Hilton Prague Old Town {CZE}

Old Aug 16, 2008, 8:48 pm
  #16  
 
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This has me rethinking my plans. I am set for an award stay in October. If the number of points were the same, would you still choose the Prague Hilton over the Old Town? We will be tourists with no car.
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Old Aug 16, 2008, 10:10 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by omegadeal
This has me rethinking my plans. I am set for an award stay in October. If the number of points were the same, would you still choose the Prague Hilton over the Old Town? We will be tourists with no car.
As Diamonds with a "right" as of Aug 15 to lounge access we would choose the Prague Hilton over the Hilton Old Town without hesitation. YMMV.

Our Executive-floor room was slightly nicer at the Prague Hilton but our room here at the Old Town is perfectly adequate, exactly as JDiver has described it so thoroughly up-thread. A couple of funny anomalies, I have to admit. The Prague Hilton supplies bath sheets, the Old Town provides the smaller bath towels. The Prague Hilton supplies mouthwash. No mouthwash here at the Old Town and only one bar of soap (not two) for the entire stay. I successfully requested and received a sheet and light blanket to replace the duvets in both hotels. Our executive room at the Prague Hilton held a bathtub and a separate shower, a nice touch but the the combined tub and shower at the Old Town is satisfactory and the bathroom floor is heated, a feature incidentally that Mrs. Fredd doesn't favor. You can't please everybody.

The employees appear in general to be happier and much more motivated at the Prague Hilton, despite its apparently being the largest hotel in the Czech Republic. It's hard to get a smile out of the employees at the Old Town, with one or two exceptions. The apparent lounge manager here sits glumly at his computer most of the time and looks thoroughly bored. The first morning of our stay after the disagreement over lounge access I asked him for the letter outlining the hours and services. The letter arrived that night with the promise of our "gift amenity" and somebody apparently tried to deliver it when we were napping according to a note at the door, but they never followed up so I can't say what the amenity is. At the Prague Hilton it was a .5 liter of a sweetish white wine in an ice bucket, but I suppose it's the thought that counts.

Yes, the Old Town is adjacent to one of the major pedestrian areas, right at the edge of the action and next to the Republica metro stop. The Prague Hilton is a 6-8 minute walk from here but it is only a 2-minute walk from the Florenc metro stop once you step off the hotel property so for us with five-day passes the location isn't a determining factor. We noticed we could cut through a mini-mall that runs the length of a building separating the Hilton from the metro stop. It's labeled Lkrna, which I believe means pharmacy in Czech.

Here in the Old Town lounge there is a pleasant but limited continental breakfast, an espresso machine, and there are a couple of choices of cold snacks out in the afternoon for tea (cakes, etc.) and in the evening (a mini-quiche last night and a plate of cheeses). At the Prague Hilton the breakfast choice was much larger, including jugs of coffee at our table and encouragement to order from a supplementary "hot" menu, and we were offered the option of dining in the lobby restaurant, which we did one morning - a marvelous buffet breakfast! ^

The evening offerings at the Prague Hilton are of the type that tempt you to skip dinner if you've had a large lunch. For example, one night there, along with the salad bar and the large variety of breads, the hot appetizers were mini-hamburgers (surprisingly tasty and even cooked rare!) and won tons complete with dipping sauce.

We've met one quite friendly young employee from the Phillipines (she apparently has a Czech boyfriend) in the Old Town lounge. She has been helpful and hospitable. Otherwise, the "team" spirt at the Prague Hilton is much more obvious.

I was initially annoyed at the Old Town's chiseling attitude of denying us the executive floor and especially lounge access on the first night of a four-night stay until we complained but after three nights here I think I can look past that. Ironically, the lounge has never been crowded, despite its rather small size.

In summary, either hotel is okay, the Hilton Old Town is closer to, well, the Old Town, metro access is similarly convenient, and the lounge and the general ambience at the Prague Hilton are vastly superior IMHO.

