Zderaz Apartments

The apartment was nice and clean, with everything we needed for a week. The staff were helpful and flexible, and all of them spoke English.

I don’t know how to stop people from booking this place, but it could ruin your visit to Prague. I rented an apartment for a few days, and it was one of my worst experiences as a visitor. I’d give it negative stars if I could. When I arrived, the landlady was extremely rude and refused card payment, saying they never had a card machine. But the website I booked through, booking.com, clearly said they accepted cards. I had to exchange money at a terrible rate and pay extra. I explained I didn’t have cash, but she told me to pay cash or find somewhere else to stay. She also kept on at me about the money because I couldn’t exchange it in time. The room was okay, but not clean, with spider webs in every corner. The accommodation had no AC or fan, though they said they could provide a fan on request. The small table fan they brought was covered in dust. My bus was late at night, so I asked if she could keep my bags. Luckily, she did, but only until 10 PM, while my transport was at 2:30. I agreed to come back at 10 to pick them up, assuming she needed the room for someone else. She came downstairs right at 10 to take the keys. I asked if I could at least change and use the bathroom, but she flatly refused, said she had to go upstairs quickly, and told me to get out now. Those were her exact words: LEAVE NOW. I couldn’t change or freshen up after a full day, and was kicked out by a rude woman who later went for a walk with her dog instead of going upstairs as she’d said. If you can’t accommodate people humanely, don’t host them and ruin their visit to such a beautiful city.

The apartment was cold when we stayed in November, and the lighting was too dim. There wasn’t enough hot water for two people, and the bathroom motion sensor kept turning off the lights and ventilation whenever you stood still, making it hard to use normally. On the good side, the bed was comfortable after long walks around Prague. The location was great, and the friendly hostess recommended a good currency exchange and picked us up late, which we really appreciated. She speaks Russian fairly well.

The owner was very kind, and the price was really low for such a central location. But the room and bathroom were both small, and cooking meant using a little electric hotplate. That would all have been manageable if the place hadn’t been so dirty. We had to rush out for sponges and soap as soon as we arrived so we could clean the dishes and the small cupboard. There was dust and grime everywhere. Hopefully it was just a one-off.