Prague, Czech Republic Hotels and Apartments

We just came home from a trip to Europe which concluded with a five night stay at the Alchymist. We usually stay at hotels like Claridges in London, the Splendido or San Pietro in Italy, etc., so we had very high expectations for the Alchymist. We selected it over the Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental in Prague because it seemed to offer the same level of comfort but with local charm and a small hotel environment based on an article in a travel magazine and the almost unanimously positive reviews on Tripadvisor. We saw it as a bit of a risk compared to the sure thing of the Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental, but that risk paid off in spades. We had just come from the Adlon Kempinski in Berlin, which had gotten such compelling reviews, and while it was comfortable and fine, the Alchymist blew it away. The rooms were very comfortable, the staff very friendly, and the decor of a piece with old Europe. As my wife said, she would never decorate our home in that style, but it was wonderful to stay amongst such decoration, as it was indeed \'over the top\' but done with style, taste, and elegance. The location is perfect, close to everything but not in the heart of the tourist crush, which was a blessing, especially in August. The spa is a nice amenity, although it is not yet run as smoothly as the rest of the hotel. Having stayed there now, I am somewhat shocked that hotel does not have more prominence in the guide books since now that I have seen all of the high end hotels in town the Alchymist is clearly one of the top three hotels in town, and on a par with the Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental (which are nice, but why would you want to stay in a hotel that could as easily be in San Francisco as Europe when you are inside when there is such a high class local alternative with such flair?).
United States

The attention to detail in this hotel is second to none. From the moment we arrived to the time we left nothing was too much trouble. Staff were freindly, courteous and everything you requested was dealt with immediately. The breakfast included smoked salmon, smoked halibut, various cut meats in fact everything you could want for breakfast. We were invited to cheese and wine tasting at the hotel and chocolates were left in our bedroom on each evening!. The only critisism I could give this hotel (and this is purely a personal thing) the swimming pool is not very big in fact they would have been better to make it a jacuzzi / spa pool. On the whole, this hotel deserves the 5 stars it holds.

Been meaning to write how wonderful the Alchymist is after staying there in June but travel and work got in the way. The hotel was everything we were looking for in Prague. It was so conveniently located- near the Praha castle, near the Charles bridge and Starre Mesto, within walking distance to great restaurants ( including the fabulous Blue Duckling). The hotel had such old world charm ( built in the 16th? century) and modern comforts - air conditioning, lifts to other floors, high speed internet... The staff were so friendly and accommodating, the breakfast delicious and filling, the welcome cocktail hour fun, the spa a welcome after a long day in Olde Towne.
We would go back there in a heart beat. More expensive than some places we researched BUT SO worth it!! Wished we could have stayed longer. Would like to point out that our friend\'s room had air conditiong problems and after telling the staff about it, they were unable to fix it at the time so they moved our friend into a suite- much larger than their first room at no extra charge.
Carol Jenkins, Woody Creek CO USA