February/March 2003
Docklandsmagazine, London

TO DIE FOR DESIGN
The lobby’s imposing spiral staircase

The Josef was almost drowned by the floods that ravaged Prague last summer before it had barely had time to change the bed-linen. So, that it’s open at all is a triumph of dedication over watery adversity. That every inch has been restored to all its glory is a minor miracle – but no more than the city of Prague, not to mention the hotel’s friendly staff, deserve. Located near the old Jewish Quarter – Josefov – the glass and stone-fronted building is both a calming antidote to the Czech capital’s bustling urban streets and an incongruous conquest of modern design in a city where the prevailing aesthetic is fixed firmly in architecture’s bygone ages. Dominated by creams and whites fashioned in state-of-the art materials and dotted with accentuating splashes of vibrant colour, the interior infuses both an aloof chic and a comforting homelines that make all its guests feel instantly at ease. A feeling even the imposingly magnificent chrome and Perspex-stepped staircase that commands the of the lobby doesn’t diminish. Similarly stylized, the rooms are given a touch of idiosyncratic class with the addition of Stone-clad-bathrooms with glass partitions. They are also enhanced by balconies that cast their shadows into the streets below. There are few pleasure in the world to rival a late breakfast of coffee, fruit and croissants while looking out over one of the world’s truly and ubiquitously glorious cities. Style means little withour substance, of course, but with air-conditioning, satellite TV, ISDN connection, and a discretely concealed DVD and CD player in each room, Josef services all the needs of the modern traveller. My favourite touch, though, was the soundproofing for each room – perfect for light sleepers and newlyweds alike. One possible gripe is the lack of a hotel restaurant. But then again, finding fine food in Prague is so easy it’s hardly an inconvenience. For a touch of modern sophpistication in a city of traditional charm, look no further the Josef.

SK