Prague Travel: Authentic
Art Deco Beauty in the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel
Always on the lookout for historical structures,
I had planned a visit to another renowned Prague
establishment: the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel, established
in 1932 at the height of Art Deco as Prague’s
premier hotel of that era. Martina Pavlikova from
the hotel welcomed me and graciously took me on
a tour of this Art Deco Jewel.
The hotel was the brainchild of the original architect-owner
Alois Krofta, who named the hotel after himself
using the first two or three letters of his first
and last name, and adding the final “n”,
which was inspired by the “Alcron”,
a boat from Greek mythology. It was Krofta’s
intention to build a hotel that would compete with
the most splendid properties in Vienna and Berlin,
which were more popular destinations at the time.
He was successful and soon the Alcron Hotel became
the preferred destination of statesmen, politicians
and aristocrats.
Cool sitting area in the lobby
The hotel’s splendour became apparent right
away when I entered the lobby: white Italian marble
and decorative copper railings are luxurious relics
of the thrilling times of the Jazz Age. The hotel
was completely refurbished in 1998 under the guidance
of renowned interior designer Maria Vafiades, using
authentic Art Deco inspired materials and furniture.
Martina explained that the same designer redesigned
the hotel again in 2008, once again with Art Deco
stylings, but this time with a more updated and
modern feel.
Original etched glass from the 1930s
The Bebop Bar is decorated in jazzy browns and
blacks and offers guests local beer, wine and an
extensive bar menu. A piano waits in the corner
to be played. Past the reception is an intimate
24-seat restaurant called “The Alcron Restaurant
” which features a stunning Jazz Age mural
in muted brown and beige tones, displaying 1930s
couples dancing in front of skyscrapers.
A gorgeous 1930s mural forms the backdrop in the
Alcron Restaurant
The Alcron Restaurant is one of the best seafood
restaurants in Prague and was listed in first place
in the “Top 100 Best Restaurants in the Czech
Republic” by the Czech gourmet guide. A beautiful
smoked glass partition above a fireplace separates
the Alcron Restaurant from the lobby and still features
the original glass design from the 1930s. A small
logo of a sailing vessel, the original “Alcron”
from Greek mythology, can be seen in the original
door of the fireplace.
The "Alcron" sailing vessel which inspired
the name of the hotel
To the right is “La Rotonde”, the hotel’s
elegant 130 seat Art Deco restaurant. It offers
a mix of international cuisine and traditional Czech
dishes, all under the guidance of renowned executive
chef Roman Paulus whose previous cooking experiences
include the Hilton Hotel in Prague and the Queen
Mary II ocean liner. The expansive restaurant is
adorned by a graceful statue of a ballet dancer,
a reproduction of an original, larger statue of
a prima ballerina who was rumoured to have been
the lover of original owner Alois Krofta. The copy
of the statue was created by the original sculptor’s
grandson.
La Rotonde Restaurant
Just outside La Rotonde is a large private terrace
that is open during the summer. It is often used
for barbecues in the evening while the indoor restaurant
is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. On Sundays
La Rotonde fills up with patrons eagerly waiting
for the Jazz Brunch, while Saturday is family day,
which means fun activities for parents and children.
Friday nights have become popular events as well
since guests can dance to the sounds of music from
the 1920s to the 1940s.
Piano in the lobby
We then started on a tour of some of the guest
rooms of the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel. Martina
showed me a standard room which demonstrated the
sleek updated version of Art Deco design that was
implemented throughout the property in 2008. A big
mirror decorates the area above the bed and adds
more depth to the room. A safe, an espresso machine
and minibar, a flat screen TV, bathrobe and slippers
are all standard amenities at this hotel.
Art Deco reinvented
Then we headed to the Castleview Suite, a very spacious
suite with slanted roofs on the 8th floor. The window
offers a great view of Prague and showcases some
of the most important sights: Prague Castle, Petrin
Hill and the golden roof of the National Theatre.
Beautiful view of Petrin Hill and Prague Castle
from the hotel
The Presidential Suite is even more opulent: about
80 square metres (roughly 860 square feet) in size,
it consists of a large bedroom, a very large dining
and living room configuration, a compact kitchen
and two bathrooms. This luxurious suite provides
views on both sides of the unit: towards the east
you can see the National Museum on Wenceslas Square,
and on the other side of the suite a gorgeous panorama
of Prague’s main landmarks opens up.
Dining area in the Presidential Suite
The City of 100 Spires beckons the visitor from
this deluxe accommodation at the Radisson Blu Alcron
Hotel. Guests of the Presidential Suite enjoy a
free welcome drink, free breakfast either at the
restaurant or via room service, free newspapers
and access to the executive lounge.
