- New Years in Europe: Introduction
- Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Airport
- Review: Virgin Atlantic A330 Upper Class New York to London
- Review: Sheraton Edinburgh Grand Hotel & Spa
- Exploring Edinburgh
- Review: British Airways Galleries Club Lounge Edinburgh Airport
- Review: Sheraton Prague Charles Square Hotel
- Exploring Prague
- Review: ERSTE Premier Lounge Prague Airport
- Review: Czech Airlines Business Class Prague to Rome
- Review: Alitalia Business Class Lounge Rome Airport
- Review: Le Anfore Lounge Rome Airport
- Review: Alitalia A330 Magnifica Class (Business Class) Rome to Boston
When I first booked my hotel stay in Prague I booked the Radisson Blu Prague, which is a great use of Club Carlson points. Since I have the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card the second night of the award redemption is free, so I was excited to finally check out my first Radisson Blu property.
My friends had recently picked up the Club Carlson Visa Signature Card, though unfortunately the points hadn’t posted in time, so that wasn’t a practical option for them. As a result we all decided to stay at the Sheraton Prague, giving us a head start on our Starwood Platinum requalification for the year.
The Sheraton Prague is a Category 4 SPG property, making it 10,000 Starpoints per night. Meanwhile the average nightly rate was ~$120USD, so I just booked a revenue rate for the four night stay.
We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, which took about 30 minutes. The Sheraton is in the middle of a city block, so really sort of “blends in.”
Sheraton Prague exterior
As we pulled up a friendly bellman approached and offered to help with our bags.
Sheraton Prague entryway
Unlike the exterior of the hotel and entryway, the lobby felt fresh and like a standard Sheraton. There was no queue at check-in, and we were all promptly helped. I had been assigned a junior suite on the fourth floor (without using a Platinum Suite Night Award). The associate explained I’d also receive free internet and lounge access as an SPG Platinum member, and gave me my choice of welcome amenities (I chose the 500 Starpoints).
Sheraton Prague lobby
Sheraton Prague lobby
Sheraton Prague bar
This is where the hotel gets interesting. There are two “wings” of the hotel, and the elevator for the wing we were staying in could be accessed through a door located in the back corner of the bar. I found that a bit odd.
Sheraton Prague walkway to elevator
Sheraton Prague bar
I took the elevator up to the fourth floor, and found it frustrating that on all floors the elevator button just gave the option of going down. Since we were on different floors I occasionally wanted to take the elevator up, which required riding down and then up.
Sheraton Prague weird elevator controls
The stairways located by the elevators felt very dorm-y, I thought.
Sheraton Prague stairway
Sheraton Prague stairway
Without exception room service trays were placed right by the stairs. At least they were consistent…
Sheraton Prague room service trays
Sheraton Prague room service trays
The hallways themselves felt much more modern than the rest of the hotel. My room was the first one on the floor on the left side, room 410.
Sheraton Prague hallway
Sheraton Prague junior suite entrance
Sheraton Prague floorplan
So the room itself actually really impressed me in comparison to the rest of the hotel. There was an entryway with the bathroom to the left and the small desk area to the right.
Sheraton Prague junior suite entrance
The room was a nice size, with a king bed to the left, and then a small seating area with a couch and a chair with ottoman to the right.
Sheraton Prague junior suite
Sheraton Prague junior suite
Sheraton Prague junior suite
On the table was a small welcome SPG Platinum welcome amenity consisting of grapes and what I’m pretty sure was a quarter of a Payday candy bar cut into three pieces.
Sheraton Prague SPG Platinum welcome amenity
Across from the bed was the TV. It got the best of my OCD. See if you can figure out why based on the below picture…
Sheraton Prague junior suite
The hotel isn’t on the river or anything, so just had “standard” street views.
Sheraton Prague junior suite view
Anyway, back near the entrance was the desk, which was spacious and had several outlets nearby.
Sheraton Prague junior suite desk
That’s also where the coffee machine and minibar were located.
Sheraton Prague junior suite coffee machine
Sheraton Prague junior suite minibar
The bathroom featured a toilet, sink, and shower/tub combo.
Sheraton Prague junior suite bathroom
Sheraton Prague junior suite shower
Sheraton Prague junior suite bathroom
The toiletries were the brand standard Sheraton ones.
Sheraton Prague junior suite toiletries
So on the whole I was really pleased with the room, and at the rate I was paying thought I was getting a great value.
A friend had used a Platinum Suite Night Award to confirm into a duplex suite, so I figured I’d share some pictures of that. He was assigned room 605.
Sheraton Prague duplex suite entrance
The duplex suite features a spacious living room (though with sparse furniture) on the lower floor, along with a desk area.
