Buddha-Bar Hotel Prague

You might be prepared for a hotel venture from a famed nightclub group to rather emphasize nightlife at the expense of old-fashioned hospitality and in-room luxury and comfort. Prepare to be enlightened. The first of what’s intended to be a series of Buddha Bar hotels has opened in Prague, not far from the Charles Bridge and everything that’s historic in the old town. What’s surprising is that inside you’ll find not just the next installment of the Buddha Bar nightlife franchise, but thirty-nine very stylish and exceedingly luxe rooms and suites as well.

The décor is the expected mod-Orientalism of the Buddha Bar concept, certainly a departure for Prague, and the rooms have some substance beneath that style — massive tubs, occasional jacuzzis, rain showers, and a few classic luxury-hotel touches, such as a complimentary shoeshine service and the increasingly rare bit of chocolate on the pillow at turndown. A small gym and spa balance the decadent nightlife with a bit of daytime rejuvenation, and the Siddhartha Café serves an eclectic international cuisine at more or less all hours, to suit the eccentric schedules of the Buddha Bar’s globe-trotting, nightclubbing clientele. This is one of those cases where the execution almost transcends the concept — one can even imagine greatly enjoying the Buddha-Bar Hotel without ever setting foot in the Buddha Bar itself.