nest is a homage to Czech director Miloš Forman’s 1975 film One Fire (note, pay attention to the pill-shaped chandeliers on the bar). Iconic cocktails are also themed, such as Negron Nest (305 Crowns or $13.67) made of Plymouth Gin, Dolin Ruger Vermouth, Campari, Cedar and Sandalwood. The drink is served with free snacks like green olives, smoked almonds and potato chips.

The two roofing institutions on the eighth floor – Zlata Praha and Golden Eye – were closed on Monday night when I stayed at the hotel, but I was able to peek into my head on the tour to enjoy the views. Facing the Riverside and Prague Castle, Golden Eyes draws on the influence of Asian decor and cocktail menus. The hotel’s fine dining venue, Zlata Praha, has floor-to-ceiling windows, arguably the best view of the Old Town Square and its iconic spire. It uses local ingredients (510 to 810 crowns or $23 to 36 per dish) or offers modern Czech cuisine (510 to 810 crowns or $36 per dish) with 2,990 crowns ($135). The gilded earth lamp fixture is the original lamp for the restaurant, designed by Czech artist Hugo DeMartini in the late 20th century. Both rooftops are open from Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm; Zlata also has an outdoor terrace, where drinks are available in the afternoon and evening.

Convenience and service

From the front desk staff to the servers at every bar and restaurant, the service was friendly and the staff was eager to help. Every time I enter the hall, the person in front of the clock greets me with a brief conversation, and usually I get a wave of friendship from the concierge.

Located next to the sunken gardens on the street, the spa is quiet and filled with natural light. I love the 90-minute lavender dream trip treatment, which combines a full body scrub and hot stone massage. The name is easy: I was relaxed, and I nodded to the end.

At the far end of the spa level is the L-shaped indoor and outdoor swimming pool. There is also a hot tub outside, and the interior part also has a communal sauna and steam room. Meanwhile, below the spa’s lobby is the 24-hour gym that features a yoga studio and a separate room with Technogym treadmills, weightlifters and spin bikes.

Location and logistics

Fairmont Golden Prague is a luxury store in the Parizska Street meets the Vltava River in Prague’s historic ghetto. The bustling Old Town Square is only a six-minute walk away, but the streets around Fairmont are very quiet.

VáclavHavel Airport Prague (PRG) is a 20-minute drive west of the hotel. Rides like Uber and Bolt are available for prices ranging from 400 to 600 crowns ($18 to $27).

The main train station in Prague is about a 10-minute drive away. Around 135 crowns ($6) ride is expected to be paid.

Prague has an extensive network of metro, tram and buses, but with large luggage.

Stay at Fairmont Golden Brague and how to book

Fairmont Golden Prague costs about $500 per night.

Accessibility

Fairmont Golden Prague has 16 accessible rooms designed with wider entrance doors, lowered light switches and beds, as well as spacious bathrooms with gripping poles near toilets and showers.

The hotel entrance does not have steps and wide automatic sliding doors for easy access. Although there are elevators on all floors, including the spa and pool on the lower garden level, the pool itself does not have an elevator.

Bottom line

If you are looking for a luxury hotel in Prague, Fairmont is an excellent and centrally located addition to the high-end hotel market in the Czech capital. Its room is spacious, quiet and worth it. Fans of savage architecture and Czech art and design should give priority to visit Fairmont Golden Prague to drink or dine to see the beauty of the renovation works.

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