Tuesday 19 September 2017

A tired Intercontinental Prague at the Edge of Old Town

With a Rolls-Royce Showroom, Poor Wifi


And Great Shopping!


Stayed Mar 2017

After the once-in-a-lifetime stay at the Gritti Palace, I found my way to Prague in the Czech Republic (Or Czechoslovakia for those stuck in a time machine) where the residents are supposedly unimaginably good-looking as I was told.

A quick fuss free ride from the airport put me in the hotel lobby in no time!



The check in was not that fast and as I want to get to my room to rest as fast as possible too, I think I wasn't too patient. I also opted for the breakfast the next morning as it was not included in my rate.

Having read previous reviews, one thing I noticed was that it was pretty old and another was the Rolls-Royce showroom.

From the lobby to my room, it was indeed obvious that the hotel is pretty old and it felt rather like the late 80s in the elevator.



The room looked rather worn as well but the toilet was rather fine, and the marbled walls reminded me of the incomparable bathroom in the Gritti Palace.






I believe I was upgraded to a bigger (corner) room but I wasn't paying attention at the front desk as I was really tired. On the table was a plate of snacks and 2 bottles of water with another bottle of wine, and I still have no idea what Qvijote means even after plugging it in Google Search.



One issue I had was the poor WIFI in the room. I endured it for a day and called the front desk the next day. A router was sent to my room and it solved the problem.



Breakfast was served at the restaurant to the side of the lobby and I felt it was not worth the price, although I was intrigued by the 'Chinese bowls' available.











Perhaps to cater to Chinese tourists??

The hotel is really at the edge of the Old Town and a quick 5 to 10 mins walk gets one to the Town Square and the famous Astronomical Clock.


The Charles Bridge and Prague Castle were nearby too but in another direction.




There were many famous brand boutiques in the old houses near the hotel as well and fans would be delighted to find quite a number of items priced at 30-40% less, including LV and Tods.

A pair of Bally shoes bought at the store at the hotel went at 30% less as well.



My UOB credit card had a really good workout in the city.

Before leaving the hotel, I finally took a look at the Rolls-Royce showroom, followed by complimentary drinks at the lobby bar as part of my elite benefits.







I was so glad to see 'Singapore Sling' listed!



I didn't have a chance to use the gym and pool but merely took a look and photo.




Gathering my thoughts and opinions, I would say this is an excellent hotel if location is important, but otherwise I am not impressed with the hardware nor the service.

The price of 75 Euros per night was defnitely a mitigating factor.

And I didn't opt for breakfast on subsequent days too.

Happy and Healthy travels!