Worth Czeching out (Hotel Modra Ruze (Prague))

Member Name: SWSt

Product:	Hotel Modra Ruze (Prague)
Date:	02/01/08 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good location, reasonably priced, friendly staff

Disadvantages: No baths in most rooms, no tea-making facilities

A recent business trip took me to Prague. Here's my impression of the Hotel Modra Ruze (the Blue Rose).

The Website
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Before booking, I had a look at the hotel's website which provides potential customers with lots of information on the hotel and its facilities. It made a nice change to see someone had actually put some effort into providing useful information, together with plenty of photographs. It gives a real impression of what to expect and whether it's the hotel for you. There's also an online booking form so that you can make your reservation online - always a handy thing!

Booking
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Booking was very straightforward. I contacted them with the details of my stay via email. Around 2 hours later, I had a reply asking me to contact them with a credit card number to confirm the booking. This was the only slightly annoying part to the booking process, as it's never easy to get an international line from my place of work and I wouldn't send credit card details via email!. I managed to give them a call though and spoke to them (in English) and that was it - less than 5 minutes of my time from start to finish!

Location
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The Modra Ruze could not be more ideally placed. It's between Wenceslas Square and the Old Town Square - two of Prague's big tourist magnets. It's also a few minutes walk away from a major shopping area and an underground station - giving you easy access to the rest of Prague. Alternatively, if you prefer the exercise, it's about 15 minutes walk to the Charles Bridge and a 25-30 minute walk across the river to Prague Castle. I paid 81 Euro per night (about £60). Stick this hotel in London and you'd probably pay twice that for a similar location!

Initial impressions
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Initial impressions are a little worrying. The hotel sits next to a deserted shop with lots of graffiti nearby. You begin to wonder whether you're staying in one of the less salubrious areas. Don't be misled, though - graffiti is common in Prague, so it means nothing! The hotel looks very pleasant from the outside and this impression continues as you walk in through the lobby doors. It's a small, comfortable and above all, welcoming area. It's immediately obvious where you need to go to check-in, so there's none of that blundering around common to some hotels. This is true of the hotel generally, which is fairly compact, so it's virtually impossible to get lost!

Checking in and out
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Checking in and out (or should that be Czeching in and out?) was pretty efficient. It took approximately 2 minutes and just required the completion of a short registration form (not the 120 page novella some hotels insist on). A slight problem (they only had me booked for one night, not two) was quickly rectified with no fuss.

Check-out took a little longer - mainly because the phone rang part way through the transaction and the receptionist insisted on answering what turned out to be a long enquiry. This seemed a little strange to me - leaving a customer you're already dealing with standing there, but maybe that's me looking at it from a British perspective. Since I wasn't in a rush, it didn't matter particularly, although it was slightly irksome. Even so, the check-out process was still complete in around five minutes.

Staff
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For the most part, staff were polite, friendly and helpful. They all spoke excellent English, so there were no communication problems and you never felt like you were interrupting them. They were more than happy to provide directions or advice on where to eat or visit. My colleague did report that one had been a bit grumpy with him but personally, I had no problems.

Rooms
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The rooms were comfortable and well furnished with two single beds, a large wardrobe, couch, occasional table and two chairs, writing desk and chair, together with the usual bedside tables and other furniture. This makes it sound as though the room was a little cramped, but it wasn't. The room was pretty big and the layout well thought-out so that you were never in danger of bumping into furniture as you moved around.

Sadly, there was no bath, only a shower. I think one of the great pleasures of staying in a hotel is the luxury of a nice soak in a hot bath after a hard days tramping round, so this was a bit of a let-down.

There was also a large TV in the room, although since this only received one English language channel (CNN News), it was of limited use. But hey! You're on holiday, what are you doing watching TV?!

The other disappointing aspect was that there was no kettle. Again, this is one of those small things which makes a difference. Given the reasonable price of the hotel, though, you can't really complain - compromises have to be made somewhere.

My room (on the fifth floor) didn't have the greatest view, overlooking a small courtyard giving spectacular views of walls and windows. On the plus side, it was incredibly quiet. I was only a short distance from the main street and yet, there was virtually no noise, even with the window open. In common with many hotel rooms, it was hot, but you could set the radiator temperature to your preferred level. This is a welcome change from many hotels where the heating is centrally controlled and seems intent on lightly boiling the guests.

The only slight issue I had was that at 7.30am on my first morning, the phone rang - Reception giving me a wake-up call I hadn't asked for! Fortunately, I was up anyway, as I had to be out for a meeting - but this would have been annoying had I wanted a lie-in. A couple of minor things like this suggested that perhaps hotel's administrative side isn't quite up to scratch and results in occasional errors.

Food
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I only took breakfast in the hotel, so can't comment too much on this, but certainly the quality and range was of reasonable standard. The breakfast was a buffet affair consisting of cereal and continental breakfast, as well as sausages, eggs and bacon and was tasty enough. The bread, in particular, was delicious and clearly bought fresh every morning.

Prices
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I paid 81 Euros per night for my room and I felt this was pretty reasonable. It was certainly better than an Austrian hotel I stayed in last year, which was twice the price and half as good!

Conclusion
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I would definitely recommend the Hotel Modra Ruze. It's not the most luxurious hotel, but its price, location and friendly staff makes it a great base from which to explore Prague. Certainly, if I ever go back, I'd happily stay there again.

Basic Information
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Hotel Modra Ruze
Praha 1
110 00
Tel:+420 224 404 100
Fax:+420 224 226 106
E-mail: hotel@hotelmodraruze.cz

Website: http://hotelmodraruze.cz/en/

© Copyright SWSt 2008

Summary: A good base from which to explore Prague