Cheers,
Fredd
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Old Sep 8, 2008, 7:32 pm
  #18  
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Does anyone have a contact email for this property?
Thanks!
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Old Sep 9, 2008, 12:46 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by azepine00
Does anyone have a contact email for this property?
Thanks!
Hilton.co.uk gives the following e-mail address:
[email protected]
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Old Sep 9, 2008, 9:11 am
  #20  
 
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Fredd - Your review is very good, but there is no way a person can 'walk' to the metro stop in 2 minutes. You can sprint and assuming you make the green light just right, you might be able to get to the down stairs in a couple of minutes or so. But you still have to negotiate yourself to the actual metro platform. It is a very fine hotel, but it is inconvenient to the main tourist attractions. Navagating the Prague streets is frustrating since there are so few street signs.
Cheers!
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Old Sep 14, 2008, 8:02 pm
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Hilton Old Town Prague

I'm staying in Prague in few weeks. Has anybody stayed the Hilton Old Town? If so what's it like? As a Diamond member what should I expect? I have 3 rooms booked there.
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Old Sep 14, 2008, 8:13 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Silvercity
I'm staying in Prague in few weeks. Has anybody stayed the Hilton Old Town? If so what's it like? As a Diamond member what should I expect? I have 3 rooms booked there.
Do a 'Search' and you will have all your answers
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Old Sep 14, 2008, 8:25 pm
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Originally Posted by craz
Do a 'Search' and you will have all your answers
Thanks.. should have looked thier first. Seems that most say the Prague Hilton is a better property.
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Old Sep 28, 2008, 11:07 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by HookEm
Fredd - Your review is very good, but there is no way a person can 'walk' to the metro stop in 2 minutes. You can sprint and assuming you make the green light just right, you might be able to get to the down stairs in a couple of minutes or so. But you still have to negotiate yourself to the actual metro platform. It is a very fine hotel, but it is inconvenient to the main tourist attractions.
We've been out of the country and I just ran across this reply. Heh.

Please read what I wrote once again: The Prague Hilton is a 6-8 minute walk from here but it is only a 2-minute walk from the Florenc metro stop once you step off the hotel property so for us with five-day passes the location isn't a determining factor.

Once you step off the hotel property you walk through the Lkrna mini-mall and either use the light or - gasp - jaywalk as we did once or twice along with locals, about a two-minute walk for us. Yes, it might take three. Yes, I plead guilty to describing the metro stop as the top of the stairs at the stop, not all the way down to the platform. I didn't count the number of steps either.

If you have one night in Prague and want to walk out of your hotel immediately onto a pedestrian thoroughfare, you won't go wrong picking the Old Town. If you're staying for several days and planning to buy a multi-day public transit pass and travel to various locations by public transit, particularly if you're a Hilton Diamond, I stand by my strong recommendation of the Hilton Prague over the Old Town. YMMV.

Cheers,
Fredd
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Old Sep 28, 2008, 6:11 pm
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Originally Posted by Fredd
We've been out of the country and I just ran across this reply. Heh.

Please read what I wrote once again: The Prague Hilton is a 6-8 minute walk from here but it is only a 2-minute walk from the Florenc metro stop once you step off the hotel property so for us with five-day passes the location isn't a determining factor.

Once you step off the hotel property you walk through the Lkrna mini-mall and either use the light or - gasp - jaywalk as we did once or twice along with locals, about a two-minute walk for us. Yes, it might take three. Yes, I plead guilty to describing the metro stop as the top of the stairs at the stop, not all the way down to the platform. I didn't count the number of steps either.

If you have one night in Prague and want to walk out of your hotel immediately onto a pedestrian thoroughfare, you won't go wrong picking the Old Town. If you're staying for several days and planning to buy a multi-day public transit pass and travel to various locations by public transit, particularly if you're a Hilton Diamond, I stand by my strong recommendation of the Hilton Prague over the Old Town. YMMV.

