Hotel Josef

Class: First

Style: Minimalist

Rooms: 110

Prague’s light and airy Hotel Josef is the perfect alternative to the heavy atmosphere and gritty authenticity of the city’s historic hotels. The design, courtesy of London architect Eva Jiricná, is as modern as they come, a familiar idea (the whiter-than-white design boutique) executed with uncommon expertise.

Interiors are a tour de force of glass and metal, Ms Jiricná’s specialties; a frosted glass reception desk and bar, lit from within, stand guard over the lobby and its white leather armchairs. A glass-walled atrium serves as breakfast venue and connects the hotel’s two buildings, framing a grassy courtyard complete with patio seating, an unexpected pastoral interlude in the heart of the city.

Guest rooms are no less adventurous; combine a hip boutique hotel with an architect known for glasswork and you’re certain to find high-visibility glass-walled bathrooms, at least in the Superior rooms. All rooms, however, are bright and wide open, with plenty of natural light to amplify the effect of the color scheme of whites, creams, and citrus tones. DVD players, PlayStations and satellite TV are standard, as is high-speed internet access.

One thing the Josef lacks is a restaurant, though the surrounding area is hardly at a loss for options—the location is convenient, close to the Jewish Quarter and the Old Town, within a few minutes’ walk of the Charles Bridge, Wenceslas Square, and any number of theatres and museums, not to mention restaurants, shops and cafés. Business travelers will be amazed by the proximity to the stock exchange and the financial centers, and the truly adventurous will find the Metro station about a half-kilometer away.