Hotel Astoria

Breakfast was great, and the staff were fine. The hotel is in a great spot for walking to Prague’s main attractions. The rooms are generally okay, with good insulation and heating, though the shower area is a little cramped.

It’s about a seven-minute walk to Prague’s Old Town, so the location is very convenient. The room was mostly fine, though there was a faint smell from the toilet. The staff didn’t come across as very friendly or welcoming. When we told Petit that other hotels usually store luggage for free, the reply felt sarcastic and unnecessary. Just so you know, they charge a fee to hold your bags.

The Old Town location was the main thing going for this four-star hotel, with lots of sights easy to reach on foot. The manager also eventually handled our payment problem professionally. Beyond those points, the stay was frustrating and I can’t recommend it. Construction outside started early each morning with gas pipe work and jackhammers at 7 a.m. The hotel can’t control city works, but we weren’t warned. Inside, the room had a heavy, unpleasant smell. It was reasonably spacious and generally clean, but lacked slippers, shampoo, and conditioner. The thermostat didn’t work properly, so we couldn’t control the temperature, and the Wi-Fi kept dropping after a few minutes. Breakfast was also limited, despite the advertised variety. We booked through Booking.com, which said payment would be made at the property and no advance payment was needed. Still, our card was charged three days before the cancellation deadline. The hotel said it was a standard one-night hold for verification, and that the amount could either go toward the final bill or be released at check-in if we used another payment method. When we tried to apply it to the bill, they refused rather rudely and told us to pay the full amount with a different card. The held money was still unavailable at checkout. The receptionist was dismissive when we asked for a manager, but the manager eventually came over and resolved it professionally. I’m giving two stars for the location and the manager’s help.

The location is excellent for getting to Prague’s main sights, and the price was fairly good. The room looked immaculate and recently renovated, and the breakfast buffet was good. Housekeeping was amazingly quick, and the staff were fine, though conversation was limited because I don’t think many spoke much English. A few details kept this from being a five-star stay. The coffee machine was useless, so a kettle would be better. I wasn’t sure the air conditioning worked, but didn’t ask, since I suspected they turn it off in October. Outside was mostly quiet, apart from engineering work starting at 7 a.m. The lift was painfully slow, and I could reliably take the stairs to the fourth floor faster. The reception and dining areas felt quiet and lifeless, though that’s not unusual for this kind of hotel.