Grand Hotel

The ducal home of Aleksander Czartoryski and his wife Marcelina (one of Frédéric Chopin’s favorite students) was transformed into the Grand Hotel in 1887, and it became an immediate hit with Europe’s aristocracy. Having suffered a serious decline during WWII and the years of nationalization that followed, the Grand was restored to its fin de siècle splendor soon after the Communist Era ended in 1989. (Note the ornate Secessionist awning over the entry and the stained-glass ornamentation from the same period that adorns both the hallways and main restaurant). Today it attracts discerning vacationers who are drawn by the historic accoutrements, traditional ambiance and convenient location along with a large contingent of business travelers attending in-house conferences or corporate functions.

The Grand sits just off Rynek Główny (the Main Market Square), so the must-sees that are concentrated on or around it -- including St. Mary's Basilica, Town Hall Tower, and the Cloth Hall’s touristy shops -- are close by. Virtually all of Krakow’s other premier attractions are within walking distance: Wawel Castle, for instance, can be reached on foot in 17 minutes, but it takes almost 25 to hit the haunting Kazimierz, with the ghetto district beyond it. Guided city tours and excursions to outlying sites (like the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Wieliczka Salt Mine) can be arranged through the hotel, as can airport or train station transfers. If you’re driving, the Grand offers a limited number of reserved parking spaces for an added fee.

• Two-minute walk to the Main Market Square
• Three-minute walk to the Czartoryski Museum 
• Four-minute walk to St. Mary's Basilica
• Five-minute walk to St. Florian's Gate
• Five-minute walk to Collegium Maius (Jagiellonian University)
• 12-minute walk to Kraków Glowny Railway Station
• 13-minute walk to Galeria Krakowska
• 17-minute walk to Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral
• 17-minute walk to the National Museum in Krakow
• 23-minute walk to the Kazimierz (Old Jewish Quarter)
• 15-minute drive to Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum and MOCAK 
• 26-minute drive to John Paul II Krakow-Balice International Airport

Accommodations here cover a broad spectrum in terms of style. For example, the massive Marble Suite looks like a museum piece, complete with Chęcin marble panels, gilded cornices, and an original Empire-era chandelier. The Fireplace Suite, with its period furnishings and ornate wood ceiling, evokes the 17th century, while the Duchess Suite (once Marcelina’s salon) is graced by 16th-century polychromes. The downside is that standard rooms don’t hit the same high bar. Narrow beds with bland bedspreads, uncomfortable bolstered couches, and fussy details like doilies make them look dated -- and not in a good way. Decor aside, all rooms feature air-conditioning, digital safes, minibars, free bottled water, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms throughout room categories also feel plain, outfitted with shower/tub combos and older hose-style hairdryers.

The common areas in this aptly-named hotel are, well, grand -- and the on-site restaurants stand out among them. Take the glitzy Mirror Hall where classic continental dishes and Polish favorites (picture herring tartare, followed by duck breast with beet puree) are served beneath a Secessionist stained-glass roof. The more intimate, Empire-style Piano Restaurant, meanwhile, is a vision in crimson and gold; ditto for the charming Vienna Café, which specializes in rose ice cream and tempting tortes. Adjoining the latter is a time-burnished bar that’s frequented by local artists and intellectuals. 

Corporate types and conference attendees will feel at home here, too, as the hotel offers eight well-equipped meeting spaces and a dedicated business center. The elegant decor -- coupled with perks such as in-house catering -- also make the Grand a natural choice for wedding receptions and the like. Other features include a 24-hour front desk with multilingual staff; a gift shop; concierge, turndown, babysitting and dry-cleaning/laundry services; free newspapers in the lobby and free Wi-Fi throughout. Apart from a small sauna, though, this hotel contains no fitness or wellness facilities, which may be a deal breaker for some.