Prague
Czech Republic


The Experience

High-end hotels in close proximity to the historic Jewish Quarter and the Charles Bridge just didn't exist before the Four Seasons planted itself on the banks of the Vlatava in the heart of the city center. The company cobbled together four different buildings, mixing modern, Baroque, neoclassical and neo-Renaissance styles, and somehow integrated them into a statement on modern Prague. Accessed via a discreet entry portico on a quiet side street far removed from the city-center crowds just steps away, the Four Seasons lures mostly well-dressed Americans of a certain age who are in town for either meetings or Prague's opera and classical music scene.

The Rooms

The hotel's 161 rooms begin at a respectable 350 square feet and include Four Seasons standards such as massive king-size beds and bathrooms with deep soaking tubs. Rooms are surprisingly boxy for a redone historic building, and decor is the chain's typically sober and subdued look, which can be pretty bland unless you upgrade to suites, which are accented with original antique furniture. As some lower floors face onto rather ho-hum nearby buildings, splurge on top-floor Superior rooms (those facing north are best); with their prime river vistas and vaulted ceilings, they're an essential upgrade, especially considering the minimal cost.

The Service

Service at the Four Seasons is surprisingly friendly, efficient and knowledgeable -- even for a Four Seasons, and especially for a city like Prague, which is still unsure how to embrace its tourism boom. This is a hotel where staffers freely dispense insider tips on local attractions and events as well as secure last-minute tickets to coveted cultural must-sees. Owing to its location close to the old Jewish Quarter, the hotel also has wide knowledge of Prague's key Jewish sites and (kosher) restaurants. Use the hotel's car service -- taxis in Prague are notoriously problematic.

The Highlights

While Four Seasons' restaurants aren't always their strongest suit, Chef Vito Mollica's Allegro restaurant is one of Prague's (some say the Czech Republic's) finest dining experiences. He winningly pairs his native Italian with his adopted Bohemian to create dishes like saffron risotto with wild mushrooms and rib eye of Wagyu beef. Dine alfresco during the warmer months, and enjoy views to the castle from the riverside terrace, created from a former Baroque-period laundry. You could work off the Allegro's expert cheese cart in the hotel's gym, but it's small -- instead, take a stroll across the Charles Bridge, right out the front door.

-- David Kaufman

Find Hotel Deals on Yahoo Travel»