Hotel Columbus

Hotel Columbus is housed in a five-story building with a 1930s facade, which doesn't stand out from its more opulent neighbors, but the large ground-floor glass doors and windows draw attention to the hotel from the street. Transformed into a hotel in 2007, the Columbus was renovated in December 2013. The decor and ambience are cozy and Old World, with lots of wood furniture and hardwood floors, thick red carpets in the stairwells and hallways, and a large leather Chesterfield sofa and armchair in the lobby. The same cozy style is replicated in the guest rooms and breakfast room. Given its location near the city center and Old Town, the Columbus draws plenty of leisure travelers, but it's proximity to business centers, and the hotel's well-equipped conference space, attracts business travelers too.

Hotel Columbus Krakow is located on a busy main street in Kazimierz, Krakow's historic Jewish district. The Old Town, and many other tourist attractions, are within walking distance, as are restaurants, bars, museums, shops, and art galleries. It’s a 13-minute walk to the city’s 13th-century main market square, which is in the center of the Old Town. Other important nearby sights include Remuh Synagogue, Oskar Schindler's Factory (made famous in Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List"), and the Jewish cemetery, all of which are a two- to five-minute walk from the hotel. Wawel Castle is a 12-minute walk from the hotel, and St. Mary’s Basilica is a 14-minute walk. Krakow Barbican (a gothic fortification) is a six-minute drive, and the Schindler Museum is a seven-minute drive from the Columbus. Krakow Airport is about a half hour's drive.

The 24 guest rooms at Hotel Columbus -- renovations at the end of 2013 included new wallpaper -- are decorated in a cozy, Old World style, and are fairly spacious. The attractive, dark rosewood furniture is colonial in style, and the plush red carpets and matching wallpaper add to the rooms’ charm, along with heavy brown-and-gold curtains and matching bed runners. (Although the layered patterns, tasseled lamps, and red and gold accents might strike some guests as excessive.) Bathrooms are sleek but somewhat cramped, and most of them have shower stalls, not tubs; they include hairdryers and toiletries. All guest rooms have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, minibars, and free bottles of still and sparkling mineral water.

A buffet breakfast is included in the room rate and served each morning in the dining room on the ground floor. The neighboring conference room is bright and spacious, and looks out on the adjacent outdoor patio. Guests are free to use the computer in the lobby, which also has a small library. Other services available include laundry and luggage storage, and bike rental. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property.