Discovering Prague’s Best Kept Secret at Aria Hotel

Prague, the “City of a Hundred Spires”, with it’s Baroque architecture and atmosphere, is no doubt one of Central Europe’s most visited capitals.  So it’s not a surprise to know that Prague is home to a number of luxury hotels. I always stress that the hotel you choose to stay at can highly affect your travelling experience. It’s never just a place to put your bags and sleep!

Having just stayed at the impressive Aria Hotel Budapest, I was thrilled to discover that our hotel in Prague was another ‘Aria’.

Part of the Library Hotel Collection, the two Aria Hotels are both in Europe (Budapest and Prague) and they specialise in creating musical-themed experiences in guests’ stay.

The entrance walkway to the hotel has discreet designs on its mosaic tiles that you are indeed about to enter a hotel made for music lovers.

Check-In

It was late at night when we checked in at Aria Hotel Prague, but you wouldn’t know it from the cheerful attitude we were given by check-in staff.  As we had advised of our late arrival, they were expecting us and we were welcomed as if they’d long been waiting for our arrival.

I was also promptly given my travel documents which the concierge team of Aria Prague had received on my behalf weeks ago.

Room

We were checked in to a Deluxe Room, and it did have ample space at 30 square metres. Though the bedroom area was compact, the roomy split level entrance gave the feeling of more space.

Again, I was impressed by the small details given to this hotel. The turndown and welcome chocolates all had wrappers with prints of famous musicians (it was a Louis Armstrong chocolate that night!). The room was also equipped with an Apple TV that had a broad ( and I mean massively BROAD) collection of music and movies.

The room keys too, were quite interesting. They are not the usual key card type but rather an electronic key in the shape of a clef note.

It was a roomy 3.5 bathroom which had generous counter space. Toiletries were from Molton Brown, in the wonderful Ylang-Ylang range.

Other areas

The Fireplace Lounge offers a warm and comforting respite from the chilly Prague weather. Guests can just chill (perhaps while waiting for dinner or just to read) and enjoy the privacy of this nook. It’s also filled with books about music!

CODA Restaurant also offers a very exclusive ambience for lunch and dinner. It can accomodate up to 30 people so it’s a great venue for a private and intimate function as well.

The VRTBA Garden

Ok, this is the part of Aria Hotel Prague that makes me hesitant to write about it and share. It’s so beautiful I want to keep it to myself, actually!

So Aria Hotel Prague is also home to VRTBA Garden, Prague’s oldest Baroque garden, and also one of the most well-preserved places in the city.

I tell you, it was like stepping into an entirely different world! Not that the Aria Hotel was shabby (not at all!), but this garden is somewhat hidden totally an unexpected find inside the hotel.

When people told me casually that I should “check out the garden” at the Aria Hotel Prague, I wasn’t expecting it to be this grandiose place.  Built in 1715-1720, this extremely well-kept garden is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is open from April to October.

I can imagine that this would be a popular wedding venue with it’s Italian style terrace Baroque style.

I probably just visited at a quiet time, but one thing I delightfully observed was how quiet it is despite the garden in itself worthy of being a tourist attraction.

It’s one of Prague’s best kept ‘secrets’ and it’s a thrill to know that we were actually staying right in its grounds.

Service

Aside from the magnificent VRTBA Garden, it was the service from the hotel staff that leaves this experience unforgettable. In particular, the Aria Hotel Prague’s doorman.  On the day we checked out, our arranged pick up transport failed to show up, and we were quite stressed because we had a train to catch. (and you know how these inter-Europe trains leave exactly on time!)

The front desk staff tried to ring us a cab but all cab companies seemed to be busy that morning, so we were advised to just walk to the nearest cab station. The hotel doorman helped us carry our heavy luggage (and they WERE heavy..2 months of travelling!) and walked with us to the cab station. Without luggage, this is not a hard feat but carrying heavy bags on the cobbled streets of Prague was no joke! He stayed with us patiently (even after we told him we can manage) until a cab stopped for us.

Simple acts like this are really appreciated and go a long, long way. Kudos to the front line staff of Aria Hotel Prague!

Location

The hotel is conveniently located in Lesser Town Prague, which means the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle are just steps away.  A word of warning, though it will only take you 5-10 minutes to walk to these places of attraction, there’s a high chance it will take you longer as the walk itself is very pleasant and picturesque.

I would certainly stay at the Aria Hotel Prague again and recommend it to those wanting the convenience of location, and most of all, service that goes beyond expectation.

Aria Hotel Prague

Tržiště 9, 118 00  Praha 1, Czech Republic

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We were guests of Aria Hotel Prague as part of our tour with JayWay Travel. 
There is no obligation for a favourable review, all thoughts and opinions of this post are my own.