Cheers,
Fredd

Hi guys, this is a funny thread. Let me put in my 2 cents. I used to be local, speak flent Czech a know the area relatively well. If you know what you are doing, yes, you can reach the subway in 2 or 3 minutes and get to the tourist attractions. You can also walk to them if you are willing to add 10 more minutes, are a brisk walker and again, know where you are going. I am a Hilton guy, but in Prague always stay in a private apartement in Kampa (across the river). Cheers and enjoy the city.
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Old Sep 28, 2008, 6:57 pm
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Originally Posted by Vaclav
If you know what you are doing, yes, you can reach the subway in 2 or 3 minutes and get to the tourist attractions. You can also walk to them if you are willing to add 10 more minutes, are a brisk walker and again, know where you are going.
I seem to have a Czech Mate! Thanks Vaclav. ^

Cheers,
Fredd
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Old Oct 22, 2008, 6:06 pm
  #27  
 
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Hilton Prague Rocks!

I have been a HH Diamond member for going on 5 years now...and the Hilton Prague is by far the nicest Hilton branded property I have had the pleasure of staying in.

The hotel is enormous and has a very updated modern decor. The centerpiece of the hotel is a huge 8 story high atrium that gave the lobby a very light & airy feeling. They offer Diamond check-in services up on the 8th floor, in addition to express HHonors checkin lines at the front desk. The smell of the new Natuzzi leather couches near the reception area was very nice!

The Executive King Rooms were not huge, but they were very adequate. The furnishings & layout of the room were very sharp, clean & modern. The bed & bedding were first rate, and we had a beautiful view of Prague from our window. The room was equipped with plenty of electrical outlets, a nice flat screen TV, individual reading lights, soft padded leather headboard, etc.

The bathroom was equipped with nice fixtures and it had a separate (single person sized) shower and tub...there was a separate speaker control so you could listen to the television while in the bathroom. The amenities were plentiful (multiple body washes, shampoos, conditioners & bar soaps). They also provide large bath sheets, a fluffy bath rug, and robes & slippers.

This is the first Hilton property (other than the Miami Conrad) that I stayed in that had a fully stocked mini-bar in the room...in addition to that, the hotel offered a very extensive 24-hour full room service menu...something you generally would expect on a more luxury property. They even had express 3 hour laundry/pressing service.

The pay-per-view movie choices were quite lacking, however it did have several American channels like CNN, CNBC and Discovery channel.

The Executive Lounge very much rivaled the amenities of the international first/biz class lounges of American Airlines & British Airways...a full hot breakfast buffet served til 11 am daily (including a FREE hot menu you could order from), finger sandwiches, snacks, cakes, cookies & desserts served throughout the day. A cappucino machine, and cold bottles of soda, juices, mixers, etc. And about 30-40 bottles of premium alcohol...all completely free. In the evening for a couple hours, they roll out even more food -- usually a couple of hot entries. Our group saved money on eating out & drinking by staying in this comfortable lounge frequently. And every one of the people working in the lounge were super-friendly and kept the lounge very tidy & routinely offered to refill our drinks, etc.

In fact, ALL the employees we countered were very cordial, greeted us in the hallways, waited for the next elevator rather than crowding on with the guests etc...traits I have only really seen in much higher end properties.

Outside of the Executive Lounge, the hotel had several high end conference/meeting rooms available that looked like they could be right out of some company's corporate board room..

They have a 24 hour Cafe/Bistro in the lobby that serves tasty food...a lobby bar, and also a very, very good fine dining restaurant that serves some of the best beef filet I have ever enjoyed -- in addition to traditional czech dishes...service from Rolf was very good.

All in all, as a longtime HH Diamond member, I was completely blown away by how good our experience was. Why can't US based Hilton's be this nice? :-)

Oh, p.s....they also have a brand new addition called "Cloud 9"...it is a very W style nightclub up on the very top level of the hotel that is all glassed in with the best views of the Prague skyline...it was as nice as some of the clubs I have seen in Vegas.

So, if you are looking for a good hotel, I definitely recommend the Hilton Prague...all the sites are a short 10 minute walk or 5 minute car ride (the hotel provides nice black sedans out front that are much cleaner than the local taxis & are reasonably priced.)

Having said all of this, I'm still a Starwood whore, but I would not hesitate to stay here again.

P.S. I don't work out much, but my business partner does and he said the Hilton Prague gym was one of the nicest & cleanest hotel gyms he has ever worked out in.
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Old Oct 22, 2008, 6:53 pm
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I'd have to echo libertyjake's review of the Hilton Prague.

