Never close your eyes, not even at night, when staying in Hotel Pariz. This hotel is one of the most splendid examples of Art Nouveau style in Prague.
Built in 1904, confiscated by the Communists and then returned to the owner in 1991, Hotel Pariz is run by the grandson of the original proprietors, the Brandejs Family. Hotel Pariz is a monument to style and art - from sculptures that serve as lamps to colorful mosaics in the Sarah Bernhardt Restaurant. Notice the Art Nouveau details: original lighting fixtures, wooden wainscoting, gilded stucco work, brass door handles and period furniture.
Look up at exquisite Art Nouveau murals — Photo courtesy of Marianne Crone
This five-star hotel sits on the edge of the Staré Mesto district and almost next door to the Municipal House, Obecní dum in Czech, which is the City's Art Nouveau star attraction. Be sure to take in the splendor of colorful mosaics, the filigree metalwork and florid stucco swirls; listen to Bedrich Smetana's My Vlast in the lavishly decorated Smetana Hall; or drink pivo ("beer") in cafe Kavarna Obecní Dum.
Hotel Pariz doesn't offer the biggest rooms or latest amenities, although every room is equipped with WiFi and satellite television. The hotel radiates in fin de siècle ("end-of-the-century") atmosphere.
If you really want to splurge out, stay in the Royal Tower Suite, a three-room apartment with a winding staircase leading to the glass tower room, with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Prague skyline.
Step in through an ornate Art Nouveau entrance — Photo courtesy of Marianne Crone
You will find no better way to start the day than with breakfast in the Sarah Bernhardt Restaurant. Make sure to return back for lunch or dinner to savor traditional Czech, French or international cuisine. Café de Pariz and bar Chez des Amis take you back to cafés in Paris in the 1930s. This is a good spot to have a chat over coffee, a business lunch or an after-dinner drink.
Whatever your reason may be for visiting Hotel Pariz, one thing is certain: you should never, ever close your eyes.
