This Marriott Luxury Collection member is one of Prague’s most outstanding accommodation options. Connected to a 13th-century monastery where monks still reside, it combines history and a contemporary, cubist-influenced look courtesy of Rocco Forte designer Olga Polizzi (behind the likes of Brown’s Hotel in London). The restaurant — excellent and modern — is in addition to a beautiful café-bar set in the former refectory, as well as a highly atmospheric cellar bar that serves beer based on the original medieval recipe. Service is friendly and efficient and you can even get a monk-led tour of the property’s less-seen areas.
Overall score 9/10
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Rooms and suites
Score 9/10
A quiet, almost timeless quality seems to emanate from the hotel’s medieval walls and terracotta roofs, some of which date back to its 13th-century roots and are still directly connected to the neighbouring baroque St Thomas Church. Inside is a different matter entirely. Reception jolts guests awake with a punchy medley of multicoloured chairs, some in electric blues and bright reds, although it pays tribute to its host venue in other ways, such as the large-scale paintings of the monastery on the lobby walls and the contemporary, black-and-white photographs of monks along the corridors.
The 101 rooms, like the public areas, were all designed by interiors maven Olga Polizzi when it was a Rocco Forte hotel, and feature a mix of Czech cubist-style furnishings (lamps, tables, lighting) and subtle nods to the building’s religious past, like motifs sewn into the curtains and cushions, and colour schemes — greens with purple, grey with orange — that represent the hues of St Augustine. No two rooms are the same here but wooden floors, earthy-but-rich fabrics and heated-floor, marble bathrooms are universal. Standards are roomy for Prague; Deluxe rooms and suites have lounges, original vaulted ceilings, doors and wooden beams, plus comfy soaking tubs. The Premium Castle Views have the best views of Prague Castle and the Tower Suite, set over three floors connected by a spiral staircase, is hosted in a former monastic astral observatory.
Food and drink
Score 9/10
The fine-dining Augustine Restaurant, located close to the courtyard, is the main all-day restaurant and serves Czech and international cuisine. The main room is smart and airy with a large glass wall that looks onto the plant-filled garden terrace — a lovely place to eat in warm weather, especially when there are barbecues and live jazz performances. More dramatic, the Refectory Bar along the corridor was once the dining hall of the Augustinian monks and has original 19th-century pink frescoes on its barrel-vaulted ceiling; it’s a handsome spot for casual coffees, light bites or maybe a pint of the monastery’s St Thomas beer, based on the monks’ original recipe.
You can also enjoy one of those in the hotel’s street-facing St Thomas Brewery Bar, which has more beers, wines and drinks in a white-walled, cellar atmosphere. Breakfast — a small buffet of pastries, cakes and jams plus an extensive à la carte menu with English breakfast, French toast, oatmeal with peanut butter and blueberries, and French omelette with gruyère cheese — is served in the main restaurant.
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What else is there?
Score 8/10
The sprawling underground Augustine Spa has a range of in-suite or spa-based treatments (scrubs, wraps, eye treatments, facials, massages — and a St Thomas Beer Body Ritual using a secret recipe from the Augustinian monks). There’s a sauna, steam room and spacious fitness area filled with an array of Technogym equipment and free weights. The monks also give tours of the usually off-limits buildings, including the historic library and chapel.
Where is it?
Score 9/10
Located at the foot of Mala Strana, it’s just a few minutes on foot to Charles Bridge and the river, as well as sights like Kampa Park, the Franz Kafka Museum and St Nicholas Church. Prague Castle is a 15-minute walk up the hill. Next door is the pleasant, Italian-style Wallenstein Garden, the second largest garden in Prague; you might spot one of the peacocks. Old Town Square is only a 20-minute walk across the bridge, and there are trams nearby if you want to go further.
Price room-only doubles from £355
Restaurant mains from £23
Family-friendly Y
Accessible N
Paul Sullivan was a guest of Augustine (marriott.com)
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