Waterfront Apartments

Getting settled wasn't the smoothest: we had to wait for our host, and she didn't speak much English. It wasn't a big deal, though. The apartment itself was very clean and comfortable, in a great spot a little outside the centre but still within walking distance of everything.

It's a mega noisy place, day and night, if your apartment faces Rohanske nabrezi. The building isn't well insulated, and it gets very hot inside. The elevator is slow.

Karlín is a great area, with lots of good businesses nearby, and that's why we went there. The apartment had satellite TV and a DVD player, and the window remote controls were a plus since you can see into the opposite apartment building. Inside, there was a spacious living room and kitchenette, a large round table, a corner sofa, and another two-seater. The toilet was separate with a small sink. The bathroom had a bathtub and a small glass screen that did a poor job of stopping splashes. The taps were separate, like in the UK. The bedroom was roomy, the bed and mattresses were comfortable, and the bedding was nice, though better pillows would have helped. We weren't happy with the towels, but the owner responded quickly to our complaint, replaced them willingly, and answered our questions promptly. The apartment had reception and underground parking, and it was modern. It was around 3 km from the centre at Wenceslas Square, with a tram to the centre just a few metres away and a metro station one tram stop away or a short walk. The Vltava and a cycle path were on one side. On the other was a busy four-lane road with fast traffic all the time, even on weekends. The noise was constant, day, evening, and night. Ours faced the road and was on the first floor, which was a big drawback. You couldn't sleep with the window open, or even closed. There was a portable air conditioner, but it only cooled the room and was too noisy to leave on at night. We might consider returning if the apartment faced the courtyard, although it was noisy there too until morning over the weekend because some band or disco was playing by the water. We would come back if it weren't for the noise.

The main reason we wouldn’t come back is the noise. Apartment 25 is on the first floor, facing a busy four-lane road. Cars are audible even with the windows shut, and with them open, sleeping at night is out of the question. Drivers ignore the speed limit and motorcyclists show off. The upstairs neighbor also runs around late, and the poorly soundproofed floor carries every heavy step. The bathtub was another problem. Water gets everywhere when you shower, and an older person would need to take care getting out, with nothing to hold onto. A shower stall would be much better. The place is reasonably furnished as a two-room apartment, with a TV, air conditioning, microwave, and kettle, and public transport is easy to reach. The owner, or rather the manager, did try to deal with all the requests from paying guests. Still, this might suit someone hard of hearing, but not anyone looking for a quiet night away from traffic and neighbors.