Design Hotel Neruda

Hotel Neruda is named for Czech writer and poet Jan Neruda, who was raised in this district, the Malá Strana, and who, by some accounts, lived in this building, a converted foureenth-century convent, just down the hill from Prague Castle. Neruda was an obsessive documentor of this neighborhood, the Little Quarter, with its shady characters and ancient, twisting streets, and the neighborhood, though gentrifying, is still colorful — not Prague's hippest, necessarily, but one of its most historic, a grab bag of architectural styles.

Inside this hotel's centuries-old exterior is a remarkably modern hotel, with 42 rooms outfitted in a crisp contemporary style. There is nothing flashy or severe, but thankfully no Renaissance reproductions either — just calm and functional furnishings, bright lighting, and brand-new bathrooms. The remarkable peaceful feeling inside these rooms stems not from any feat of inspired design, but simply from the contrast with the crowded streets outside.

In brief, that's the appeal of the hotel: the location is prime, with easy access to the castle, the Charles bridge, and any number of other destinations, but the throngs of tourists are easily left behind on this winding street, inside what was once, after all, a convent, where nuns quite literally cloistered themselves from everyday life. A luxury palace this is not, and those who wish to be pampered would best look elsewhere, but this is a hotel with character, in a neighborhood to match.