Prague Hotels: InterContinental Prague Reviewed
InterContinental Prague.
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Why We Chose This Hotel
We had a voucher for a free night in any InterContinental Hotel Group hotel. This was burning a metaphorical hole in our digital pocket. It was a credit card reward, and the expiry date was approaching.
It sounds simple. Get a voucher and use it for a free night. But it is not quite as easy as it sounds. There are some hurdles on the way.
First; choose a brand. It makes sense to go for the top of the range. Why stay in a Holiday Inn Express limited-service hotel, when you can go to a 5-star InterContinental? So the brand chose itself.
Second; choose a location. We wanted to build a vacation around this stay, so other factors needed to fall into place. It had to be easy to access by air from the UK. We needed other branded hotels nearby, where we could redeem points or find reasonable room rates.
We went down a couple of dead ends. The hotel we chose in Amsterdam was not taking bookings. We could not find other suitable accommodation in Budapest. Eventually, all the pieces of the jigsaw fell into place in Prague.
We intended to spend time relaxing in the InterContinental. We wanted to use the leisure facilities for a break midway through our sightseeing schedule in Prague.
Rolls Royce showroom on the ground floor of the InterContinental hotel.
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Location
InterContinental Prague was located on the edge of Josefov, the Jewish Quarter. Set back from the River Vltava, one side of the hotel overlooked Namesti Curieovych and Josefov, while the other looked across the river to Letna Park with the bridge, Cechuv Most in the foreground.
The hotel was well-located for visiting the nearby Jewish Quarter and was within easy walking distance of Prague's Old Town.
InterContinental Hotel behind the red-roofed buildings on the banks of the River Vltava..
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First Impressions
The Exterior
Our initial view of InterContinental Hotel Prague was from a boat on the River Vltava during our first full day of sightseeing. Having spent a few hours marveling at the well-preserved historic Old Town, the large concrete block from the Communist era was a little disappointing in comparison. Built between 1968 and 1974, the outside of the hotel was renovated between 1992 and 1995.
The hotel was an example of Brutalist architecture; simple block-like structures, often featuring bare building materials. The style was favored especially by European communist countries from the mid-1960s to the late 1980s. With its raw concrete and solid rectangular shape, InterContinental Hotel Prague was a product of the era in which it was built.
Upon closer inspection, we noticed a landscaped garden area between the hotel and the road running by the River Vltava. A glass-domed structure was attached to this side of the hotel, covering the leisure facilities.
A Rolls Royce showroom was along one side of the hotel; should guests feel the need to add to their fleet of luxury cars while staying in the city.
A collection of international flags on poles was in the square by the hotel, signifying the brand's global presence.
River view of the InterContinental Prague.
The Interior
After passing through the automatic revolving doors with brass fittings, we found ourselves in a cream and beige-colored marble foyer. The area was stylishly and brightly lit with an upside-down wine-glasses light fitting. We passed a concierge on our way to the reception desk along the back wall.
The lifts to the right-hand side were keycard operated. The corridors were stylish with wooden framing matching the doors. The walls were decorated with modern artwork.
InterContinental corridor.
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Check-In
The concierge offered us help with our bags. We arrived at 10:30 a.m., well ahead of our check-in time, but we were in luck. We had been upgraded to an executive room due to membership status in the IHG rewards program. Our room was overlooking the River Vltava and it was available. Check-in was smooth and efficient. The latest complimentary checkout time we could get was 1:00 p.m. the following day.
InterContinental Prague entrance with reception ahead.
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Our Room
The Layout
Room 478, located on a corner, was of a generous size. An entrance corridor, with the bathroom door on the left, opened into the bedroom. A deep window ran along three-quarters of the wall behind the desk on the right, overlooking the neighboring building. Another window ahead was set in a bay area. It had views over a landscaped garden area, a raised walkway, a cobbled road, and the River Vltava.
There was a large raised section of ceiling in the middle of the room with a shelf around it. A notice asked guests not to hang items from the shelf. The image of an InterContinental hotel room with washing on hangers does not work for me. But I can understand that management was keen to avoid the risk of damage.
Decor
Walls were decorated in beige, framed by dark and lighter-colored wood. The furnishings echoed the same combination of wood tones. Light and plug switches were surrounded by brass. The door to the bathroom was of solid wood, matching the door to the room, and had a large brass handle.
The carpet was a neutral muted green and beige.
A modern art picture with a black and silver frame was in the corner of the room between the windows. Two further modern art prints in bronze-colored frames hung on the wall behind the standard lamp. There were three bronze framed prints of scenes from Prague on the wall backing onto the bathroom.
Both windows had full-length net curtains and beige curtains trimmed with striped edging. These echoed the colors of the beige, brown, and deep pink small striped rectangular cushion on the armchair.
