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Hotel Review: Copernicus Hotel Krakow

January 7, 2016 by Jean Holy Smithereens 4 Comments

It was a morning of a long car drive from High Tatras (Slovakia) to Krakow. Our first stop was our home in Krakow for 3 nights, the Copernicus Hotel.

From highways to the busy streets of Krakow, we started to enter narrower streets and finally we reached what seemed like the town centre. To my delight, our driver just kept within central the area while looking for the hotel.

Copernicus Krakow Hotel - centrally located
Copernicus Krakow Hotel – centrally located

The location of Copernicus Krakow Hotel is a tourist’s dream. It is located in Krakow’s oldest street (Kanonicza Street)  but it is just a 5 minute walk to the Old Town Market Square , 10 minutes walk to the Jewish Quarter and a mere 2 minute walk from Wawel Castle.

Copernicus Krakow Hotel
Copernicus Krakow Hotel

Though it only has 29 rooms, the Copernicus Krakow Hotel comes with a formidable reputation. It seems to be known as ‘the hotel where George W Bush stayed’.

Well it did host a number of world leaders and dignitaries but I guess the most notable historical VIP to have stayed here was Nicolaus Copernicus himself. To those whose school memories need a little reminder (like myself, as ‘school days’ to me, are of an entirely different lifetime now!), Copernicus was an astronomer whose discovery in the 1500’s that the Earth revolves around the sun (and not vice versa) changed the world (and scandalised the Church too I hear).

Lobby and breakfast area of Copernicus Hotel Krakow
Lobby and breakfast area of Copernicus Hotel Krakow

Nicolaus Copernicus used to stay here whenever he visited Krakow back when this very building used to be the residence of cathedral canons.

As the hotel is so named after the Polish astronomer, the overall decor and theme is Gothic and middle-age (but not overly Medieval).

Room at the Copernicus Hotel Krakow
Room at the Copernicus Hotel Krakow
Copernicus Krakow Hotel
Copernicus Krakow Hotel

We stayed at the top floor and though the only ‘window’ in the room was a mini box sized one that you can take a peek of the street outside from, the glass ceiling panels made the room feel and look much airier and lighter (as the decors were already dark).

bathroom at the Copernicus Hotel Krakow
bathroom at the Copernicus Hotel Krakow

The bathroom had heated floors, which I really needed and appreciated as Krakow was freezing in October! Toiletries were from L’Occitane.

As the hotel needed to preserve the historical building, it needed to be creative and resourceful with its room layout and overall hotel design.

A great product of this ‘working-around-to-keep-the-historical-building’ is the hotel’s underground pool, which I believe is the strongest suit of Copernicus Hotel.

A peak of the underground pool at Copernicus Krakow Hotel
A peak of the underground pool at Copernicus Krakow Hotel

Blink and you’ll miss it! The hotel pool is located just next to the lobby. Look out for the stairs leading underground as it may be easy to miss this entrance to the pool.

I love it when hotels don’t make a big fuss of their best features and just surprise you when you do a little self exploration.

Underground pool, Copernicus Hotel Krakow
Underground pool, Copernicus Hotel Krakow

This magnificent pool is what lies beneath the hotel. I love how they were still able to create this stunning pool despite the design and reconstruction limitations of the building.

It’s probably the most unusually desgined pools I’ve seen, and knowing that this was a workaround to the design regulations impressed me even more.

In a nutshell, what I enjoyed during my stay at the Copernicus Hotel were two things: Location (which includes the historical value of the hotel building) and the pool.

Old Town Square, Krakow
Old Town Square, Krakow

Great shopping (Krakow is quite cheap) and history not just footsteps away from the hotel. The hotel itself has history dating back to 1500’s.

The Copernicus Hotel Krakow is the only hotel in Poland associated with Relais & Chateaux.

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We stayed at the Copernicus Hotel Krakow as guests of JayWay Travel, which we explored Central Europe with. 
All thoughts and opinions are mine. 
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Filed Under: Hotels, Luxury Travel, Travel Reviews, Travels

About Jean Holy Smithereens

Jean is a lover of luxury travel and adventure, always looking for that "Holy Smithereens"-inducing moment on her travels. Follow the blog and other social media pages of Holy Smithereens to get the ultimate travel ideas for the luxurious adventurer!

Comments

  1. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says

    January 9, 2016 at 9:48 pm

    Looks like a lovely hotel! I didn’t realise that you were in Poland! What an interesting destination! 😀

    Reply
    • Jean Holy Smithereens says

      January 17, 2016 at 10:50 pm

      Definitely one interesting destination! And interestingly, it’s a city that I definitely enjoyed the food experience, being the fussy eater that I am 😉

      Reply
  2. Shikha (whywasteannualleave) says

    January 10, 2016 at 1:13 am

    Love the look of the underground pool and the heated bathroom floors sound ideal for these cold European days!

    Reply
    • Jean Holy Smithereens says

      January 17, 2016 at 10:50 pm

      Hi Shikha, yes the underground pool is stunning isn’t it! Oh those heated bathroom floors were a lifesaver 🙂

      Reply

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