Sheraton Prague duplex suite living room
Sheraton Prague duplex suite living room
Sheraton Prague duplex suite desk
Sheraton Prague duplex suite stairs
Sheraton Prague duplex suite stairs
Then the stairs lead to the full bath, which is located halfway between the first and second floors. It features both a shower/tub and walk-in shower combo, which I found odd (as opposed to a real tub and walk-in shower).
Sheraton Prague duplex suite full bathroom
Sheraton Prague duplex suite full bathroom
Sheraton Prague duplex suite full bathroom shower
Then the loft style bedroom is located on the second floor.
Sheraton Prague duplex suite bedroom
Sheraton Prague duplex suite bedroom
Sheraton Prague duplex suite bedroom
There’s also a half bath there.
Sheraton Prague duplex suite half bathroom
I didn’t find the layout of the duplex suite to be all that great. I found it odd that the main bathroom was halfway between the two floors, and that the bedroom just had a half bath. Furthermore, I know I’m weird, but I always like to sleep in an enclosed space with all the doors closed, and that’s not really an option with an open layout like the duplex suite.
The hotel’s club lounge was yet again rather unique, in that it was located right by the entrance and overlooked the street. It felt more like a cafe than a club lounge.
Sheraton Prague club lounge
Sheraton Prague club lounge hours
The lounge was quite small, though was never crowded.
Sheraton Prague club lounge
Sheraton Prague club lounge
Sheraton Prague club lounge
I found the decor of the club lounge to be odd, between the empty bottles of Veuve they used to decorate the lounge (despite the fact that they neither serve nor sell Veuve in the club lounge), to the advertisements they had on the chalkboard.
Sheraton Prague club lounge
Sheraton Prague club lounge
The club lounge did have soft drinks available throughout the day, along with light snacks (peanuts, chips, cookies, etc.).
Sheraton Prague club lounge
The evening spread was available from 6PM till 8PM, and probably the weakest I’ve seen outside the US. It consisted of some cheese, cookies, chips, peanuts, and…
Sheraton Prague club lounge evening spread
Sheraton Prague club lounge evening spread
Sheraton Prague club lounge evening spread
Sheraton Prague club lounge evening spread
…tongue. Yum!
Sheraton Prague club lounge evening spread
Sheraton Prague club lounge evening spread
The breakfast spread was equally disappointing, and consisted of a few types of bread, cereal, and yogurt, basically.
Sheraton Prague club lounge breakfast spread
Sheraton Prague club lounge breakfast spread
Sheraton Prague club lounge breakfast spread
Sheraton Prague club lounge breakfast spread
On the plus side, at least there was a cappuccino machine.
Sheraton Prague club lounge breakfast spread
So as a club guest you don’t get complimentary restaurant breakfast, though one morning we decided to go to the restaurant to see how much it would be (since after the first day we gave up on the club lounge). They said they had a “special price” for club guests, which converted to something like ~20EUR. I mean, this is Prague and that’s your discounted rate… seriously? I guess that explains why we never saw anyone in the restaurant at breakfast.
The hotel also had a small gym.
Sheraton Prague gym
So look, I don’t mean to rag on the hotel, it’s a fine option and was a good value for the money. The employees were generally friendly and the room was quite nice, even if the public areas and club lounge were lacking.
But my biggest beef was the hotel’s location. It’s not that it’s far from where you want to be in Prague — it’s a 10-15 minute walk to fun places. It’s just that Prague is incredibly charming, and the area the hotel is located just isn’t.
You were way too nice to this place in your review. I am here right now and this place is a disaster!
@ TvlGuru -- Yikes, sorry to hear that! Hopefully you're still enjoying Prague!
I stayed at the Hilton Prague Old Town when I was there and it looks like it was a good choice! Very convenient for the underground from the airport, easy walking distance to the main attractions and a totally amazing Sunday brunch!!
Nice review. Stayed at the IC—good service in the communist era hotel.
Was just a Ambassador and on a Amex Plat reservation and was upgraded to a large suite overlooking the river. Urinal in the second bathroom and a jacuzzi brand jacuzzi in the main bath.
The breakfast was very good. A few hot stations with chefs and good mix of American, European, and Asian breakfast choices.
Thanks for the review Lucky. You were very kind. A totally unimpressive property. I stayed at the Kings Court last fall and it was awesome! Prague is one of those cities where you need to just forget about the points and break away from the big chains .
@ Paul -- Every hotel's policy differs, sorry, really not sure about that hotel specifically. I'd recommend contacting them to ask.
@ lucky. The next room choice after standard room is Club room and the one after is junior suite. Does that mean I would get a suite over club room?
@ Paul -- Typically as a Gold member with Club Carlson you won't get a club upgrade, but you may get some other kind of room upgrade.
Am thinking of booking the radisson blu prague later this year using points. If I were to book two nights with the standard award, would I get a complimentary upgrade to the club room as a gold member (just having the credit card),or do complimentary upgrades only apply to paid stays?
