Eastern Europe: Accommodations Listings
Included in this section:
54. Czech Out Prague
55. Charming Kraków
56. Off the Beaten Path in Bosnia-Herzegovina
54. Czech Out Prague
Sleeping in Prague
(18 Kc = about $1, country code: 420)
Peak season for hotels in Prague is May, June, and September. Easter and New Year's are the most crowded times, when prices are jacked up a bit. I've listed peak-time prices — if you're traveling in July or August, you'll find rates generally 15 percent lower, and from November through March, about 30 percent lower.
Prague is awash with fancy rooms on the push list; private, small-time operators with rooms to rent in their apartments; and roving agents eager to book you a bed and earn a commission. You can save about 30 percent by showing up in Prague without a reservation and finding accommodations upon arrival. However, it can be a hassle, and you won't necessarily get your ideal choice. If you're coming in by train or car, you'll encounter booking agencies. They can almost always find you a reasonable room, and, if it's in a private guest house, your host can even come and lead you to the place.
Athos Travel has a line on 200 properties (ranging from hostels to five-star hotels), 90 percent of which are in the historical center. To book a room, call them or use their handy website, which allows you to search for a room, based on various criteria (best to arrange in advance during peak season, can also help with last-minute booking off-season, tel. 241-440-571, fax 241-441-697, www.a-prague.com, info@a-prague.com). Readers report that Athos is aggressive with its business policies — while there's no fee to cancel well in advance, they strictly enforce penalties on cancellations within 48 hours.
Hotel Julián is an oasis of professional, predictable decency in an untouristy neighborhood. Its 32 spacious, fresh, well-furnished rooms and big, homey public spaces hide behind a noble Neoclassical facade. The staff is friendly and helpful (Sb-3,680 Kc, Db-3,980 Kc, Db suite-4,800 Kc, extra bed-900 Kc, check website for lower rates, 15 percent discount off rack rate with a current edition of Rick Steves' Eastern Europe or Rick Steves' Best of Europe, free tea and coffee in room, air-con, Wi-Fi, elevator, plush and inviting lobby, summer roof terrace has view of Prague Castle, parking lot; Metro: Andel, then an 8-min walk, or take tram #6, #9, #12, #20, or #58 for two stops; Elišky Peškové 11, Praha 5, reservation tel. 257-311-150, reception tel. 257-311-145, fax 257-311-149, www.julian.cz, casjul@vol.cz). Free lockers and a shower are available for those needing a place to stay after check-out (for example, while waiting for an overnight train).
Best Budget Options in Prague
Hotel u Šemíka, named for a heroic mythical horse, offers 25 rooms in a quiet residential neighborhood just below Vyšehrad Castle and the Slavín cemetery where Dvorák, Mucha, and Capek are buried. It's a 10-minute tram ride south of the Old Town (Sb-2,000 Kc, Db-2,650 Kc, apartment-3,350–3,700 Kc for 2–4 people, extra bed-600 Kc, ask for the "direct booking" Rick Steves 10 percent discount, Internet access; from the center, take tram #3, #17, or #21 to Výton, go under rail bridge, and walk 3 blocks uphill to Vratislavova 36; Praha 2, tel. 224-920-736, fax 224-911-602, www.usemika.cz, usemika@usemika.cz).
Guest House Lída, with 12 homey and spacious rooms, fills a big house in a quiet residential area farther inland, a 15-minute tram ride from the center. Jan, Jirí, and Jitka Prouza, who run the place, are a wealth of information and know how to make people feel at home (Sb-1,380 Kc, small Db-1,440 Kc, Db-1,760 Kc, Tb-2,110 Kc, Qb-2,530 Kc, cash only, family rooms, top-floor family suite with kitchenette, Internet access, parking garage-200 Kc/day, Metro: Prazského Povstání; exit Metro and turn left on Lomnického between the Metro station and big blue-glass CSOB building, follow Lomnického for 500 yards, then turn left on Lopatecká, go uphill and ring bell at Lopatecká #26, no sign outside; Praha 4, tel. & fax 261-214-766, www.lidabb.eu, lidabb@seznam.cz). The Prouza brothers also rent four apartments across the river, an equal distance from the center (Db-1,600 Kč, Tb-1,900 Kč, Qb-2,100 Kč).
