Fodor's Expert Review Design Hotel Josef

Cool, clean, white lines dominate the decor of this ultra-hip modern boutique hotel designed by London-based Czech architect Eva Jiricna. There are no suites, only single and double rooms, so the sizes range from small to smaller, but Jiricna knows how to manipulate space, glass, and color to make even the smallest space breathable. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and in the rooms.

room

The rooms are crisp and modern, but still boast large, comfy beds. The rooms with balconies have good views of the Old Town. Some have the latest tech add-ons, like Nespresso machines and i-Pod docking stations, but all offer free Wi-Fi and many deals also, unusually, include a free mini-bar, particularly if booked through the website.

If you can book it, go for Room 801, which has an exquisite view of Prague's Old Town.

bathroom

Bathrooms are either private and in limestone, or a little more open and glass-walled. The cosmetics are by Orla Kiely.

YOU SHOULD KNOW The glass bathrooms are a little like marmite--you either love the chance to wave to your other half while conducting your morning ablutions or hate the lack of privacy.

lobby

The lobby, in keeping with the rest of the hotel, is chic and modern, with sweeping clean lines and lots of glass.

spa

The hotel has a sauna.

gym

A small rooftop fitness studio with balcony does the job quite nicely, and there's even an in-house personal trainer, Lukas, who has trained Olympic weightlifters and holds a Guinness World Record. Or you can join staff on a jog through Old Town a couple of mornings a week.

dining

There's a wide range of tasty options for breakfast and the chefs at the onsite bakery have even been known to make special extras for guests who have particularly enjoyed them previously (for example, almond croissants).

drinking

Unsurprisingly, the bar at the Hotel Josef is hip and modern, full of well-heeled bearded trendies supping the cocktail of the moment. It's attached to the lobby, though, so it isn't super private.