Prague, Czech Republic Hotels and Apartments

We stayed at the Hotel Ruze in June as part of a group tour. The location is good—a nice walk up the hill from the town square and right on the river. As part of a group we did not have luggage transport problems (you can’t drive your car in the town so you have to walk from the main highway) as reported by others. The décor is great & unique—fitting to the period feel of the whole town. We were assigned a room on the top floor facing an interior courtyard. It was a bit odd—the sloping roof intruded into the space over one of the beds—but was adequate. Like others, we had a bit of trouble making the A/C function well, and ended up with the windows open instead—we suspect the A/C did not have the capacity for the extreme heat (for this area) we were experiencing during our stay. The buffet breakfast included with our package was good with plenty of choices, but beware if the hotel is full—it can be crowded at the buffet line and we found a large Asian group at the hotel had no manners whatsoever. But after getting through the line, breakfast on the patio along the river, in the warm morning sun was delightful. We had one group dinner at the hotel in the banquet room—the food was great and the service very good. We did not eat in the regular restaurant for lunch or dinner.
Reception was helpful, although struggled a bit with English. And for you internet users—only one computer, but we managed to get it for free because the receptionist on duty very early in the morning did not know how to set the timer for charges. Overall, not 5 stars, but very good as a base for sightseeing the wonderful little town and the surrounding areas.

The public and private rooms are magnificient. Tasteful imitation renaissance furniture is mixed with antiques. Medieval frescoes were on the hallway walls. Combined with the beauty and history of Cesky Krumlov our stay at the Hotal Ruze was the highlight of a trip to central Europe. Highly recommended.

If this hotel can claim to be \"four star,\" it\'s only because it has expanded its services at the expense of its charm. This is a shame, because a 16th century Jesuit college that has been operating as a hotel since the 19th century should be very charming indeed. A building with that kind of history can boast plenty of the \"authenticity\" that tourists seek, yet this hotel has buried its potential for authenticity under a veneer of superficial kitsch. Leering life-sized mannequins in medieval garb populate the lobby, and the receptionist is required to wear a dirndl. The most authentic experience I had was in the room itself, full of attractive and austere furnishings that adhered to 16th century Jesuit standards of comfort. A couple nights of the creaking floors and creaking bed led to a creaking back. The hotel advertises internet access, but this is absurdly priced and unavailable in the rooms. The television was broken throughout our stay, and the repairman quickly gave up on fixing it, so we were limited to Jesuit-style entertainment, too... bring a book!

The Hotel Ruze looks good on its website, which is how I ended up staying there (alas, I was just hoping for internet access) and it also seems to be a popular destination for enormous Asian tour groups. Unfortunately, its preference for catering to large groups gives the common areas a very institutional feel. The breakfast area was an enormous cafeteria, complete with that dishwatery cafeteria smell. The music that blared from the loudspeakers during breakfast was more appropriate for an elevator, and even then it would have had me pushing the buttons frantically. Come on, guys, if you\'re going to go with the Renn Fayre motif, at least populate the musical program with madrigals and monks! And what are the extensive \"services\" for which this place has earned its four dubious stars? I saw a directory claiming that it has an on-site beauty salon. So... if your visit to Cesky Krumlov includes a perm appointment, this is the place for you. If not, I\'d recommend anywhere else.