LuckyTarget

so far so good.....no connection problems and it is free. I just checked my room charges.


To the other poster:

I'm staying on the Executive Level and I do have access to the lounge (a wonderful and if I say so, probably the best HILTON lounge I have ever been to), but I prefer using my own laptop. Passwords and bookmarks...........

rmbl

Nope. The hotel is hosting a conference of networking geeks, the meeting is running its own (free and open) wireless network throughout the building, and the room rate offered to the meeting attendees included net access. Given this group's history of overwhelming hotels' networks, it's very likely that the meeting host has taken over the hotel's network for the week because they think they can provide better service -- given that the meeting's external connection is gigabit Ethernet (with a 100 megabit backup link), the meeting certainly has more bandwidth running into the building than is normally there.

The hotel's net connection should return to normal on Friday or Saturday.

Condition One

I'm at the Prague Hilton right now. Due to my flight time (arriving 9:10am), I emailed the hotel and requested an early arrival. Upon exiting customs at PRG, I was picked up by a hotel limo driver (750 Crowns) and got to the Hilton in about 30 minutes.

I saw a few days prior to arriving on my Hilton.com reservation, that I was upgraded to a King Executive (this was on an award stay). While checking in at the Executive Floor, I asked if I could upgrade to a larger room for a fee, and was told that a Junior Suite was available for an extra 70 Euros/night. I accepted, and the room was as expected. It was a corner room, with an entrance that led diagnolly into the sitting room. The bathroom was by the entrance, which made getting into the bathroom a little awkward. It's a bit hard to describe.

Anyway, I'm extremely impressed by the Executive Lounge. It's a very large size, and food is placed there throughout the day. Most importantly, if you're a drinker, you'll find yourself in paradise. I counted over 60 top-shelf liquors (including Absinth!) as well as a dozen bottles of wine (including sparkling). I've never seen that much variety in a Lounge before.

The Lounge staff, as referenced in other posts, are top-notch as well. They were more than willing to help out with restaurant recommendations and sightseeing help, and remembered my name upon subsequent visits. There's also 5 PC's with internet access right by the Lounge desk.

Also, as others have mentioned, the Hilton isn't situated in the middle of town. The Old Town is an easy walk from the hotel. The Ferenc subway station is 5 minutes away, and is real easy to get to. I didn't have any issues with the location.

777 global mile hound

One of the best Hilton Executive lounges ever and a staff tha typically tries very hard to please

SkeptiCallie

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anabolism

i stayed there for a week last month (part of the Internet geek conference that rmbl mentioned). They gave me a refurbished room on the exterior, which was nice. No lounge access, and breakfast was included in the conference rate, so I didn't get any gold benefit. The staff are all exceptionally helpful and seem genuinely concerned to help. My only complaint is that the hotel can be quite smokey. The lower lobby meeting rooms (the Congress series) are really bad, and I couldn't stay in any of them for more than an hour or so, which was a real problem since I was there to participate in meetings. Luckily, only some of my meetings were there; the others were in rooms on the lobby or mezzanine level and were OK inside the rooms. Because this is an atrium hotel with smoking permitted in areas in the lobby and the mezzanine restaurant, anything open to the atrium space is smokey. A friend had an interior room. He told me the housekeeper opened his window one day and left it open; when he returned, the room and all his clothes stank horribly. The hotel makes a point that it's fine-dining restaurant is non-smoking, but there is a smoking area just outside the door, and as a result it gets smokey inside. However, I spoke to the duty manager about this last problem, and the hotel moved that smoking area, so perhaps the restaurant is now enjoyable for those sensitive to smoke.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable hotel. The breakfast in the lobby restaurant is really lovely, rivaling that at the Conrad in Bangkok or Hong Kong. My room was very nice, even though it wasn't upgraded.

I'd been told about several non-smoking restaurants in the area, and one of the concierge staff recommended an additional one. You can see them here if you're interested. I also found out, by accident, that a small place with supposedly the best strudel in Europe is not far away. I was able to get there midweek, and the strudel is very good; I ended up bringing four extra ones home with me!

About a week after I returned I was emailed a survey request from Hilton. After filling it out, the duty manager emailed me to ask for more detail on anything I wasn't completely happy about. I've never had a hotel do that kind of follow-up before.

david7021

Recently returned from a week in Prague. Prague is awesome. The Hilton is excellent. It is about a fifteen min walk from Old Town but it is reasonable. The Metro is easy to use. Watch out for pick pockets - seriously! Petty theft is rampant. But Prague and the Prague Hilton rule! By far it has been my favorite European trip ever. If you like Love Stories watch Chasing Liberty (w/ Mandy Moore and Mark Harmon) - most of it was filmed in Prague. You'll get a first hand view of Charles Bridge, the National Museum, Old Town, New Town and the Jewish Square (upscale shopping district not shown in the movie).