Opulence at the Radisson Blu Alcron Hotel
Martina then showed me some amenities for the business
visitors: the meeting rooms and conference areas
on the second floor. Five salons are available for
meetings, and the Crystal Ballroom is flooded with
daylight. All salons can be opened up to the ballroom
and a breakout area offers space for coffee breaks.
The Crystal Ballroom
Gorgeous pictures adorn the hallways and a special
Art Deco-style font is used for all the hotel’s
signs and letterings. The original grand marble
staircase stretches from the top to the bottom of
the building, and the metal railings are authentic
Art Deco pieces.
The original 1930s marble staircase
It was getting close to lunch time right now, and
Martina took me back to the main floor to show me
the preparations in the kitchen. Head chef Roman
Paulus and his crew were busy creating culinary
delicacies for the lunch-time guests. Martina explained
that the hotel offers very popular Sunday brunches
as well as cooking classes for adults and children.
Head chef Roman Paulus
Roman was showing us some of the dishes that were
being prepared: an amuse-bouche featuring scallops
with vegetables; then monkfish – the daily
special – accompanied by basil, polenta and
zucchini. Lobster bisque was being stirred on the
stove, and I asked the chef for his lunch time recommendation:
filet of veal with white and green asparagus and
a mushroom sauce.
My guide, Martina, and the hotel's beverage manager
We then sat down at one of the tables in the La
Rotonde Restaurant and I was looking forward to
sampling some of the renowned cuisine. I started
my lunch with a non-alcoholic Bellini, and the beverage
manager explained to me that the Radisson Blu Alcron
Hotel is unique in offering a water menu that contains
more than 20 different brands, sorted by country
of origin and mineral content. We tasted some Lauretana
water from Tuscany which had the lowest mineral
content. To prime our palate we enjoyed a selection
of multi-grain breads accompanied by salted butter,
olive tapenade and Budapest spread – a tasty
cottage cheese spread with tomatoes and peppers.
Delicious olive tapendade and Budapest spread as
an appetizer
I realized that history is never far away in Prague
when Martina pulled out a book called “Hotel
Alcron, Pametni Kniha” (Memory Book), which
is a collection of old VIP signatures from the hotel’s
guest book. The memory book itself was created by
an unknown person and found in an antiques store
in Prague. Its creation is shrouded in mystery.
Martina shoes me the Book of Memories
The book contains signatures from 1932 to 1948
and illustrates the history of Prague in dramatic
ways: from European aristocrats, ambassadors and
statesmen in the mid 1930s to German Army officers
before and during World War II to Soviet officials
in the post-war years, this memory book bears silent
testimony to some of Prague’s most turbulent
years.
Actor Maurice Chevalier signed the Alcron book in
1932
Celebrity signatures include actor Maurice Chevalier,
US Army General Arthur McDouglas, Prince Eugene
of Sweden, Thomas Cook – a member of the British
Parliament and many other princes, ambassadors,
actors. Martina explained that in the 1930s the
Alcron Hotel was referred to as “The Palace”
for its luxury features and it was the first hotel
to compete with the glamorous establishments in
Vienna and Berlin.
A delicious asparagus soup starts off the meal
After we finished our delicious asparagus soup,
our main course had arrived and the restaurant manager
Leon Klopp introduced the delicacies on our plates:
veal tenderloin, green and white asparagus, young
potatoes and sweetbread, the thymus gland of the
calf, a very tender delicacy. Roman Paulus, the
executive chef, sat down with us and I asked him
to explain Czech cuisine to me. He clarified that
Czech cuisine is very similar to Austrian and Bavarian
cuisine: lots of pork, veal, venison, freshwater
fish, dumplings and seasonal vegetables. The winter
cuisine traditionally features sauerkraut,marinated
and dried fruits as well as compotes. 40 years of
Communism were not particularly kind to Czech cuisine
as the country was plagued by many shortages, and
fresh ingredients were hard to come by.
The main dish: veal tenderloin and sweetbread with
white and green asparagus
Modern Czech cuisine still uses the same basic
ingredients but is a lot lighter and healthier.
Over the last 20 years Czech chefs have had a chance
to experiment, and seafood has now become a popular
item in upscale restaurants. The Alcron Restaurant
is a fine dining destination and features a tasting
menu with a menu that changes monthly. As one of
the examples of its cuisine, Roman mentioned pork
belly with prawns. The Alcron’s other restaurant,
La Rotonde, offers international modern hotel cuisine
with Czech accents.
Art Deco-inspired art at the Radisson Blu Alcron
Hotel
After this informative culinary introduction Roman
left to head back into the kitchen as we enjoyed
our delectable lunch. I had thoroughly enjoyed my
historic and culinary tour of the Radisson Blu Alcron
Hotel and was now ready for my afternoon explorations:
a walking tour of Prague’s famous Castle Hill!
