There’s no bad time to visit Prague, but truth be told this already magical city becomes utterly bewitching in the winter months. Romantic cobbled streets dusted with snow, warming buckets of rich goulash, hot spiced rum and not to mention the Gingerbread Museum, with the added bonus of being extremely kind on the post-Christmas pursestrings it’s the perfect new year getaway that won’t break the bank.
Located in the very centre of the city, mere minutes away from the Old Town Square, Boho Hotel Prague marries indulgent luxury with boutique comfort, the very definition of charm. It opened in 2015 in a former post office, but now couldn’t be further from its industrial past. With carefully thought out interiors with a nod to Scandi-styling it’s a design-lover’s dream.
Tempting as it may have been to stay lounging in the lobby bar with the glass of champagne presented to us on arrival, a tour of the hotel showed us there was so much more than first meets the eye.
A library packed with books handpicked by the owners offers drinks and snacks throughout the day, plus a complimentary wine hour daily from 5pm, an impossible invitation to turn down when there’s a roaring fire begging to be curled up in front of.
With rooms ranging from a standard size to suite, triples and family rooms, there’s a bed for every budget. Even the standard rooms feature a queen size bed, a bathtub or rain shower, robes and slippers and toiletries from Roja Dove and Nature Bissé - both big ticks in my beauty lover’s book. The beds are divine; you’ll be tempted by a lie in, though I somehow managed to drag myself out of it at dawn to be THAT tourist who wanted a picture of the Charles Bridge at sunrise…
The robes and slippers will inevitably come in handy for your venture to the basement Wellness Area. With a fitness and cardio area available to guests (helpful for working off that goulash…) and an accompanying spa area with hydro jet pool, sauna and steam room, we all too easily fell into a daily routine of a soothing post-wine hour, pre-dinner steam and snooze before heading out on the town. After a long day pounding the icy streets of Prague it was a welcome escape that proved impossible to resist.
We didn’t stick around to try dinner at the hotel; eating out in Prague is incredibly affordable and with literally dozens of fantastic restaurants within spitting distance of the Boho’s front door the temptation was too much. We particularly enjoyed the Restaurace Tiskarna, literally a three minute walk away; their beef broth was so delicious we went back the following night for more. Where the Boho Hotel restaurant does excel however is the breakfast buffet. And what a buffet it is. Cereals, fresh honeycomb, a whole bakery of breads and pastries, ham and cheese sandwiches lined up ready for the toastie machine; I defy you not to overeat. Add to that the aforementioned mini croissants and pains au chocolate available all day in the library and it’s a recipe for a paunch.
As if all of the above isn’t enough, add to the fact that the Boho’s staff make you feel like no request is too small and you have a recipe for a dream stay. From organising city tours to recommending bars and restaurants, offering an umbrella to stave off the rain and sending up an iron to rescue my dinner outfit, they were invaluable. The Boho Hotel manages to perfectly encapsulate a luxury experience without the pretentious nature of some counterparts; as a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World it’s no surprise it feels like a comforting, cosy home from home. In fact, given a photo of their library is now on my Dream House Pinterest board, maybe one day it will be my home.
Double rooms start from £175 per night
BoHo Hotel: Senovážná 1254/4, 110 00 Nové Mesto, Prague
Tel: +420 234 622 600
To book visit www.slh.com/hotels/boho-prague-hotel