Be sure and eat at the local places of which there are many! Beer is cheep. I was given a bottle of wine at the hotel (Gold VIP). It was great. I would go again in a minute and I would stay at the HIlton. The Marriott is more centrally located as several FT have suggested but I'm not in the Marriott program.

Globehopper

I'm Gold and contemplating a 3 night stay mid July 2007 with a senior citizen (but sprightly) parent.

A few questions:

1) I'd like to know how pedestrian friendly and obvious the walking route is between the subway and the hotel? I just need to know once; then after walking it once it will be locked in my memory. Looking at maps it appears there are a tangle of un-pedestrian friendly roads nearby.

2) References to the Old Town being within walking easy distance... is that to the edge? Or to the center of Old Town? Again, how pedestrian friendly?

3) My rate choices for a non smoking, 2 bedded room (for 2) are:

A) 110 Euros, fully prepaid; good but not good if we don't like the hotel
after 1 night and wish to switch to another hotel.

B) 120 Euros, fully prepaid but with breakfast.

C) 165 Euros, flexible (non prepaid; no breakfast).

Based upon recent reports I'm undecided whether to book (A) and hope for Club Lounge access, or just to pay (B) the extra 10 Euros for a guaranteed breakfast of some sort. Or stay flexible with (C).

Any recent opinions?

Thanks in advance!

777 global mile hound

I took taxis everywhere I went arranged by the hotel so I really can't advise otherwise
The breakfast is substantial at this hotel and was the best meal sampled there
The club lounge is exceptional with excellent selections and quality.
A great caring team looks after their guests as well on the club floor.
They help coordinate anything from taxix too rail information
It is absolutely worth paying for or being upgarded to if at all possible.
Club floor benefits also includes a complimentary business center.

The rooms are excellent on the club floor and in new condition (or my room was anyway)
My only complaint is the hotel has very hard beds that some may prefer.
They would be wise to get feather tops to throw on top for those that prefer a bed with some movement.And the only other negative is that the hotel appears to very uncooperative about upgarding top tier Diamond elites to suites.The only reason I rebooked at the InterContinental next trip.

Otherwise the hotel is Hilton International is at its absolute best.^
A great caring and passionate hotel staff make it well worth the slightly off beat location as does the excellent fitness facility.....
The hotels excellent service team has a track record of being responsive to requests before arrivals.....Unless there are some bad rooms I don't know about its hard to go wrong here unless you loathe clean modern well run hotels
I would take the cheapest prepaid rate if I were you and roll the dice.However I would see if Golds are upgraded to the lounge/club floors first before doing so.
You should be fine there

GMill

My wife and I stayed there overnight last week. I am not a good walker. We walked from the Hilton to the center of Old Town and then to the Jewish Quarter with very little difficulty. We had dinner and then walked back. We got a map from the hotel concierge who also drew the best route for walking on the map. It was very easy and pedestrian friendly. We did not go along the river, where it is my understanding that the roads are more designed for vehicular traffic. I think we passed a subway station on the way, but I am not sure.

Taxis on the street in Prague are apparently problematic. The Hilton has an arrangement with "Hotel Cars" who will take you where you want to go at a fixed predetermined price. We either walked or used these (actually, only to go to the airport).

The Hilton is a great hotel with a very helpful staff. I paid about double the rates that you indicate above. I booked through the Hilton website. The room was more than satisfactory.

andrzej

The location is great. Nothing to worry about. Very walkable to the subway and the Old Town.

The lounge is IMHO, the best Hilton Lounge in the system, so if you can afford it, go for Executive level room.

I stayed there on a 6 night GLON award as a Diamond and got upgraded to a great Executive Level Plus room with lounge access. Not sure how Golds are treated.

Great property. Hilton should use it as a training facility for all other Hiltons. IMHO, It's even better than some Conrads, not all, just some....

Great place!

SkeptiCallie

Last question first:
Since you're gold, breakfast ought to be included. We've had breakfast included every time we've stayed here. If you have a choice, I'd recommend the first-floor regular breakfast, but both are good--remarkably so. I don't know if you'll be charged extra for your parent, however, either for room or for breakfast. I am familiar only with the "spouses stay free" term of Gold. Best thing is to email the hotel and ask.

