Staycation at Mandarin Oriental Prague

The trend of staying in hotels in one’s own city is becoming more popular in the country as well. In the Malostran hotel located in the premises of the former monastery, I felt like I was in a cotton garden.

Sleepover

I think people fall into two halves. One loves hotels and has no problem checking into a hotel in the city where she lives permanently. The term “staycation” was coined for this trend. The other half considers such a thing to be complete madness. I belong to the first one. Sometimes returning from vacation is so demanding – no room service, no daily cleaning – that we prefer to go to a hotel for a few days to adapt to returning to Prague.

Escape from the craftsmen

It is the turn of February and March and they are doing a small renovation at our house. It is possible to stay there, but it is not pleasant. Fortunately, there are hundreds of hotels in Prague. But just any would not be enough. In a taxi with a driver who doesn’t speak much Czech, we head to the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Malostra, which has been located in a complex of buildings from the 14th century since 2006. The architectural style could be described as part Renaissance, part Baroque and part modern. It was originally a Dominican monastery and the building includes a large part of the outer wall of the church of St. Mary Magdalene, one of the oldest churches in Prague, which was built on the site around 1330. But enough of the history.

Suite

Upon arrival, it is unusually busy in front of the entrance and at the reception, but in no time we are settled and heading to our spacious room. It is a Lazar suite, which can comfortably accommodate two adults and two children on extra beds. not to with 90 square meters, it exceeds the average Prague apartment. In total, the hotel offers 99 rooms, of which 20 are suites.

The room is beautiful. Vaulted ceilings enhance the historical feeling. I’m celebrating my birthday this weekend and the hotel knows about it. The coffee table in the living room bends under small attentions from hotel. There is Taittinger champagne, a mini birthday cake, a quarter kilo of high-quality artisanal chocolate with a Prague theme. For children, boxes of popcorn or chocolate puzzles.

Spa and food

Before dinner at the local restaurant Spices, which offers Asian-inspired dishes, I still manage an hour’s massage at the spa. The local spa is one of the best that the capital has to offer. This is evidenced by the fact that last year the World Spa Awards ranked it as the best hotel spa in the Czech Republic.

After the massage, it’s time for my favorite Korean-inspired dish here – Beef Bulgogi – at the local restaurant, which, together with the bar, is spread over five Renaissance rooms. And the weekend is just beginning. On Saturday, we will repeat the same thing, only in the morning we will also add the hotel breakfast, which is served in the Spices restaurant. Just a birthday weekend, as it should be. I had long forgotten about the craftsmen at our home.