Furniture
The fitted wardrobe opposite the bathroom door had sliding doors and a deep hanging space, with a shelf above. There was a tall mirror on the left door of the wardrobe.
To the left of the wardrobe was a cupboard containing the minibar and shelving in beige marble and black for refreshments. A cupboard below contained the safe. There was a disclaimer notice about the security of its use.
A long desk/dressing table stretched along the window, curving out at the end. The beige effect marble top showed signs of age with the film covering worn in places. There were four shallow drawers with bronze handles. The top was light wood and the bottom three were of darker wood. The wooden legs of the unit narrowed at their base and were bronze-colored.
The bedside units were of a similar design to the desk area, using the same combination of wood. Each was a good size with a drawer and a small cupboard below.
A black padded swivel office chair stood by the desk.
There was a lime green angular square armchair on a medium-colored wood base and legs with a matching chunky footrest. The chair was wearing a little on the arms.
A beige, high-sided sofa with brown cushions was set in the bay area. The medium-colored wood base matched the frame and lower shelf of the circular glass-topped coffee table in front of it.
The Bed
The bed was queen-sized with a dark brown valance sheet matched by two brown cushions on top. The sheet, two single duvets, and four large pillows were all in white cotton.
The backdrop on the wall behind the bed continued the two shades of wood in the room with a padded insert.
The pillow menu in a silver frame on top of a bedside unit was extensive. There were six choices: standard, special, extra, deluxe, petite, and orthopedic. There were spare pillows on a shelf at the top of the wardrobe.
The bed was very comfortable as were the pillows, which we sank into.
Lighting and Electrical Items
The room was brightly lit. The natural light from the two windows was supplemented by three uplighters set around three sides of the ceiling ledge. The rectangular cream lamp on the desk had a bronze-colored base. This matched the design of the tall standard lamp in the corner of the room and the bedside lamps. The strip lights in the wardrobe were useful.
Two bronze framed power sockets were by the desk, matching the ones for the bedside lamps. Power sockets were in short supply. A free one at the base of the wood on the corridor near the bathroom was not in a great location. Try charging your phone here; you could easily step on it en route to the bathroom at night. Previous guests must have commented, as we noticed an adaptor on a bedside lamp to give another power socket. We perhaps should remember that the hotel was built before we all had multiple devices requiring charging.
The iron and ironing board in the wardrobe were old and basic in design.
An internet socket was housed in a wooden block by the desk. The Wi-Fi worked well during our stay.
There was a telephone on the desk and one by the bed.
A reasonably sized flat-screen TV was also on the desktop.
Although the air conditioning system appeared antiquated, it worked surprisingly well.
Refreshments
The minibar was well-stocked. There were also chewing gum, chocolate, water, and chocolate almonds on the shelf nearby. All of these items were featured on the price list. There were also glasses and cups in this area.
Tea and coffee-making facilities were on a black tray on the desk. We requested milk as there was only powdered creamer.
There was a small cream tray on the coffee table with two apples and a jar of dried fruit tipped on its side so that the fruit spilled out. Two 250ml complimentary bottles of water stood by two InterContinental branded tumblers.
Additional Items
A wickerwork box in the wardrobe contained a note about placing shoes outside the door for a complimentary shoeshine. Use of the InterContinental branded umbrella, stored in the wardrobe, was free during our stay or 10 Euros to purchase as a souvenir. There were no plastic bags here. The price list for laundry came with a material laundry bag. Additional items in the wardrobe were a shoe bag, a long shoe horn, and a clothes brush.
No executive room would be complete without slippers. InterContinental Prague provided branded ones.
The useful collapsible suitcase stand was made from a bronze-colored frame with dark brown material webbing.
The bedside cupboards each contained something resembling a bathmat, presumably for those who prefer not to step out of bed straight onto the carpet.
Thoughts On Our Room
The room was brightly lit. This came from natural and artificial sources. This further emphasized the room's generous proportions. The furnishings were good quality, but there were some signs of wear and it was slightly dated in appearance.
The double aspect was a bonus. We especially appreciated the views of the river and beyond. The sofa by the window faced the room, but my instinct was to turn around to look at the river, Cechuv Most, Letna Park, and the Metronome outside. The downside of the river view was that the cobbled road could be noisy.
At 6:30 p.m. there was a knock on our door. A smartly dressed lady with a white apron, reminiscent of housekeeping staff from a bygone era, appeared to offer to clean our room. It took us a while to explain that we did not need our room cleaned. We are not accustomed to regularly staying in 5-star hotels. We later realized that this was the turndown service. Language can be a barrier at times. I had noticed that housekeeping trolleys had locked lids, so I am not sure how we would have fared had we requested more supplies for the room.
Overall we were pleased with room 478. Its size, view, and comfort outweighed the signs of aging.
