Last Updated on October 28, 2023
Reinventing a Prague Classic
Where should you stay when you visit Prague? There are so many options in this vibrant city; for me, finding a hotel with a history has a particular magic, especially when it also happens to be situated right in the heart of Prague New Town. Recently refurbished and opened as the Hotel Almanac x Alcron just a few months ago in March 2023, it’s a brilliant fusion of the original stunning Art Deco architecture and interior design from the early 1930s, with contemporary styling and comfort in all the rooms from standard through to the luxurious suites.
Almanac Hotels is owned by the Haselbacher family, with three properties in Prague, Barcelona and Vienna. They aim to offer guests curated experiences that tap into their respective city’s culture through the arts, music, fashion, food, the property’s unique design and architecture, and the knowledge and experience of local staff. It takes great sensitivity to remodel an iconic venue, but that’s just what has happened at the Alcron.
Construction of the original Hotel Alcron started in 1929, the brainchild of Alois Krofta, a local businessman and architect and the hotel was opened in 1932. The name Alcron was apparently taken from a boat in Greek Mythology, a construct from the first couple of letters of each of Krofta’s names. It rapidly became one of the top hotels in Prague, a favourite with actors, producers, singers, writers, celebrities and foreign correspondents. Known for luxury and exquisite cuisine, the Alcron hosted many famous guests including Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill before war broke out. After the Second World War, in 1948 the hotel was nationalised, closing in 1990 following the fall of the Communist regime the previous year. It was then the subject of restitution claims by three of the Krofta family who subsequently sold it. Refurbished by the Austrian firm, Crown WSF, it was reopened under the management of Radisson SAS. After twenty years of management by Radisson, the Alcron Hotel became independent and was renamed Alcron Hotel Prague on 1 January 2019. The hotel closed in January 2022 for a €20 million renovation and reopened in March 2023 as Almanac X Prague, part of the Barcelona-based Almanac Hotels chain.
Walk into the lobby of the Almanac X Alcron and there’s an immediate sense of luxury. The original brass bannister adorns the fabulous marble staircase where each individual panel of marble was apparently hand-matched by Krofta himself so that the veining looks perfect. There’s a reception desk to one side, a couple of comfy seating areas, a small coffee shop at the front and the Alcron bar up a few steps on the other side. A grand piano sits waiting to be played. At the rear of the lobby, there’s a welcoming restaurant while what was previously the Michelin-starred Alcron restaurant is now being reopened for private dining only. Art on the wall features contemporary Czech works, including a mural in the lobby by Prague artist Lucie Skrivankova, and there are currently some fantastic and vibrant sculptures decorating the space. The extensive €20 million re-design was led by interior designers Tres Cinco Uno and local architects Marani.
Rooms range from comfortable yet still luxurious standard rooms with or without balconies, all with king-sized or twin beds, rainfall showers, tea and coffee machines, robes and slippers through to various suite categories with everything from separate living rooms to the Presidential Suite set on the top floor of the hotel with kitchen, dining room and living room to complement the sleeping quarters!
From the top floor castle suites you can look out over the rooftops of Prague while on the floor below, some of the suites have double balconies and separate living rooms. The decor is contemporary but with just a few touches like the herringbone floors and brass fittings to remind you that this is a historic hotel. I suspect Mr Krofta would be proud of the refurbishment. Staying in one of the suites, I particularly liked the separate living room and bedroom, the balcony and the glorious generous toiletries.
Breakfast offers include one of the best self-service buffets I’ve seen, not just because of the choice of food but because of the superb quality. I tried the salmon on the first day – and had to have the same again the next! The A La Carte option is concise but with the same excellent quality of food.
What of dinner? It’s hard to follow a Michelin-starred restaurant but the new offering from Almanac X Alcron offers a good balance between fine dining and accessibility with a plant-led menu that combines Czech cuisine with contemporary European tastes. My starter of trout, rhubarb, radish and trout roe was fresh, beautifully presented and with just the right amount of acidity to balance the dish.
For my main course, I abandoned any plant-led intentions to feast on sirloin, turnip and black garlic – perfectly cooked beef with a truly delicious turnip cake and a tiny portion of mashed black garlic.
Had I been more restrained then there were three excellent vegetarian options including a delicious sounding dish of carrots, miso, buckwheat and garlic and the rather heartier option picked by one of my companions of cauliflower, potato, hazelnuts and whey.
Dessert brought more decisions to be made, but I was delighted by the beautiful dark chocolate, miso caramel and buckwheat dish I picked while others enjoyed a refreshing kombucha sorbet with hibiscus and fresh fruit.
With the meal, I enjoyed a glass of 2018 Villanyi Franc, from the Scillagvolgy Vineyard, Attila Gere Winery, Hungary while dessert came with a glass of Vin Santo del Chianti, Rocca delle Macie 2011.
Dining in the hotel is definitely a treat!
And of course, you should try a cocktail or two in the bar and soak up the luxury. With popcorn on the table, we enjoyed an assortment of classic cocktails with a twist – for me a play on a gimlet, with gin, apple, cucumber and lovage while others enjoyed a range of innovative drinks – all named after Alois Krofta’s friends, lovers and family members
If you can bear to drag yourself out of your super comfortable bed, one of the best things about Hotel Almanac X Alcron is the location. Just a few minutes from Wenceslas Square, you can easily walk from the Hotel to most of the famous sights in the Old Town and New Town. On a short tour, we managed to catch everything from the famous Astronomical Clock and Old Town Square to the Estate Theatre where Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro was first performed and the house where he lived.
We saw three of David Cerny’s works -the peeing men, the head of Franz Kafka and the statue of St Wenceslas on a horse upside down, we visited the Jewish quarter to see one of the best preserved Jewish cemeteries, the Old New Synagogue (Europe’s oldest active synagogue) and more.
We walked across the Charles Bridge, we saw the Old Town Bridge Tower and even managed to find Prague’s fanciest shopping street. None of these (and more) are further than half an hour on foot from the Hotel Almanac X Acron so for those new to Prague it’s an excellent base.
The Almanac X Alcron Prague offers guests unique insider tours of the city that are exclusive to the hotel or you can contact our guide, Tereza Moravcová who works with Prague City Adventures offering a range of experiences in the Czech Republic.
I can think of very few things that would make the hotel better. Perhaps a roof terrace? Not surprisingly Hotel Almanac X Alcron has one planned and it is due to open in spring 2024.
The Almanac X Alcron Prague opened on 1st March 2023 and has 178 rooms and 26 suites, starting from €250/night
- A.Štěpánská 40/623, 110 00 Praha 1 , Czech Republic
- P.+420 222 820 000
- E.operator.prague@almanachotels.com
For more about Prague, you may find the following features interesting
A first visit to Prague
Things to do in Prague on a short break
Vyserad, Prague – a quieter alternative