@Steven L. I'm not sure I could be convinced. ;-)
For reference, I stayed there this past summer. As a platinum, I was given a room at the end of the hallway on the 8th floor of the other wing. It had stunning views of the river and castle....but it was just a standard room. The area is a bit on the shady side but it's safe. All in all I think the hotel is a good value and very walkable to old town. The rooftop bar is a nice option in summer.
@Peter: You're missing out! Tacos de lengua are friggin' delicious!
"Across from the bed was the TV. It got the best of my OCD. See if you can figure out why based on the below picture…"
The crooked/tilted TV must have driven you crazy...
It seems like a decent hotel. Nothing spectacular. I guess the main selling point is the price. Too bad you didn't stay at a different hotel in Prague, just to give us something to compare it to.
Only three toilet pictures? Boo.
Hmm... Not to impressive; don't regret not staying there when I was in Prague a few months ago.
After spending a long time perusing TripAdvisor and talking to family members who live in Prague, I stayed at Hotel Maximilian. Would recommend it to anyone who wants a hotel in a great location for a relatively low price. Great breakfast too - self-serve plus can sit-down and order off a breakfast menu.
P.S. A lot...
Hmm... Not to impressive; don't regret not staying there when I was in Prague a few months ago.
After spending a long time perusing TripAdvisor and talking to family members who live in Prague, I stayed at Hotel Maximilian. Would recommend it to anyone who wants a hotel in a great location for a relatively low price. Great breakfast too - self-serve plus can sit-down and order off a breakfast menu.
P.S. A lot of higher-end hotels are on the west side of the river (same side as the castle) but east side, IMHO, has most tourist attractions and shops. Maximilian and their sister hotel, Josef, are on the east side.
@ l -- Whoops, missed the second part of your question. Either of the Hiltons, the InterContinental, the Radisson Blu, or the Mandarin Oriental would have a better location in my opinion.
Arcardia Residence could be better for you next time.
I'll take a stab at your TV/OCD riddle. It's crooked (but perhaps it's on an adjustable mounting, therefore easily repositioned?) and flanked by two big windows that would make it hard to watch with the curtains open due to glare.
@ l -- Hah, you're right, so it features both a shower/tub combo and a separate walk-in shower, which is even odder in my opinion. :D
Logically, it all looks OK, like a pretty standard hotel, but emotionally it hit me as SO depressing! Even if I didn't know where it was, I would think "soviet era" decor. Totally spoiled first world mind set, but the blank walls, cheap curtains, foam sofa, wonky TV, and cut up Payday bar all combine to depress the heck out of me. Maybe there is a nice, homey B&B in Prague? Threw yourself on the...
Logically, it all looks OK, like a pretty standard hotel, but emotionally it hit me as SO depressing! Even if I didn't know where it was, I would think "soviet era" decor. Totally spoiled first world mind set, but the blank walls, cheap curtains, foam sofa, wonky TV, and cut up Payday bar all combine to depress the heck out of me. Maybe there is a nice, homey B&B in Prague? Threw yourself on the sword for us again, Lucky... (PS: don't know what you do - perhaps its because you are so comprehensive - but your hotel reviews are the BEST!)
The bar access reminds me of the East Wing at the MGM Grand. Those rooms are so far out that to get to/from the strip it's usually faster to pass through the bar on the ground floor (yes, this wing has it's own bar) and out the door to the alley.
I stayed there last year, and have exactly the same feelings about the stay as do you.
I got an SPG Hot Escapes rate, and so the value was excellent. But the hotel's location is un-charming, and 10-15 minutes walk away from everything. I guess that's why the good rates.
The staff were friendly enough but the lounge offerings weak. The all-day drinks selection did include beer, and I imagine win as well.
They...
I stayed there last year, and have exactly the same feelings about the stay as do you.
I got an SPG Hot Escapes rate, and so the value was excellent. But the hotel's location is un-charming, and 10-15 minutes walk away from everything. I guess that's why the good rates.
The staff were friendly enough but the lounge offerings weak. The all-day drinks selection did include beer, and I imagine win as well.
They also sent me to the elevator through the bar, but I think that's because I had a rollaboard, and the other elevator is up a half flight of stairs from the lobby. I used the stairs after the first day. I didn't think they locked like a dorm room so much as if the hotel had been converted from two or three adjacent apartment buildings, and these were the apartment building stairs. There were too many room service trays in the hallways all the time.
Hey Lucky:
You mention " It still only features a shower/tub combo."
But the pictures have a separate tub and shower.
For $120 per night, sounds like a fine deal!
Based upon your 'charming' comment at the end: Which hotel would you stay at next time? Where is the best location?
Nice report, thanks!
Ewww... rule of thumb: no tongue unless it's still attached to someone. ;-)
Good review Lucky! I always have liked Prague. I agree with your characterization as "incredibly charming".