I, too, am a Starwood whore. My few experiences with Hiltons in the US have been less than overwhelming, though I've been to some nice Hilton properties outside of the US (seems similar to Sheraton in the sense that things can be somewhat hit or miss in the US, but often kicked up a notch outside of the US).

But the Prague Hilton was tremendous. Before arrival, I was a bit concerned it was too much of a business-oriented hotel (read: little atmosphere) but I was quite off. Amenities, service, rooms were all great.

Location was not a problem in the least, either. Certainly, you don't quite step out the front door of the hotel and land on the most charming, picturesque scene in Prague. But it's not hard to get to the most popular tourist spots from the hotel, the car service they offer is very convenient (and, with flat prices, reasonable and reliable), the views from the upper floors can be spectacular, and the extent to which you're able to enjoy the hotel and its facilities makes it a very appealing "retreat" after a long day of sightseeing or business meetings offsite.

Highly recommended!
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Old Oct 23, 2008, 7:06 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by mdaecher
Glad to be hearing some reports strt to filter in on Old Town - I'm headed to Prague for new Years. There have alsways been rave reviews of the Hilton Prague, but the Old Town location was intriguing. Sounds like if I'm staying Hlton, I'll go to the original and have a nice walk into Old Town.

Curious....for any posters who have stayed in Old Town location...did you get a chance to check out the Marriott which is across the street?
I'm also considering staying there....
I am also heading to Prague for New Years and currently have my reservations booked for the Old Town Prague Hilton. Should I save the points and move or stay put? Has anyone on this forum celebrated New Years in Prague? If so, where am I better off staying at ?
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Old Jul 30, 2009, 8:45 am
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Hilton Prague Old Town - July 2009

After checking-out at the Hilton Prague (see my separate trip report), we took our bags and walked over to the Hilton Prague Old Town (HHonors Category 5) , V Celnici 7, 111 21 Prague, Tel: +420-2-2182-2100, Fax: +420-2-2182-2200, email: [email protected]

The hotel is centrally located in the city center, right across Central Station, and opposite the Marriott hotel. Check-in was fast and friendly. My colleague and I both received an upgrade to an Executive Room on the 5th floor, on the back of the house. Unfortunately we were given a smoking room but as we checked-in late and had to leave at 04:00 am we didnt complain. My room was very small, probably half of the size of the other rooms on this floor. My colleagues room was a little bit larger as she was assigned a corner-room. In our room we found a welcome note, some peanuts and a bottle of complimentary Evian water. The room was kind of dark but clean and ok for just a few hours to sleep in.

The Executive Lounge is located adjacent the Front Desk but was closed while we were there. Instead a smaller meeting room on the 2nd floor was used as Executive Lounge. A couple of tables and chairs, one sofa and two armchairs, one computer with free Internet access and an Executive Desk with no staff working on. After entering the lounge we intended to drink a coffee, which was so bitter that it wasnt drinkable. Thought of having a Coke instead but unfortunately the staff placed only two or three small bottles of Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Diet Coke and Tonic water at a time in a large ice bucket. When we showed up, just Diet Coke and Sprite was left over. When we returned to the lounge later this evening, the sodas had been stocked up and several alcoholic beverages were also offered. In addition to this, two hot items (spring rolls and grilled chicken skewers) and assorted cheese with crackers were available.

After the lounge closed at 11:00 pm we went downstairs to have another drink at the Zinc Lounge and Bar.

Check-out was friendly, fast and accurate.

We used the hotels Mercedes limousine for our way back to the airport. The fare of 890 CZK ($50) could be charged to the room.

Final notes: The hotel is centrally located, only minutes away from a major shopping area and very close to several sights like the the Wenceslas Square from where you can reach the Charles Bridge within 10 more minutes. The staff is polite and attentive. Everybody speaks perfect English. The two rooms I saw were clean and OK but nothing special. I stayed at both Hiltons and for me, the location isnt worth staying at the Hilton Prague Old Town. If you have to stay here for what reason ever, youll probably have a comfortable stay, but keep in mind only 10 minutes away youll discover outstanding service at the Hilton Prague. However, I do recommend this property.
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