Exclusive First Review: W Prague
W Prague: A New Year’s Escape
Being a travel blogger has the side perk of spending a lavish travel lifestyle almost year-round. That’s why I am not the biggest fan of birthday or New Year’s Eve celebrations. People stress out and try to make these occasions even better than the year before. There is always a certain pressure that if you haven’t made any plans, you’ll most likely end up home alone. This year, I wanted to take things slowly and didn’t make any plans – anticipating my upcoming ski weekend in Switzerland and my first trip to Asia post-pandemic. However, things took a different turn when a friend of mine came over for drinks the day before New Year’s Eve, and we did some last-minute travel research. Somehow, I was lucky to secure the last available room at the W Prague via Marriott’s booking engine. Since I have a very special bond with Prague (having lived and worked there) and wanted to check out the new W Hotel anyway, we went ahead and booked the last available room for the next two nights. Luckily, Prague is reachable by car in just a little over three hours, and after a scenic drive, we arrived at Wenceslas Square, directly in the old town of Prague.
First Impressions
Located in the old premises of the Grand Hotel Europa, one of the city’s first luxury hotels, W Prague just opened at the beginning of December. I’m not sure if the property has officially opened or is still in a pre-opening phase since there are only renderings online so far, and most hotel inventory is still unavailable to book. As informed by the hotel staff, only half of the 161 rooms and suites are finished and ready to use by now. Most specialty suites and rooms in the main building are still under construction, which is why they are only operating the modern annex building. During my stay at W Prague, I neither saw construction workers nor heard any construction noise, which suggests that only small fixtures and finishes remain. Our arrival was smooth even though there is a huge construction site on Wenceslas Square and the roads are currently rerouted. There were three bellmen standing at the front door, so while one took care of the luggage, another parked our car in the hotel’s private garage. We were then guided to the front desk and checked in by Alvaro, who did an incredible job of being genuinely friendly and informative. Rarely have I experienced such a perfect welcome and check-in, not even at hotels that have been operating for years, which made an excellent impression for a recently opened W Hotel. With a Christmas-inspired welcome drink in hand, we were accompanied by Alvaro to our room.
The Hotel Layout
The new W Prague is split between the nostalgic Art Deco-inspired Grand Hotel Europa and the newly built annex building, which will soon feature a rooftop bar. All main facilities, including the front desk, restaurant, bar, shop, and meeting rooms, are located in the heritage building. Meanwhile, the modern building houses the spa, gym, rooftop bar, and W Lounge with outdoor dining. There is a stunning dining room hosting the Monte Carlo-based “Le Petit Beefbar au Grand Café,” serving the finest steaks, while the basement bar “Minus One” is a super-cool speakeasy creating some of the finest drinks in Prague amid a very sophisticated interior design. One feels transported back into the grand era of 1920s Prague. Though a great spot to work, “Bisou” feels more like a lobby lounge than a bar and is ideal for waiting for your room to be ready or your car to be picked up. W Lounge exudes a cozy ambiance during the afternoons and evenings, thanks to lit fireplaces and relaxing lounge music. It’s a great place to hang out, have a bite in the afternoon, and escape the bustling streets of Prague. Yes, even Prague has fallen into the hands of mass tourism, hence I would recommend doing as we did and visiting all the sights in the evenings when the crowds vanish for dinner.
The Room Experience
We booked an entry-level Wonderful Room, and even though I was hoping for an upgrade, the hotel was indeed fully booked. Even as a Gold Member of Marriott Bonvoy, the only perk I was offered was a complimentary late check-out until 2 PM, which Alvaro happily extended at check-in. I appreciated that we were given a tour of the hotel during check-in and accompanied to our room, which was located on the first floor. I hadn’t expected such great and dedicated service from a W property and was impressed from the first moment onward. Upon entering the room, I realized it was more spacious than indicated by the images online. This may have been due to its corner location in the modern building. The vast entryway opened onto the bedroom, which featured the signature W bed with heavenly pillows. Wardrobe space was limited but adequate for a two-night stay in a city like Prague. There was no luggage rack, and although the bellman offered to bring one, it never made its way to our room. The room itself was quite dark, as there were no ceiling lights, and the light controls were very limited. One could only turn the entire room’s lights on or off, and the bathroom light had no separate controls. As a frequent traveler, I appreciate a good minibar, and while the one at W Prague was well-stocked, it lacked sparkling water, and there was no price list to be found. To be fair, the hotel provides unlimited filtered water in stylish W bottles.
