Polonia Palace Hotel

The Polonia Palace opened on Aleje Jerozolimskie in July 1913, designed in the Beaux Arts style by Juliusz Nagórski, and it is a genuine survivor. During the occupation it was taken over by the German army, and during the Warsaw Uprising it served as a hospital and supply base; remarkably, it came through the almost complete destruction of the city standing. It was also the scene of a victory banquet hosted by General Eisenhower. The hotel closed in 2001 for a major restoration and reopened in 2005, with a further refresh in 2010. Today it has 206 rooms, a restaurant serving breakfast and dinner, a lobby bar, a 24-hour gym and spa treatments, and a set of grand historic event rooms, including a ballroom. The location is superb for transport: the Palace of Culture and Science is a three-minute walk, and Śródmieście and Centralna stations are just across the road.

Location and getting around: the hotel faces the Palace of Culture across Aleje Jerozolimskie, at the meeting point of the old and new city. Airport trains arrive a few minutes' walk away, trams stop almost at the door, and the metro is close. From here, Nowy Świat is about ten minutes on foot, the Old Town about twenty-five, and Highline Warsaw at Varso Tower is a short walk west.

The rooms: rooms are classic and comfortable rather than flashy, with period touches that suit the building; the best look out towards the Palace of Culture. Aleje Jerozolimskie is a busy road, so light sleepers should ask for a room on the quieter side.

Who it suits and good to know: first-timers who want history and convenience at a mid-range price, travellers arriving by train or with an early departure, and anyone who likes the idea of sleeping in one of the few buildings that saw Warsaw through the war. Breakfast is a buffet served in the restaurant for an extra charge. It is a grand old hotel rather than a design statement, and that is its charm.