Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa

Sumptuous old-school glamour and a Bali-style subterranean spa in this bijou palace

Feel the splendour of Hapsburg Prague in this gilded, stuccoed, palatial hotel, with its antique furnishings, carved wooden screens, frescoes and handpainted wallpaper. The building is the 16th-century Dum u Jeziska (House of the Jesus Child, named for a picture of Christ that once hung from the façade balcony) and is appealingly intimate for a palace, with just 47 swish rooms. Staff seem delighted by your arrival and remain discreetly eager to please. It’s in a fascinating, though touristy part of town - the stage-set-pretty Malá Strana district - and only a few minutes' walk from Charles Bridge.

The subterranean spa, set in 11th-century cellars, is lit with twinkling lights and has a walkway over an aquarium, an inviting plunge pool and a Balinese feel (ornate wood screens and baths scattered with rose petals). The formal, frescoed Aquarius restaurant, the sushi bar, and the stuccoed Café Barocco Veneziano (which feels like stepping inside a wedding cake) complete the Alchymist’s charms.

Highs

• No-holds-barred palatial surroundings on an intimate scale, in a historic, graceful building
• Charles Bridge is just a stone’s throw away and the castle a short walk uphill
• Fine dining in the Aquarius restaurant and great coffee (the hotel is Italian-owned)
• Organ player tinkling the ivories in the courtyard Thur-Sun evenings (some might consider this a low!)

Lows

• It’s pretty formal; frescoes and four-posters are lows for lovers of minimalism
• Mala Strana may be picturesque but it’s one of Prague’s most touristy districts and it’s hard to escape the melee
• Smaller rooms can be a bit cramped
• Bathrooms are well appointed and marble-lined, yet nothing special compared with the bedroom decor