Pension Větrník fills an attractive white-and-orange former 18th-century windmill in one of Prague's most popular residential areas, right next to the Brevnov Monastery and midway between the airport and the city. The talkative owner, Miloš Opatrný, is a retired prizewinning Czech chef whose culinary work took him as far as Japan. On request, he will gladly prepare a meal you won't forget. The six rooms here are the pride of the Opatrný family, who live on the upper floors. The garden has a red-clay tennis court — rackets and balls are provided (Db-2,200 Kc, suite-3,300 Kc, extra bed-550 Kc, Internet access, U Vetrníku 1, Praha 6; airport bus #179 stops near the house, tram #18 goes straight to Charles Bridge, both take 20 min; tel. 220-612-404, fax 220-513-390, www.pensionvetrnik.wz.cz, pension@vetrnik1722.cz).
55. Charming Kraków
Sleeping in Kraków
(3 zl = about $1, country code: 48)
Healthy competition — with new, cleverly run places cropping up all the time — keeps Kraków's accommodation prices reasonable and makes choosing a hotel fun rather than frustrating. I've focused my accommodations on two areas: in and near the Old Town; and in Kazimierz, which is a local-style, more affordable neighborhood that is home to both the old Jewish quarter and a thriving dining and nightlife zone.
Rates are soft. Hoteliers don't need much of an excuse to offer you 10 to 20 percent off, especially on weekends or in the off-season. If you're traveling with a laptop, most places will let you get online in your room for free — some with Wi-Fi, others with a cable (which they can loan you).
While the Old Town used to be sleepy, it's now jam-packed with discos that thump loud music on weekend nights to attract roving gangs of rowdy students, backpackers, and obnoxious "stag parties" of drunk louts from the UK in town for a weekend of carousing. The "quiet after 22:00" law is blatantly ignored. Kazimierz is also home to various hip dance clubs. Virtually all of my accommodations come with some risk of noise; to help your odds, ask for a quiet room when you reserve, and bring earplugs.
Donimirski Boutique Hotels, with three different locations in or near Kraków's Old Town, set the bar for splurge hotels in Kraków (website for all: www.donimirski.com). All Donimirski hotels offer my readers a 15 percent discount. You can expect any of these hotels to have some of the friendliest staff in Kraków and all of the classy little extras that add up to a memorable hotel experience (like a fluffy white bathrobe for every guest). Hotel Maltanski — my home away from home in Kraków — has 16 rooms in the beautifully renovated former royal stables, just outside the Planty park and only two blocks from Wawel Castle (Sb-420 zl, Db-490 zl, 60 zl more for "deluxe" room with air-con, cheaper Nov–March, no elevator but only 2 floors, free cable Internet, parking-50 zl/day, ulica Straszewskiego 14, tel. 012-431-0010, fax 012-431-0615, maltanski@donimirski.com). Hotel Pugetów, with seven small but plush and cozy rooms and a fun breakfast cellar, is on the other side of town, in a slightly dingy but convenient neighborhood between the Main Market Square and Kazimierz (Sb-280 zl, Db-470 zl, Db suite-610 zl, cheaper Nov–March, air-con, free cable Internet, parking-50 zl/day, ulica Starowislna 13–15, tel. 012-432-4950, pugetow@donimirski.com). Hotel Gródek — by far the fanciest and most central of the bunch — offers 23 rooms a three-minute walk behind St. Mary's Church on a quiet dead-end street overlooking the Planty park. This place is easily the best splurge in town, with a handy location, gorgeously decorated rooms, and a top-notch breakfast surrounded by a mini-museum of artifacts discovered while they were building the place (Sb-450 zl, bigger "deluxe" Sb-610 zl, Db-590 zl, bigger "deluxe" Db-670 zl, suite-840 zl, cheaper Nov–March, free Internet access and cable Internet, good cellar restaurant serves Polish cuisine, parking-50 zl/day, Na Gródku, tel. 012-431-9030, grodek@donimirski.com). If you have a car, ask about rooms at their countryside castle, Zamek Korzkiew. Their fifth property, Hotel Kosciuszko, has five stars and reasonable prices, but is located far from the center.