The Outlook
Our side window overlooked the neighboring President Hotel, some uninspiring concrete blocks, and the Church of St. Simon and St. Jude. The top of St. Agnes's Convent could be glimpsed in the distance.
The best view was from the window behind the sofa. Looking down we could see the landscaped garden area between the hotel and the raised walkway, which ran along the cobbled road, bordering the river. Across the ever-changing view of the river, we could see Cechuv Most (one of Prague's bridges), Letna Park on the opposite bank, and the metronome on the top of the hill opposite. Looking to the left we were able to catch sight of Prague Castle.
The Bathroom
The Layout
There was a toilet with a bidet along one wall, a wide sink area on the adjoining wall, and a bath with a shower set into an alcove.
Decor
The floor was covered with medium-sized square white and grey marble tiles, which matched the tiles on the wall by the shower. A marble shelf ran along above the toilet and bidet. The large white ceiling tiles, with 4 bobble lights plus another over the bath made the room very bright. A white shower curtain hung from a curved chrome rail.
Fixtures and Fittings
There was a white wall-mounted toilet, with large white controls on the wall. The flush was quite weak. The chrome flaps over the toilet roll holders were irritating, but good paper-saving devices. A bidet was located next to the toilet with a circular chrome towel rail on the wall between them.
A large circular white-framed shaving mirror with halo lighting was on an adjustable pole (like the fixing for a showerhead). A shaver socket was located below it and a wall-mounted hairdryer was nearby.
A chrome-framed opaque glass shelf served as a toiletry holder. The small oval-shaped sink was inset to the left of the large marble base and sides. There was a chrome towel holder nearby. A large mirror ran behind the sink area up to the ceiling.
The bath had a non-slip base. A chrome towel holder was located above it at the end. A shower came off the taps and a further shower was fixed above.
Toiletries and Towels
At first, there was one of each; shower gel, shampoo, and body lotion. But this doubled while we were out of the room. There were two white hand towels, two flannels, and two bath sheets. A green box contained a sewing kit, makeup pads, cotton buds, and other items. A chrome tissue box holder was inset to the front of the sink unit. A bar of soap was placed on a white soap dish. Two white bathrobes were hanging on the back of the bathroom door.
Miscellaneous Items
A black telephone was fixed on the internal wall to the right. There were two tumblers near the sink.
Overall Thoughts
The bathroom facilities were adequate but had a dated feel about them. The toilet dripped and the room needed modernization.
Leisure Facilities
The Layout
Access to leisure facilities was very convenient. A separate carpeted lift in the corner of our corridor took us straight down to the entrance on the lower ground floor, with no need to pass through reception. It meant that we could get changed in our room and make good use of the InterContinental bathrobes. Wandering through the public areas dressed in a bathrobe is not our scene. The ease of access was a definite bonus.
A long corridor ran along the river side of the hotel. The facilities included a large, well-equipped gym area, changing rooms with saunas, and massage rooms. A lobby near the pool had a small bar area. A relaxation area on a mezzanine level overlooked the pool.
Changing Rooms
The changing rooms did not appear to have altered much over time. White wood-paneled doors opened into an area of green lockers and benches. There were all the usual facilities; toilets, showers, sinks, and a tumble dryer. A door opened into the sauna area, with access to another bathroom, two showers, and a cold plunge pool.
The Pool
The pool was not large. Its kidney shape with a small bridge over a narrow channel to a small island was reminiscent of an outdoor hotel pool in a warmer climate. It was certainly not for the serious lane swimmer, but it was possible to swim a reasonable distance by following a route around the edge.
The pool area was covered by a curved roof of large glass panels in a bronze-colored frame, which allowed a lot of natural light in. Rattan sunbeds were placed around the edge of the area. The circular jacuzzi was not big and disappointing for a 5-star hotel. It would not have looked out of place in a 3-star Holiday Inn in the UK. There were Men's and Ladies' toilets and two showers near the pool.
Other Facilities
A spiral-open staircase led up to the relaxation area on the mezzanine level. Dark brown rattan sunbeds with cream cushions were interspersed with glass vases containing pebbles and candles. There were also large alabaster jars full of greenery. Gentle music played in the background and magazines were available in Czech, English, and Russian.
Our Experience
The welcome was efficient, as we signed in at the leisure facilities. Having spent several days sightseeing, I figured that I could pass on the gym for once and we headed for the pool. The area was ideal for a relaxing break, with a leisurely swim in the pool and lounging around in the relaxation area. It would be easy to fall asleep up there. I tried out the sauna in the changing room, but chickened out of the plunge pool experience, choosing the showers instead. We used the leisure facilities on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. On both occasions, the area was reasonably quiet with few other guests around. Taking the lift back up to our room, I was able to make use of the more private changing facilities available up there.