Last question, first part:
I don't think you'll want to switch hotels, if that is your only worry about prepaid rates. But my question is: Is prepaid even available for all three nights? What are the terms? I checked on this once, and though I don't recall the answer, do recall that it was not intuitive. Would you forfeit only the first night if you didn't show up? Would you even be able to get prepaid rate for all three nights?

Question One: That would be the Florenc subway station. Called Florenc because it is by the Florenc bus station. It's easily walkable.

Directions: The DH has located maps from our last trip, which I am looking at now. You'd go out the front door of the Hilton and go to the traffic-light corner to your left-and-front. Cross the street (left from the angle of the Hilton). You'll then be walking along a street named Ke Stvanici. It seems like construction, as a gray wall of something separates the sidewalk from the street itself. Continue about four blocks along same, passing streets named Pobrezni (first cross street), Sokolovska (second cross street), a third cross street (name not on my map), and then you will be at cross street Krizikova. This is where the subway is: corner of Ke Stvanici and Krizikova. IIRC, you will need to cross the street to get to the other side of Kirzkova for subway entrance, at least for the subway which is headed downtown.

You may also see a major road that runs parallel to Ke Stvanici called Wilsonova. If you happen to end up on this road, you're just a half block west of Ke Stvanici, where you need to be.

As I say, the walk from Hilton to Florenc subway goes through some construction--a gray wall of something separating the street from the sidewalk. It really looks unlikely as a path to anything. If you have doubts, ask the doormen at the Hilton for confirmation.

Is it too much for a senior to walk? It depends. It's not easy (until you're used to it) but not difficult either.

BTW, buy tickets at a tabac shop before boarding, and validate ticket.

Hilton has its own taxi fleet and rates posted, so if you wanted to take that route, you'd know in advance how much the taxi alternative would be. With a parent, I'd probably take a taxi. Otherwise, I enjoy the subway.

Question Two: As for walking to Old Town--yes, if you're young and energetic. Otherwise you'd get to the edge of Old Town rather tired. With a parent, I especially wouldn't try it, but I wouldn't anyway. IIRC, I walked it once, years ago, and that was enough.

I agree with all the favorable comments ever posted about this hotel: Glorious!!!!!!! I would, however, specify that you should try to get a view other than atrium view. (I am trying to be objective--all the while I am envying anyone going there soon!)

cup.of.jo

I don't know specifically about the Hilton taxi, but you may be able to rent car & driver. When I stayed at the Marriott June 2006, I arranged a 2-hour 'tour' around the city with an English speaking driver at the hotel. He was the first to say that he wasn't a 'guide' but he did a wonderful job of showing me the city and helping me buy artwork from vendors in the park. He also showed me some less touristy places with great photo ops. The Mercedes was fully stocked with anything needed for one's comfort. I was so impressed that I tipped him more than the car ride This tour also helped orient me when I was walking solo later on.

Many posters here have advised about the taxis. I'll second that having let my guard down one evening. If you do have to get your own cab, make sure they drop you off in front of the bellman!!! There is a late night post office in Prague & I took a taxi procured at the hotel there but didn't ask him to stay--well, it was a post office (they only take cash btw)--and I'd walked to places around there. I got turned around coming back, felt lucky to find a taxi (at the time). When we went past the immediate turn to the hotel, I was ready to bail. We finally made it there and I was happy to pay the extortion fee to get out of that car in one piece. I didn't have quite the cash he was demanding & upon suggesting that he pull up to the bellman so I could borrow money, he was happy to accept the cash I had instead.

anabolism

You can purchase subway tickets from the hotel concierge, which is very convenient.

If you are at all sensitive to smoke, be insistent on an external room. The internal ones (it is an atrium hotel) are often very smokey.

The first floor breakfast is excellent, I agree.

e20

In short, the hotel management does not care for Gold 'VIP'. No special treatment and as breakfast is included anyway in all rates AFAIK, you get nothing special: no room upgrade (OK I've to trust the reception manager when he tells so), no access to lounge (???Why??? I sneaked into it w/o problem and it was free with a lot of seta)...

If you are a non smoker, beware of smokers everywhere including close to the restaurant door.

Hilton airport shuttle are pretty expensive but still OK.

Location is ugly but convenient.

Nice swimming pool & sauna.

Marriot is better service and better located.

Try to avoid it (at least if you are <= Gold)