PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

Though the Esplanade doesn't get as much attention as the other Art Deco hotels around Old Town, a recent overhaul has put it into the top class. Constructed during the First Republic, the Esplanade began life as a bank and the offices of an Italian insurance company on a side street at the top of the square. The first owners must have had extravagant tastes, as indicated by the ornate accents that remain: An original multicolored flowered chandelier hangs from an atrium dome in the French restaurant that used to be the bank lobby. Huge oil paintings hang throughout, with intricate ceiling details framing every guest room. Individual private dining salons are available for special luncheons and meetings.

The halls have a musty feel, but the guest rooms are bright and airy, some with standard beds, others with French Provincial headboards and tables, and others with elaborate canopies. Suite no. 101 is packed with antique wooden chairs, intricate inlaid tables, and a fascinating (but busy) embossed wall covering. Top-floor room nos. 711 and 712 offer a panorama of Prague. The quality of each room varies, so ask to see what you're offered before you commit. The main train station across the street may put you off, but the doorman claims the hotel is completely safe.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Prague and the Best of the Czech Republic, 7th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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