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Vip Tours | 1 | 2
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| Prague - Czech Republic |
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Society
January - 2011 |
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6
Stars & 6 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel & Service' |
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The Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes® |
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| The lights were ablaze over a wide area above the
Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa, making it a striking sight of Prague Castle
bathed in a phosphorus fueled fire of nighttime fantasy. The castle stands
noble and rich, white hot above the medieval city as if on guard while the
streets sleep silently, tucked in by a thick heavy snowy quilt. We arrived just
hours before by way of
Lufthansa from
Germany, greatly anticipating a familiar return to our royal comfort zone in
Prague. After several visits to this remarkable hotel in the past, we have come
to recognize its impressive strengths as a boutique-style Renaissance bastion
of gracious, responsive and kindhearted people that have the ability to make
you feel truly welcomed. |
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| Alchymist
Grand Hotel & SPA: Suite |
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| Our driver, a remarkably pleasant fellow who
remembered us from our previous visits, fetched us from the airport in a
Mercedes Benz S-Class sedan, one of a small fleet of courtesy cars of the
hotel. All through the city streets and finally the UNESCO designated Mala
Strana (Lesser Town) and the moment of arrival, the driver kept us fully
informed as to important sights while tweaking our ambient temperature and
listening preferences. Checking into the Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa is like
taking a step back to a time when Europe was at its finest, in art, theatre and
architecture. All around the immediate area are well preserved and restored
buildings reflecting the golden age of the Baroque and Renaissance periods. The
Alchymist itself is a series of four buildings dating from the 16th century,
carefully and thoughtfully restored to their former glory while paying serious
attention to every minor detail. |
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| The smiles you see all
around you are genuine; you can feel it in the way they seamlessly check you
in; in the way they describe your surroundings as they escort you to your room;
in the way the sensuous house-made chocolate pralines and exotic fruit plate is
placed in your room. It is a comfortable, intimate and hospitable setting to be
sure, not unlike that of some of the best boutique hotels, Spanish posadas or
country manors, and this one with a themed historical twist. |
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| Our room of choice was a third floor suite with
windows carved out of a mansard roof, which allows great lighting and
spectacular vistas. The first thing you notice is the richly grained wood floor
topped with a couple of high quality geometrically designed wool rugs. There is
a comfortable living room settee with an ornate gilded coffee table adjacent to
a replica of a 16th century gilded desk topped with a very sleek modern flat
screen LCD TV. European coffee is rich, robust and full-bodied so what better
to wake you up in the morning but with a hot brew made by your own individual
coffee/espresso maker. One more thing to note is at the foot of the bed, within
the reach of a short leap, is a rather comfortable looking Jacuzzi, situated
close enough to the window to catch enough sun or moonlight whichever suits the
mood. |
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| 2011
Alchymist - SPA - Award |
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| After a quick freshen up, it’s essential that one
leaves plenty of time to indulge in the Indonesian themed Ecsotica Spa with its
qualified team of Balinese therapists waiting to treat you to any number of
unique signature treatments. My preference was to try out the Alchymist massage
combining the best of Hawaiian, Swedish and Balinese techniques, resulting in
one of the most relaxing, therapeutic treatments I have ever had. Body
treatments flourish with more choices than one can imagine, and if you are in
the mood for the ultimate in pampering, then you came to the right place. A
good nights sleep is a guarantee that Ecsotica Spa can promise without
compromise! |
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| A dinner at the famed
Aquarius Restaurant with renowned Chef Tomáš Sysel was planned for the evening with a complete review of the Degustation Menu and service to follow. The next morning after a sumptuous breakfast at the Café Barocco Veneziano, the very source of the seductive plate of chocolate pralines left on my coffee table last night, we booked a tour with the concierge, one that came highly recommended by General Manager Ms. Veronika Choteborska. It was a delightful sojourn taking in the Strahov
Monastery (PHOTO TOUR - CLICK HERE) in operation since 1143 with a
library complex featuring ceiling frescoes seemingly rivaling those of the
Sistine Chapel; it was simply mind-boggling. En route we sought out the
Basilica of Our Lady, where Mozart improvised on the organ in 1787 and the
Picture Gallery, with one of the greatest private collections in Central
Europe. After a brief visit to the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, a magnificent
Bohemian Baroque structure where Mozart also played the organ, our final stop
was at the Stirin Castle for a history lesson of the period after the Thirty
Years War. |
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| 2011
Seven Stars and Stripers® Award-Hand-Out at the Alchymist Grand Hotel &
Spa |
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| The Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa is an eclectic,
free-spirited, consummate establishment committed to the complete satisfaction
of every guest on all occasions as laid forth by owner and operator Georgio
Bonelli. ‘Unforgettable experience” in our opinion! |
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by Edmund & Thorsten Buehrmann
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2011 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes,
Inc. |
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Vip Tours | 1 | 2
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