Old Town / Riverside

Four Seasons Hotel Prague

★★★★★

If the view from your window matters, the Four Seasons has the best address in Prague. It stands on Veleslavínova at the edge of the Old Town, on the riverbank a short stroll from the Old Town end of Charles Bridge, and its finest rooms look directly across the Vltava to Malá Strana, the bridge and the castle on its ridge, a view that turns from silver in the morning to gold at sunset and to floodlit theatre after dark. The hotel joins several historic buildings from different eras with modern wings around a quiet courtyard, so the character shifts as you walk through it, from classical facades to contemporary interiors. It has 157 rooms and suites, some overlooking the castle or Charles Bridge, decorated in a calm, classic style with generous marble bathrooms; the suites with river terraces are among the most coveted rooms in the city. The main restaurant, CottoCrudo, serves modern Italian food in a dining room and terrace by the river, and there is a rooftop with Japanese specialities in season. There is a wellness centre and a fitness centre, and the service, from the concierge to housekeeping, is as smooth and anticipatory as you would expect from a Four Seasons, which makes a difference in a city where planning castle slots, restaurant bookings and day trips can be complicated. It is a hotel for special occasions, first visits that should feel effortless, and anyone who wants to step out of the door and be at the heart of the Old Town within minutes, with the quiet of the river at their back. Rates are at the top of the Prague market, and river views command a premium, but they are why you book it.

The location is the argument. From the front door, Charles Bridge is a couple of minutes on foot, Old Town Square about ten, and the Jewish Quarter just behind the hotel. The Staroměstská metro station on line A, a few minutes away, takes you up to the castle area and out toward the airport connections, and trams run along the embankment. Because the hotel sits on the river side of the Old Town rather than in its busiest lanes, it is quieter than most central addresses, and in the evening you can walk along the embankment to the Rudolfinum or across the bridge for dinner in Malá Strana.

Choosing the room: book a river-view room or suite if you can; the castle view is the whole point, and courtyard or city-view rooms, though comfortable, feel like a different hotel. Higher floors give a better angle over the bridge. In summer, the terrace by the river is a beautiful place for breakfast or an evening drink. Families are well looked after, with connecting rooms and a children's programme typical of the brand, and the concierge can arrange private guides for the castle, the Jewish Quarter and day trips to Kutná Hora or Český Krumlov.

The value case: Prague is not an expensive city, and you can stay well for much less elsewhere. What the Four Seasons offers is the combination of the best view in town, a superb walking location and seamless service, which is worth paying for on a honeymoon, an anniversary or a once-in-a-lifetime first visit. Book early for December, when the Christmas markets fill the city, and for spring weekends.