Augustine Hotel, Prague

The suite upgrade through my Marriott Bonvoy status was much appreciated. It was spacious and nicely decorated, with a great bathroom, an amazing mattress, and high-quality linens. The hotel is also ideally placed for visiting the castle, Charles Bridge, museums, and other sights. Service was top-notch throughout, from check-in at the front desk to the bar team in the evening and the breakfast staff. I especially want to mention chief concierge Mr Michail Pilat, who kindly took time to show us around the historic hotel and the monastery. He was very polite and made our stay special. I can easily recommend this Prague hotel.

The hotel’s location worked perfectly for us, and the area is a good choice if you want somewhere calmer. The food was excellent: our son loved the cheese pasta, and my wife said the duck was among the best she’d had. Drinks, food, and service at the bar were exceptional on our first day. At the restaurant, service varied from good to pretty poor. One evening, in an empty restaurant, a mixed drink took 25 minutes and arrived mostly melted ice, with about a shot of liquid. We’d had proper cocktails there the day before. When we questioned the $17 each charge for the shot-sized drinks, we were told we were mistaken and that this was correct. Strange, but we paid and moved on. Our room was big, beautiful, quiet, and clean, with a large bathroom, separate bath and shower, and heated floors. The beds were extremely hard, like padded plywood, and the toilet paper was uncomfortably rough. The room also ran warm, so we slept with the windows open, which was fine. The receptionist and concierge were helpful when we arrived. I found the gym great, though it was closed for two days after we arrived; the hostess promptly told me when it reopened. As I understand it, the spa and sauna are closed for renovations for several months. That made it hard to give five stars, though if half stars were possible, we’d have chosen 4.5. The Hotel Monastery Bar is for private parties only, not open to guests or the public. We walked down to look at it. There’s a monastery tour on Thursday at 11, I think, or a hotel tour with the concierge on Saturday at noon. Neither fit our plans. Getting around Prague was easy by subway and trolley. The Pid app and an unlimited pass for your stay were really helpful once we figured them out, and our son liked the rides too. The hotel recommended a Czech restaurant that had the best authentic beef tartare in town. We booked a private Prague tour through the hotel for convenience with our son. It was a nice quick way to see the city, but not remarkable for the price. If your group is up for it, a group tour costs a lot less and covers the same information. In Terezín, we toured with local historian Jiri, who has devoted his studies to interviewing Holocaust and WWII survivors to preserve history. A tour and falconry lesson we found on Airbnb experience was a highlight for all three of us. We watched and flew birds, and the host shared his personal account of Prague history from the communist era on the way to and from the bird sanctuary. We’re not even bird people. Before leaving, ask a local for food and market tips. If you’re going to the Christmas markets, get there when they open at 1000.

The former monastery was gorgeous, and I especially liked the hotel services, breakfast included. Don’t miss the selections if you stay here. They also have rooms with views of Prague Castle ✨

It’s a lovely, distinctive hotel, and I liked the location, lobby, room, fresh tulips, and breakfast. Still, for a place we paid five-star rates for, I expected a five-star atmosphere and service. The entrance is a little hidden, and our toilet had yellow-brown stains. There was mold in the corner beside the shower, and the garden was closed during our stay. Part of the hallway ceiling is very low, and my husband hit his head on it a few times.