During the height of summer in August, I spent a fabulous week discovering the best spas and boutique hotels in Prague. Here’s my guide to the best places to stay for the wellness traveler who won’t compromise on their health and luxury.
Josef Hotel
Best for: Personal fitness training and a healthy breakfast
Josef Hotel is another hip and funky boutique hotel and by far the best for gym bunnies since they offer private personal training sessions with the in-house instructor Lukas.
We loved the shiny pink and orange color scheme in the room and couldn’t help but smile every time we walked in there and encountered the glass walls and screens dividing the bathroom from the bedroom.
The rooftop gym and terrace is for sure one of the best workout spaces we have trained in at a hotel. It’s beautiful, inspiring and full of natural light. Our personal trainer, Lukas from Athletic Life, offers one-on-one personal and fitness training sessions, and we experienced a fun but strenuous hour focused on strengthening our cores, glutes, buttocks and hamstrings. We learning a series of movements using weights, kettlebells whilst being bare foot at all times.
The breakfast at the Josef is worth a special mention because it’s the best we’ve ever had in a European hotel. Great for vegetarians and vegans as there are so many choices and even a juice machine where you can make your own juice. Enjoy homemade organic beans and plenty of grilled (not fried) vegetables and pre-made smoothies!.
Emblem Hotel
Best for: Your own private Jacuzzi experience
Located in the heart of the old town, the boutique Emblem Hotel is one of hippest hotels in Prague. From the check-in and welcome drink, to the complimentary wine hour, the staff was always there to ensure that we were truly looked after by our own Guest Relations Manager. Don’t hesitate to ask them about all the latest art, culture and film happenings in the city.
You will love, as we did, The Maharal Club, located in the basement of the hotel and the place to be and simply hang out, work from, play a board game, have a drink and just chill in and be social, (or not so social) and read a book that catches your eye from one of the comfy chairs.
There are not many places in Prague where you can enjoy a Jacuzzi on the roof terrace, but the Emblem is one of them. Booked in advance and in one-hour slots, you can have the terrace and Jacuzzi all to yourself. Just pray that the sun will shine then relax and enjoy the panoramic views!
At The M Spa, which takes up the top two floors of the hotel, you will find a gym (open 24 hours), four treatment rooms, a steam room, a sauna, an ice fountain and a ‘Kneipp path’ (adjacent pools of hot and cold pebbles with which to massage your feet), along with a bright and airy relaxation space.
Although we didn’t get to try any of treatments, we can highly recommend the Pure Altitude products they use as we had previously experienced these on our winter trip to discover the best ski and spa hotels in Val Thorens and St Moritz.
Breakfast at the Emblem Hotel is amazing and noteworthy. It’s not your average buffet; there’s plenty of fresh juices, fruits, nuts and seeds (for the vegan amongst us) and then cheeses, meats and a hot food menu with a choice of pancakes or eggs for the not so vegans. The restaurant itself where the breakfast is served, George Prime Steak, is said to be one of the best steak restaurants in Prague. They don’t do any vegetarian burgers as we called to ask. We suggest a cocktail choice for the vegetarians and vegans.
The room we stayed in was well designed, but quite small, and we didn’t quite appreciate the view of the courtyard and KFC, next time we’ve got our eye on one the suites! The black-out curtains, however, were a blessing in the morning, one would never know what the time was until we checked!
Corinthia Hotel Prague
Best for: Incredible views across the city from the spa!
The Corinthia Hotel is huge and one of the tallest buildings in Prague. On the 26th floor, the spa and swimming pool offers some of the best views of the city, which you can take in either whilst swimming, or in one of the relaxing loungers around the pool. Also on this floor, you will find the gym, very well equipped and a necessity after all the delicious food you will be eating. So before heading off to discover the sights of Prague, this is the perfect hotel to start your day at the top with a swim and a workout.
As it’s located across from the Congress Centre the hotel is aimed at, and used mainly by, business travelers and large groups; there are 539 rooms!. The executive lounge is another fine place to take in the magnificent views whilst enjoying your breakfast or the complimentary wine and snacks that are offered in the evening. We stayed in an Executive City View Suite which gave us free access to the lounge and its facilities. The rooms are on the corporate side, although we did not spend too much time in there! The views certainly compensate for this, as did the comfy bed, soft linens and ESPA products in the bathroom!
A buffet breakfast is also served downstairs on the ground floor in the main lobby area with an outdoor terrace should you prefer al fresco dining when it’s warm and sunny outside. There’s plenty of tables both inside and out so you will never struggle to find anywhere to sit. There’s also plenty of choice and an excellent variety of food options available.
Once you have spent the day exploring the city, the Apollo Day spa is a must visit. Enjoy a tried and tested treatment—a 90-minute facial called Fresh Drew, a ritual consisting of peeling, skin cleaning, massage and mask. A great way to pamper yourself and hydrate your skin whilst you are traveling. The spa menu offers an extensive range of massages, facials and ‘hands and feet’ therapies.
Maximilian Hotel
Best for: An authentic Thai massage at the spa
One would not expect to be sharing a room with a goldfish, but on request, you can have your own pet fish to accompany you at your room at the Maximilian Hotel. Having one is supposedly known to have a calming effect on the body and mind, and lower stress levels. It certainly helped us keep our anxiety levels down when we realized we had lost our passports morning of check-out as we ordered an uber taxi to the airport!
The authentic Asian Wellness spa, Planet Zen, offers Thai and Balinese-style massages so expect them to be on the painful rather than relaxing side, especially if you're one to spend hours hunched up at a laptop, thus resulting in some seriously tight knots in the back and neck.
The Maximilian is the sister hotel of the Josef but they are very different in style and clientele, and this one is more geared towards the business traveler, although twice a week they do offer a guided sightseeing run around the city on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Restaurant Recommendations – Top 3 not to be missed
For a fine dining riverside experience, the CottoCrudo restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel is the place to be. Enjoy Italian and Mediterranean dishes, including fresh seafood, homemade pasta, choice meat cuts, and artisan products from the Piedmont and Tuscany regions of Italy. A designated vegetarian menu is also available. Executive Chef Leonardo Di Clemente notes, “Coming from a true Italian farming family, using healthy and fresh ingredients and mixing ‘mamma style cuisine’ with current culinary trends have always been my prime goals in the kitchen.”
For an elegant setting and absolutely delicious Asian fusion cuisine served with exquisite cocktails head to Spices restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. Spices’ menu offers a culinary journey through Asia. Served family-style in the middle of the table, the menu showcases the wide variety of ingredients and flavors found throughout the continent, with all dishes beautifully presented in a traditional Asian manner.
For a romantic and enchanting evening take your partner to the Aquarius restaurant located within the luxurious Alchymist Hotel. The Aquarius Restaurant’s menu offers a wide selection of home-made pasta, fresh fish and seafood dishes. This fine dining establishment also offers traditional Czech dishes prepared from only the finest, highest-quality and traditional ingredients. The thoughtfully chosen wine list features more than 160 wines from the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Spain and Chile.
