p18 ttg_lux_suites_eats V2Aut09 25/9/09 13:10 Page 18
MOREWAYSTO
WOWINPRAGUE
1
Best in town: Allegro
at the Four Seasons
serves glorious
Michelin-starred cuisine.
Italian and Bohemian
cuisine mix with aplomb
in the hands of Andrea Accordi – this is the
only Michelin-rated restaurant in the region.
The hotel’s rooms and suites are in the
process of a stylishly sumptuous makeover
by Pierre Yves Rochon (fourseasons.com).
2
Music for their
ears: Prague is a
wonderfully
cultured city and if music
is your client’s passion,
recommend a stay at the
Aria hotel (also in Mala Strana), where the
concept is built on musical heritage and
tradition and rooms have different
ague
musical themes (ariahotel.net).
a
t
s
pr
Forget the stag-weekend reputation Prague has been tarred with 3
Gourmet glory:
suggest foodies
try La Degustation
over recent years; the city is a hive of culture, class and history and Boheme Bourgeoise,
has a wonderful new hotel to prove it. April Hutchinson reports which showcases up to 14
Blending its historic setting beautifully with the unmistakable different courses (seven
modern design flair of Olga Polizzi, The Augustine is another triumph mains and seven amuse-bouches) of Czech
for the Rocco Forte Collection. Consisting of seven buildings, the and international cuisine for around £80 per
largest is the 13th-century Augustinian St Thomas’s Monastery. head (ladegustation.cz/en).
The Augustine sits on the left bank of the Vtlava River in the district Mandarin Oriental Prague
called Mala Strana, an area of proud architecture and achingly pretty Another impressive monastic
views, all part of the massive Prague Castle complex. conversion in Mala Strana. The
From the Brewery Bar, in the monastery’s original cellar brewery hotel has an outer courtyard big 4
For stylistas:
suggest a trip to
Modernista, where
with its glass-encased stalactites and beer brewed to the monks’ old enough for the hotel to hold its Olga Polizzi and her RDD
recipe, to the more luxurious surrounds of Tom’s Bar with its quirky own charming Christmas market design team sourced
colours and original baroque ceiling frescos in pretty pastels, the hotel or offer al fresco dining which many items. The store has
covers all bases. There is even a little four-room spa with expertly mixes Asian and Bohemian gorgeous repro and original furniture, with
i
t
e
s & e
delivered holistic treatments and Anika and Ila organic products. specialities (trust me, this works) a focus on 20th-century Czech Cubism,
Olga Polizzi’s design revisits the early 20th century – the golden age on one menu. An inner garden such as the angular chairs (pictured) based on
of Czech cubism. Interesting colours, shapes, angles and styles mesh acts as a great pair of lungs for Pavel Janak’s originals or the Adolf Loos
with a raw, monastic feel – some of the rooms and suites were formerly the hotel. This might all sound chaise-longue (modernista.cz).
monks’ cells. Several practicing friars in fact still live in a part of the very classical, but the hotel has
s
u
monastery, and while guests may not get to see their cells, they can youthful appeal too – Gwen How to book it: Seasons in Style offers three
take a guided tour of towering St Thomas church and gain private Stefani filmed part of her video nights at The Augustine from £795pp
access to the order’s library of books and treasures, a unique collection for Early Winter here. Bet she including BA flights and transfers.
drawn from monasteries all over the Czech Republic. loved the suites, gym and spa (in Tel: 01244 202000, seasonsinstyle.com.
The best room in the house? Arguably the incredibly romantic Tower a former chapel) and Barego, a Czech Airlines flies to Prague 18 times a
Suite with 360-degree views of this chocolate-box city. Perfect for great little place for cocktails. week from Heathrow T2 (moving to T4 with
Rapunzel, though not one for those afraid of heights. Tel: 00 420 233 088888, SkyTeam in November). Fares to Prague
Tel: 00 800 7666 6667, roccofortecollection.com.com mandarinoriental.com start from £109 return. Tel: 0871 663 3767
my kind of luxury...
“My husband and I recently stayed at Andre
Balazs’ new Standard Hotel in New York’s
Meatpacking district. From our glass-walled
eyrie we enjoyed a fresh perspective across
the Hudson to the Statue of Liberty, as we
lay in bed with our morning coffee.”
18
Mariella Frostrup, journalist and TV presenter
in the know
autumn 09 ttgluxury.com
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