Four Seasons Hotel Prague

Many of the best hotels depend on some element of surprise. But in the case of the Four Seasons it’s a very subtle form of surprise, consisting in the ability to do exactly what you’d expect from a luxury hotel, just slightly better than you’d expect to see it done. In Prague it starts with the location. You’d want a hotel to be just steps from the Charles Bridge, in what travel writers call “the heart” of the old town. So that’s where the Four Seasons is, the real-estate market be damned.

You’d want the interiors, especially the lobby, to be classic in character, recalling an era when travel was elegant and a bit decadent. They’ve got that in spades, with classic and Renaissance wings paying homage to Prague’s past — and they’ve gone one further, hiring Pierre-Yves Rochon to kit out the modern building in his signature contemporary-Parisian style. And the views of Prague Castle, if you can get your hands on one, certainly don’t damage the atmosphere of the place.

A restaurant is a must, and it’s fortunate that the Four Seasons’ kitchen just happens to be among the city’s most highly acclaimed. A small spa and a baroque wood-paneled health club keep guests in touch with their bodily needs. Most important, however, is probably the less tangible element of access — from here all of Prague is at your feet, and the hotel feels authentically a part of the city.