Like any major city, Prague has a vast selection of hotels, hostels and pensions. Choosing the one that is best for you and/or your group can be a somewhat daunting task. This brief guide should help you make the right choice.
Prague’s city center
Many people who come to Prague for a short trip understandably want accommodation situated in the city center, which is in the Prague 1 district. Quite often, however, this means sacrificing comfort for location. That is to say, many central hotels do not have such conveniences as a private bathroom or satellite TV.
If you really want to stay in the center and don’t mind sacrificing a few amenities and a little charm, or can afford to pay the higher rates of the center’s more luxurious hotels, then accommodation in Prague 1 is ideal.
Prague quarters close to the city center
Prague’s public transport is so well integrated and reliable that it is worth considering booking your accommodations in other districts, many of which have their own special charms.
- Prague 2, for instance, has several beautiful parks, including the Riegrovy Sady beer garden, and is home to such breathtaking buildings as the Church of St. Ludmila in Peace Square (Namesti Miru), and The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord in George of Podebrady Square (Jiriho z Podebrad).
- Prague 3 is perfect for pub-crawling and is merely a healthy walk (or stagger) away from the city’s downtown core.
- Prague 6 is in the neighborhood of Prague Castle.
- The tree-lined streets of Prague 7 comprise a neighborhood that has a huge park (Letna Park) as well as some of the city’s most interesting bars, restaurants, and pubs.
- Most of Prague’s new hotels are in Prague 5, a neighborhood that is somewhat industrial, but has its beauty spots and is situated relatively close to the center.
For travellers interested in having a more complete, or at least varied, Prague experience, accommodation in the aforementioned areas is well worth considering.
Accommodation for families and school groups
For families and school groups, lodgings well outside the centre, in outskirts-bordering districts like Prague 4 and Prague 9 for instance, are good options. While travel time to the centre can be somewhat lengthy by public transport, the comfort that outer-rim hotels and pensions offer in comparison to what’s in the centre makes up for this.
Accommodation for business travellers
Business travellers tend to seek accommodation that is close to wherever their meetings, conventions, seminars, etc. are taking place. Before using Prague Spot to search for a hotel it is good to know which district, or preferably the exact address, of where you and/or your team will be doing business.
General tips about accommodation in Prague:
- Do not rely solely on the star rating system when choosing a hotel, as it is not subject to any kind of monitoring or inspection.
- Except for the cheapest hostels, all lodgings offer breakfast, usually a self-service buffet of hot and cold food.
- Many hotels have restaurants, some of which serve small portions of bland meals for high prices – even in the lower class hotels. Get an idea of Prague’s restaurant prices either by checking out menus online before you leave or, once you’re in Prague, take a bit of time to check out the prices in other restaurants (most of them display their menus, including prices, right by their front entrances).
- Most of Prague’s hotels and pensions offer a price per room, not per person. Hostels, on the other hand, also offer beds in dormitories and state a price per bed. Some may not indicate how many beds are in a room.