Food and Drink Options
The Duke's Bar and Cafe
My husband was a Spire Elite member of the IHG Rewards Club. He was therefore given two drink vouchers at check-in to use in the bar. His status entitled him to a generous choice. We went to the Duke's Bar on the ground floor the first afternoon.
The bar was located around the corner from reception, along a back wall. It was fairly small, but the furnishings were of good quality. Round tables were surrounded by curved banquettes with padding, covered in beige material, and armchairs with wooden frames. The wood-curved bar had glass-fronted wooden drinks shelves and racks hanging from the ceiling. The area had an art deco feel with opaque brass-framed glass on the ceiling.
The Duke's cafe, a coffee shop area was located opposite by the windows, which were covered with drapes, as they faced a corner of the road. The area was furnished with tables, chairs, and a cake counter, and it was brightly lit.
Pleasantly surprised to see how many choices we had on the bar menu, we both looked down the cocktail list and chose one of the more expensive strawberry concoctions. There was plenty of it. Although I noticed the bartender pouring in the requisite spirits, neither of us could detect the presence of alcohol in the drinks. Nevertheless, they tasted very nice and, as we were not paying, we certainly were not complaining.
Restaurants
There were two restaurants in InterContinental Prague. Primator Restaurant overlooked the landscaped area towards the river. Breakfast was served here.
Zlata Praha offered a more upmarket experience, with fine dining and stunning views. It was on the top floor of the hotel.
Tips for a Great Stay
- Arrive early, in the hope you might be able to access your room. If your room is ready it is in the hotel's interest to let you in. You might be tempted to spend more money in the bar, restaurant, or on room service, the longer you are there.
- Request a later checkout. Some members of the IHG (InterContinental Hotel Group) One Rewards Club are entitled to complimentary late checkouts when possible.
- Make use of hotel brand loyalty schemes. Most are free to join and offer benefits such as reduced membership prices. There is nothing to lose by joining. Depending on your stay frequency, there can be a lot to gain.
- If you have Platinum or Diamond Elite status in the IHG One Rewards Club ask if you have been allocated a complimentary upgrade when you check in. If you do not ask, you might not get one. It is in the hotel's interest to keep their guests happy.
- Research offers that are available with credit cards. Our free night came by way of a credit card spend.
- If you are an IHG One Rewards Club member be sure to get any drinks vouchers you are entitled to.
- Do not feel obliged to eat in the hotel. There are cheaper alternatives. We found a restaurant nearby for lunch after we had checked in. We took snacks and drinks for our evening meal and lunch the following day. We also took our breakfast with us to eat in our room.
- If you encounter any problems during your stay, say so at the time. If you are unhappy with the resolution, get the general manager's email and pursue it afterward. TripAdvisor is a powerful tool these days. Hotels are keen to avoid negative reviews. IHG hotels sometimes give back thousands of points if you have a justified grievance. I was once awarded 40,000 points for multiple problems with a stay I booked for family members.
Favorite Hotel Brand
Former Guests
InterContinental Prague, like most 5-star hotels, boasts a list of famous guests. Here are a few listed on the hotel site:
- 1981 Ray Charles, the American singer.
- 1982 Keke Rosberg, racing car driver, and Richard Nixon, former US President.
- 1984 Elton John
- 1990 Tony Curtis
- 1995 Meryl Streep
- 1996 Michael Jackson, while on his HIStory tour, Luciano Pavarotti and Hillary Clinton.
- 1998 Phil Collins.
- 1999 George W. Bush and Madelaine Albright.
- 2006 Alain Delon, French actor.
- 2008 Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, former tennis players.
Other Guests of Interest
In addition to the A-listers and celebrities who have stayed in the hotel, there are two guests that InterContinental Prague would probably rather forget.
In the decade after he masterminded the Munich Olympic massacre in 1972, the Palestinian terrorist, Abu Daoud visited Prague eight times. On one occasion it is said that he got so drunk that he could hardly stand. The Czechoslovak secret police viewed their embarrassing guest with growing alarm. Eventually, in 1982, they detained Daoud and ordered him to leave.
A Venezuelan, by the name of Ilyich Ramirez Sanchez, also known as the notorious assassin, Carlos the Jackal, made InterContinental Prague his second home between the 1970s and early 1980s. The Czechoslovakian communist regime kept a watchful eye on him. In August 1979 it was noted that Sanchez locked himself out of his room. He got so angry that he was seen running along a corridor yelling and waving a large revolver.
Eventually, the regime came up with a plan to rid themselves of their embarrassing guest. Sanchez was told that French intelligence had sent a hit squad to Prague. The story was a lie, but it had the desired effect. Sanchez left immediately and never returned. He was captured in Sudan in 1994 and is now behind bars in a French jail for multiple murders.