Grand Hotel Evropa Art Nouveau on Wenceslas Square
Grand Hotel Evropa was once the jewel-in-the-crown on Wenceslas Square. Late nineteen century, when the hotel opened, it was a symbol of luxury unprecedented in all of Czechoslovakia. Over the years, the hotel rooms became outdated, but the facade remained sparkling with Art Nouveau details. Despite its prime location, it was degraded to a two-star hotel. After a long period of renovation, the hotel is once again luxurious, but now operates under a different name: Hotel W Prague.
Hotel W Prague
Hotel W Prague, part of Marriott International, is once again a first-class luxury hotel just as it was in 1906 when it opened under the name of Grand Hotel Evropa. Hotel W Prague is the first W hotel in the Czech Republic and the seventh in Europe. Hotel W Prague has 161 guest rooms and suites, restaurants, bar, a rooftop bar, an outdoor terrace, indoor swimming pool and fitness and wellness facilities. It is therefore not surprising that the renovation took many years. Hotel W Prague is a combination of old-fashioned glamour in a modern setting. The old and new fit to perfection.
The Long Road from Grand Hotel Evropa to Hotel W Prague
Hotel Evropa was built in 1872 by architect Josef Schulz, who designed it in Neo-Renaissance style. When early twentieth century Art Nouveau was the latest trend, the hotel was restyled in this new architectural style in 1906.
In 1924, hotelier Karel Šroubek bought the building and changed the name to Grand Hotel Šroubek. During the First Republic (1918-1938) it was one of the most luxurious hotels in Central Europe. The interior was also completely in lavish Art Nouvea style.
In the 1920s, Karel Šroubek set the standards for the high-end hotel industry in Czechoslovakia. He wrote a manual for the staff, in which he mapped out all the processes surrounding the management and maintenance of the Grand Hotel in detail.
The accommodation, which belonged to the European top, was sought after by domestic and foreign guests who demanded the highest standards for quality and service. Just before the Second World War, the Brit, Nicholas Winton, lived in the hotel. From here he organized the children’s transports that brought numerous Jewish children to England and thus saved them from the Holocaust.
photo: Statue of Nicholas Winton at platform 1 of Prague Main Railway Station
After being nationalized by the communist regime, the hotel retained its reputation. Czechoslovak and Soviet leaders were frequent guests. But things went downhill, probably because modern wishes such as an ensuite bathroom were not invested in time. For a long time, it was a hotel with a beautiful facade, an Art Nouveau cafe and restaurant, but with hopelessly outdated guest rooms. Now that Grand Hotel Evropa has become a W Prague hotel, Wenceslas Square shines again in full glory.
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