Best 7 Hotels in Historic Buildings in Prague

Seven Prague hotels inside genuinely old buildings, from two medieval monasteries and a 12th-century house on Old Town Square to a former bank palace and a 1909 Art Nouveau landmark.

A surprising amount of Prague’s old centre can be booked by the night. You can sleep under a Renaissance painted ceiling, eat breakfast in a monastery or order a cocktail in a former bank vault. These hotels suit couples, first-time visitors who want the full old-Prague experience, and anyone happy to trade a few quirks, such as stairs instead of a lift, for real character.

We chose from hotels we have written about in detail on Prague Hints, and kept only those whose building history we could actually describe: a century, a former use, a style. The seven are spread across Malá Strana, the Old Town and the New Town, and range from small houses with no lift to a 152-room palace with a pool. One has changed its name since our original review; we flag it below.

At a glance

Best for monastery atmosphere	Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague — 13th-century monastery with a refectory bar
Best for Old Town Square	Hotel U Prince — 12th-century house facing the Astronomical Clock
Best for Charles Bridge	Hotel U tří pštrosů — 1597 Renaissance house at the bridge’s foot
Best for painted ceilings	Iron Gate Hotel & Suites — frescoes and timber ceilings, five-star comfort
Best for a boutique monastery stay	Dominican Hotel — monastery walls, glass-roofed breakfast garden
Best for a pool	NH Collection Prague Carlo IV — former bank palace with a 20-metre pool
Best for Art Nouveau	Art Nouveau Palace Hotel — 1909 building near Wenceslas Square

1. Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague

Letenská 12 · Malá Strana

Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel occupies a former 13th-century Augustinian monastery in a quiet corner of Malá Strana, close to the Prague Castle grounds. Its 101 rooms and suites each work with the old building, so expect vaulted ceilings, original frescoes and views over the monastery gardens or the red roofs of the Lesser Town.

Have a drink in the Refectory Bar, set in the monastery’s original dining hall, where the beer to order is St. Thomas, brewed to a recipe dating back to 1352. The restaurant cooks a seasonal menu around Czech ingredients, the spa draws on the monks’ healing traditions, and secure on-site parking is a rarity in Malá Strana. Pets are welcome.

Read our full guide to Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague →

2. Hotel U Prince

Staroměstské náměstí 29 · Staré Město · 5-star

Hotel U Prince puts you directly on Old Town Square, in a burgher house dating back to the 12th century. Rooms in the five-star keep their period character, with details such as parquet floors, Renaissance ceilings or historicist furniture.

The restaurant serves Czech and international dishes from two outdoor seating areas facing the Old Town Hall and its Astronomical Clock, a good way to watch the hourly show without joining the crowd. The Knights’ Lounge and the Royal Lounge, with historicist furniture and wall paintings, host private dinners. Pets are welcome and there is a family suite. The square stays busy late, so light sleepers should ask for a quiet room.

Read our full guide to Hotel U Prince →

3. Hotel U tří pštrosů

Dražického náměstí 12 · Malá Strana

Hotel U tří pštrosů (“At the Three Ostriches”) stands at the Malá Strana foot of Charles Bridge in a house built in 1597. The name comes from the three ostriches painted on the facade, a nod to its past as the shop of a feather maker who supplied the local aristocracy. Inside are Renaissance painted wooden ceilings and antique furniture.

Ask for a room with a view of the bridge towers; a hot buffet breakfast is included. The restaurant, under original Renaissance ceiling paintings, mixes Czech classics with international cooking and is known for fresh fish, and the summer garden between Charles Bridge and the Lesser Town Bridge Tower is a calm spot in a very busy corner. Pets are welcome and there is parking. The protected building has four floors and no lift, so pack light.

Read our full guide to Hotel U tří pštrosů →

4. Iron Gate Hotel & Suites

Michalská 19 · Staré Město · 5-star

Iron Gate Hotel & Suites is a five-star in a UNESCO-protected building with roots in the 14th century, on Michalská about five minutes’ walk from Old Town Square. Rooms and suites are individually furnished with historicist pieces, and many of the premium suites have original frescoes or painted wooden ceilings.