Don’t get me wrong here; I appreciate a good sustainability approach at hotels. However, I’m not a fan of filtered water in hotels these days, and I really don’t like the idea of refillable hotel toiletries. Yes, you need fewer travel-sized toiletries (even these can be made of sustainable materials), but what’s wrong with little souvenirs to take home and remind yourself of a great stay? In the end, it’s a great way to build guest loyalty. Let’s just hope some hotels still stick with the good old miniature-sized toiletries. Regarding the water bottles, I loved having free water during the stay but missed the chance to get sparkling water anywhere inside the W Prague. They should at least offer properly bottled sparkling water in case guests don’t like filtered water. Another downside of our stay was the view and lack of daylight: situated on the first floor, our room’s view was of a wall situated a few meters ahead and the emergency staircase. I have to say this was the most uninspiring view I’ve had in years. On the other hand, these were the only downsides. Overall, I was very impressed with the stay.
Dining and Service
What makes W Prague stand out is its perfectly managed and well-trained team. Everyone greeted us, addressed me by my last name, and fulfilled all our wishes and requests to our utmost satisfaction. I was a little disappointed to find that I couldn’t get a table at Café Savoy online before leaving for Prague. When Alvaro at the front desk heard about this, he informed his colleague from the concierge. An hour later, the concierge texted me on WhatsApp to inform me they had managed to secure a table for our last day before leaving. Another “Wow” moment happened when we returned to our room from a little stroll hours after check-in and found the room had been serviced by housekeeping, including replaced coffee capsules. At first, I thought turndown service was done early here, but when we returned from dinner, they performed an additional third housekeeping service. While not necessary, this was another indication that the hotel is well-staffed and there was no shortage of perfect service. I do wonder how long the staff can keep up the high standard, especially housekeeping, with all those floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the rooms. One of those mirrors opened onto the bathroom, which featured cool blue tiles, a single vanity, a toilet, and a walk-in shower. The bathroom was well-stocked with a wide selection of amenities by high-end brands such as Davines and Skin Regimen (face wash and body lotion). I found the watermelon scent of the body products distinctive but fitting for the youthful vibe of the W brand.
Staying at a new hotel has many perks, such as brand-new towels, super-heavenly bathrobes, and beds that feel like no one has ever slept in them before. I simply love this feeling, and W Prague was no exception. After an eclectic New Year’s Eve party and a heavenly sleep, we headed for a spa day at the Away Spa inside the W Prague. Situated in the second basement of the new part, the spa is a true sanctuary, and we had the most relaxing start to the new year. There are large gender-separated changing rooms, a relaxation room with the possibility to lounge after or in-between sauna sessions, a refreshing indoor pool opposite the hot vitality pool, and a sauna next to the stunning steam bath. Apart from the stunning design in the vaults of the old Grand Hotel Europa, there was a Four Seasons shower, which I had never seen before. Staff at the spa were very welcoming and proactive – they gave us a tour and even performed sauna infusions when we entered the sauna. It would be great if they provided tea-making facilities or coffee and a bigger selection of snacks rather than just infused water and dried raisins. We didn’t manage to visit the gym this time, but images from fellow travelers suggest it’s among the largest and most stylish in Prague.
On our last evening, we had dinner at “Le Petit Beefbar au Grand Café.” The ambiance of this once dazzling coffeehouse is just out of this world, and all the gold chandeliers make it so unique. Service was very good and tried to match the elegance of the place, but I felt this concept doesn’t fit such an iconic venue. During the evening, the restaurant was only half full, and the second floor wasn’t even in use. In my opinion, it would make more sense to incorporate a concept like Café Savoy, which is busy from dawn till dusk. That said, the food at Le Petit Beefbar was mouth-watering, which is mandatory considering the high price tag for a city like Prague. Due to our long nights, we skipped breakfast at W Prague, and thanks to the misty and foggy weather (which made the city even more magical), we couldn’t visit the rooftop bar. This leaves plenty of reasons for another stay at the W Prague, and I truly hope the service maintains the high level it currently holds. A few adjustments still need to be made, and prices should be aligned with the competition (this would likely increase occupancy at Le Petit Beefbar too). Parking costs are astonishingly high at 1500 CZK per night, and F&B prices could be reviewed. Apart from these points, W Prague is undoubtedly one of the best newly opened hotels I’ve stayed at, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it – even if it has its downsides.
Disclaimer: This was a paid hotel stay and the property was unaware of our presence. As usual, this review has not been influenced and represents the author’s opinion.
