Fodor's Expert Review Jalta Hotel

The Jalta is arguably the smartest, most interesting hotel on central Wenceslas Square, with a historically protected façade that dates to the 1950s in the socialist realist style. Inside, an Andy Warhol screen print of local boy Franz Kafka looks over the lobby.

There's a Cold War-era nuclear bunker under the hotel which you can visit with a guide. Don't miss it!

room

Rooms have been made over with a smart contemporary look, with Egyptian cotton linens. All the rooms have air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Try to get a balcony room fronting the square, with a dramatic view of the National Museum. Despite the central location, the excellent windows stifle street noise.

YOU SHOULD KNOW While the noise of the bustling square is unlikely to bother you, we'd advise avoiding straying off the main drag of the square too much, particularly on the opposite side of the square from the Jalta, where Prague's stag party legacy has left a trail of seedy strip bars.

bathroom

The large bathrooms have a gold hue and pleasing lighting, with toiletries from L'Occitane.

lobby

Lifted above the norm of hotel lobbies with the bright print of Kafka, the lobby is the first hint at street-level that the Jalta is a cut above the other Wenceslas Square offerings.

Across the square you can see the balcony where Czech philosopher and independence hero Václav Havel spoke to crowds of protestors during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, precipitating the fall of communism.

dining

The attached Como restaurant, with a pleasant outdoor terrace overlooking historic Wenceslas Square, is not bad.

drinking

Como cocktail bar, attached to the restaurant, is opulent and comfortable, with a wide range of drinks available and suitably efficient bar staff.