Hotel Stary occupies a historic residence on Szczepańska Street, just off the northwest corner of the Main Market Square, and it is the most atmospheric luxury address in the Old Town. The building's large original rooms have been turned into 53 rooms and suites that mix antique furniture, frescoes and painted wooden ceilings with restrained modern design and marble bathrooms. Below ground, the wellness centre is the hotel's signature: pools that run like waterways through brick-vaulted cellar tunnels, with saunas and spa treatments, and a fitness room set under old arched doorways. Upstairs there is a restaurant, a cafe and a cocktail bar, and in the warmer months a rooftop bar opens with views across the Old Town roofs to the towers of St Mary's. The location could hardly be better: everything in the Old Town is a short walk away.
Choosing a room: suites in the historic part of the building have the most character, with original details and high ceilings; standard rooms are elegant but smaller. Street-facing rooms can catch some Old Town noise on weekend nights.
What the stay is like: quiet, polished and discreet, a calm refuge from the busy square. The cellar pool is the kind of place you remember long after the trip, and it is especially welcome after a cold day of sightseeing in November.
Who it suits: couples, special occasions and travellers who want to be in the very centre with a sense of history. The trade-off is price, among the highest in the city.
Why stay here
- ✓Cellar wellness centre with pools
- ✓Sauna and spa treatments
- ✓Fitness room in vaulted cellar
- ✓Seasonal rooftop bar
- ✓Restaurant and cafe
- ✓Cocktail bar
- ✓Marble bathrooms
- ✓Steps from the Main Market Square
Good questions
Where is Hotel Stary?+
On Szczepańska Street, a minute's walk from the Main Market Square in the Old Town.
Does Hotel Stary have a pool?+
Yes. Its wellness centre in the brick-vaulted cellars has pools, saunas and spa treatments.
Is the rooftop bar open in winter?+
The rooftop bar is seasonal and usually opens in the warmer months; check with the hotel for dates.