Detailed Review
Situated in the centre of Prague, the luxury Hotel Maximilian provides comfort, style and location with ease. The 4-star-hotel is designed for luxury, a process that takes you, body and soul, gracefully to the traditional beauty of Europe and non-stop to the pleasures of Prague’s contemporary cultural life.
Just a few steps (who’s counting?) from Old Town Square, the Maximilian is situated on HaÅ¡talska - perhaps the oldest street in Prague, facing St Agnes Monastery (perhaps the oldest).
The facilities
The luxury Hotel Maximilian 4-star hotel is completely new. Designed by Eva Jiricna, one of the world’s finest architects, it re-opened fully refurbished in the Spring of 2005. Maximilian’s interiors glide with references to "La Maison de Verre" by Pierre Chareau in Paris, as well as the original Maximilian designed by the brilliant Czech architectural historian and critic Karel Teige. Chrome, glass, wood and lighting all play an exceptional part in cementing this establishment at the forefront of Prague’s luxury hotels.
The rooms
This luxury hotel has 70 standard/superior rooms and one suite equipped with a glass partitioned bathroom with a Philippe Starck-bathtub and shower. All rooms are with 15 cm diameter rainfall showerheads, WC, telephone, ISDN and analogue data port for a free high speed internet connection, satellite-TV, DVD player minibar, bathrobe, hairdryer, healthcare amenities in the bathroom, air conditioning with temperature control and safe. The rooms are sound proofed and mostly situated facing the courtyard. A large number of rooms will be for non-smoking guests.
Press Quotes
"With a superb location five minutes from Old Town Square, the renovated 71-room Maximilian is all about smart design." Conde Nast Traveler 06
Independent Reviews
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"Eva Jiricna continues her modernist crusade through Praha with this sleek design hotel, which overlooks the Old Town Square."
Hotel Maximilian
By Angela Moore
The Maximilian is a relatively new face in Prague, re-opened in 2005 after a complete interior reconstruction by renowned Czech architect, Eva Jiricna (who also designed the sister hotel, Josef) with nods to Bauhaus and Art Deco. It’s very well thought-out in both design and services, so it’s very comfortable and easy to be in.
Jiricna’s hand is most evident in the light, white, high spaces of the lobby and lounges, and in the beautiful details – chairs, fabrics, light fittings, nothing has escaped her eagle eye. Beyond the two reception desks, glass walls enclose a library with colourful clusters of chairs and a drawing room in soothing creams and coffees. The drawing room has a little kitchen which offers an honesty bar and a constant supply of complimentary teas, coffee and cakes. There’s also a business area with a couple of computers, internet access and a printer, all free of charge – very useful. Buffet breakfasts are served in an elegant glass-and-steel room with a courtyard off to one side.
It’s chic without being off-putting, so that you feel comfortable coming downstairs for a cup of tea in clubbing gear and trainers or a business suit. There’s an excellent mix of guests – British grandparents, American businessmen, young European couples. Location-wise, it is hard to beat – on an ancient, quiet street facing St Agnes Monastery, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town Square. The surrounding streets dive off into alleyways and courtyards, home to coffee shops and jazz bars, marionette workshops and hidden restaurants. For R&R, there’s a spa complete with Prague’s only flotation tank.
Staff are hard-working and generally friendly, though they occasionally get swamped at check-out time. A few balls are dropped (a dvd player that does not work, bathrooms that could do with touching up) but overall Maximilian gets it right.
The rooms
Rooms are quiet and comfortable, kitted out for both work and play. Colours are general dark and handsome; all rooms have large and super-comfortable beds, piled high with feather pillows. Double rooms are compact but never cramped; superior rooms are better bets, with enough room for a sofa, and extra touches like LCD tvs and free DVD rental. Throughout, bathrooms are large, with plate-sized showerheads, lots of towels and generous helpings of White Company toiletries. Soundproofing is effective enough and anyway most rooms face the internal courtyard, guaranteeing quiet nights. Again, the details are excellent – sexy leather bodice-style chairs, lots of hanging space, modular storage on shelves.
Rooms to book: try 206, a graceful and romantic superior double with large windows opening onto a tiny, standing-room-only wrought iron balcony looking onto the monastery. The suite, 406, also has views of the monastery and has a very sexy glass bathroom, with a freestanding Philippe Starck bathtub and a loo and shower discreetly hidden behind green opaque glass.
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A Travel + Leisure 2006 ' Top Pick 30 European affordable hotels
