Hotel Ametyst Prague

On a tree-lined, cobbled street, a row of national flags wave over the entrance of the Hotel Ametyst, signaling an invitation to international travelers. It’s appropriate that one of those flags is the German flag, since some of the well-dressed staff is fluent in German. Inside, the lobby is classic, if a bit dated in style, with an odd-mirrored cube in the middle. The lobby bar is small and retro, with purple leather barstools and booths. There’s Krušovice beer on tap, and cigars are available for purchase. The artwork for sale hung throughout the hotel rotates, including the oil paintings and pastel drawings that decorate the walls of the restaurant, where breakfast and dinner are served. 

The hotel is located in a quiet, residential location, somewhat removed from the city center, but there’s a tram within a five-minute walk. The town square, with its famous astronomical clock, can be reached in a 15-minute ride on public transportation, and Prague Castle can be reached in under 20 minutes. The airport is around a 30-minute drive, and the hotel will arrange an airport transfer, but the fee is high.

Some rooms at the Ametyst have been more recently renovated than others, but all have desks, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs with satellite and pay-per-view channels, free Wi-Fi, well-stocked minibars, and coffee/tea facilities. More recently renovated rooms are notably modern, with sleek city murals, gray accent walls and bedding, and a shock of yellow running over the beds. Bathrooms are particularly chic with natural stone tile walls, rain showers, and basin sinks. Older rooms are homey, with parquet wood floors and matching autumn-colored bed runners and curtains. Marble bathrooms have either showers stalls or shower/tub combinations. All rooms come with fresh fruit. Some guests complain of the beds being too hard.

The free breakfast buffet offers a variety of hot and cold foods that changes regularly. The hotel has a small lobby bar and a reasonably priced restaurant that serves a limited menu of international and Czech cuisine. There’s a small spa area in the basement, but fees are levied for everything -- not just massages or facial treatments, but also using the tanning bed and sauna. The hotel has a treadmill and some weights, and an Internet corner with one computer. A meeting room is available for private events, and parking is available for a fee.