Hotel Wawel has 39 beautifully renovated rooms on a well-located street that's quieter than the Old Town norm. It feels elegant for the price; above the swanky marble lobby are hallways creatively painted with the history of the building and images from around Kraków (Sb-330 zl, Db-460 zl, extra bed-100 zl/adult or 50 zl/child, non-smoking, air-con, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, elevator — but doesn't go to top floor, ulica Poselska 22, tel. 012-424-1300, fax 012-424-1333, www.hotelwawel.pl, hotel@hotelwawel.pl).
Best Budget Options in Kraków
At Pensjonat Trecius, Michal Palarczyk offers surprising class for low prices. Hiding upstairs in a nondescript building overlooking the bustling (and sometimes noisy) Florianska pedestrian street, its eight rooms are nicely decorated, except for the two cheaper, unrenovated rooms on the top floor (S-120 zl, Sb-150–220 zl depending on size, D-150 zl, Db-200–300 zl depending on size, extra bed-50 zl, 5 percent cheaper if you pay cash, continental breakfast-8 zl, full breakfast-16 zl, non-smoking, reception open Mon–Fri 8:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 8:00–15:00, free Internet access and cable Internet in rooms, 2 blocks from the Main Market Square at ulica Sw. Tomasza 18, tel. 012-421-2521, fax 012-426-8730, www.trecius.krakow.pl, hotel@trecius.krakow.pl).
La Fontaine B&B, run by a French-Polish family, offers eight rooms and five apartments just off the Main Market Square. Tastefully decorated with French flair, it's cute as a poodle. Each room has a little lounge with a microwave and fridge (most on the hall, some inside the room). If you don't mind lots and lots of stairs (it's on the fifth floor), this is a decent value (Sb-209 zl, Db-269 zl, extra bed-60 zl, apartment for up to four-460 zl, apartment for up to six-659 zl, gigantic apartment-727 zl, cheaper Oct-Easter, air-con, low slanted ceilings in some rooms, free cable Internet, guest kitchen, free self-service laundry machine — or pay them 25 zl to wash it for you, ulica Slawkowska 1, tel. 012-422-6564, fax 012-431-0955, www.bblafontaine.com, biuro@bblafontaine.com). They have six additional, newer rooms and two apartments in another, equally convenient Old Town location, just south of the Square; you'll check in at the main hotel, then walk five minutes to your room (similar prices and stairs as main hotel).
56. Off the Beaten Path in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Motel Kriva Cuprija ("Crooked Bridge"), by the bridge of the same name, is tucked between waterfalls in a picturesque valley a few steps from the Old Bridge. It's an appealing oasis with seven rooms, three apartments, and a restaurant with atmospheric outdoor seating (Db-€60, apartment-€65–80 depending on size, extra bed-€20, 10 percent discount with current edition of Rick Steves' Croatia & Slovenia, air-con, can be noisy, Kriva Cuprija 2, tel. 036/550-953, mobile 061-135-286, www.motel-mostar.ba, info@motel-mostar.ba, Sami).
Villa Fortuna B&B, in a nondescript urban neighborhood a few minutes' walk farther away from the Old Bridge, has five tasteful, modern, air-conditioned rooms. The rooms are just above the main office of Fortuna Tours, and you'll reserve through them (Sb-€30, Db-€40, breakfast-€5, tel. 036/552-197, fax 036/551-888, fortuna_headoffice@bih.net.ba). Fortuna Tours can also put you in touch with locals renting rooms and apartments.
Updated for 2009. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Best of Eastern Europe and Rick Steves' Prague guidebooks.