The restaurant is a quiet retreat from the Old Town streets, cooking traditional Bohemian dishes with a modern twist; guests rate the venison most highly. Not every room has the historic ceilings, so if they are why you are booking, ask for a suite that has them.

Read our full guide to Iron Gate Hotel & Suites →

5. Dominican Hotel

Jilská 7 · Staré Město

Dominican Hotel sits inside the walls of a former 13th-century Dominican monastery on Jilská, an easy walk from the Astronomical Clock and Charles Bridge. It is a small boutique hotel in the AXXOS Hotels group that preserves the monastery’s original architecture; you may also see it listed as The Dominican.

The best room in the house is the Winter Garden, a ground-floor atrium under a glass roof where breakfast is served in natural light. Restaurant U Dominikána serves Czech and international dishes built on seasonal ingredients. The lift serves floors one to three, but the fourth floor is stairs only because of the building’s protected status.

Read our full guide to Dominican Hotel →

6. NH Collection Prague Carlo IV (formerly Carlo IV Hotel)

Senovážné náměstí 13 · Nové Město

NH Collection Prague Carlo IV, which we first reviewed as Carlo IV, occupies a 19th-century Neo-Renaissance palace that once housed a bank. Its 152 rooms and suites pair high ceilings and rich textures with modern comforts, and two rooms are fully accessible.

The bank lives on in the Vault Bar, converted from the original vault and made for a late cocktail. The restaurant cooks modern Czech food with seasonal produce, served in a summer garden in warm weather. The real draw is the wellness centre: a 20-metre heated indoor pool, Turkish bath, sauna, steam room and gym, the strongest case on this list for a winter trip. Pets are welcome.

Read our full guide to NH Collection Prague Carlo IV →

7. Art Nouveau Palace Hotel

Panská 12 · Nové Město

Art Nouveau Palace Hotel is housed in a 1909 building with the sweeping curves and detail of the Art Nouveau movement, on Panská a short walk from Wenceslas Square. Its 127 rooms and suites have been updated for modern comfort, but the building keeps the Viennese-style elegance of its era.

The café and restaurant cover everything from a slow breakfast to a candlelit dinner, and a congress hall for up to 150 guests makes it a regular choice for weddings and conferences. The National Museum and the State Opera are close by. Families are welcome, but the hotel’s own website says pets are not accepted, whatever older descriptions say.

Read our full guide to Art Nouveau Palace Hotel →

Practical tips

Expect stairs. U tří pštrosů has no lift and the Dominican’s fourth floor is stairs only. Ask before booking if mobility is an issue.
Travelling with a pet. Augustine, U Prince, U tří pštrosů and Carlo IV welcome pets; Art Nouveau Palace Hotel does not.
Think twice about driving. Parking is scarce in the Old Town and Malá Strana. Augustine and U tří pštrosů offer parking; elsewhere, arrive by taxi.
Get out early. Old Town Square and Charles Bridge are far quieter before breakfast, which is the real perk of staying at U Prince or U tří pštrosů.

Frequently asked questions

Can you stay in a former monastery in Prague?

Yes. Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel occupies a former 13th-century Augustinian monastery in Malá Strana, and Dominican Hotel a former 13th-century Dominican monastery in the Old Town. The Augustine is larger, with a spa; the Dominican is a small boutique hotel.

Which historic hotel is closest to Charles Bridge?

Hotel U tří pštrosů, at the Malá Strana end of the bridge. Its summer garden sits between the bridge and the Lesser Town Bridge Tower.

Is there a historic hotel in Prague with a pool?

NH Collection Prague Carlo IV, a former bank palace on Senovážné náměstí, has a 20-metre heated indoor pool, a Turkish bath, sauna and steam room. For treatments rather than laps, the Augustine has a spa.

Which area is best for a historic hotel in Prague?

Malá Strana (Augustine, U tří pštrosů) puts you near Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. The Old Town (U Prince, Iron Gate, Dominican) is in the thick of the busiest sights. The New Town (Carlo IV, Art Nouveau Palace) is handier for Wenceslas Square and has the larger hotels.