Say a little prayer in Prague

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  Mandarin Oriental Prague

Staying in a monastery is not something you get to do every day – especially not in five-star comfort. But monastic conversions in a city like Prague are all the rage.

One of the first in the luxury conversion trail was the Mandarin Oriental Prague and now comes The Augustine, created from seven historic buildings, the largest of which is the 13th century Augustinian St Thomas’s Monastery.

From the original cellar bar, with its glass-encased stalactites to the ancient art placed sparingly around the smooth, simply decorated arched walls, the essence of the monastery is carried through the hotel. But thankfully, the beds, rooms, suites, spa and restaurants are infinitely more comfortable than the remaining monk’s cells next door. Guests can take a guided tour of towering St Thomas church and the monastery, catching a glimpse of the working monks and gaining private access to their library of books and treasures.

Walking through the tranquil Wallenstein Gardens adjacent to the hotel, you would hardly think that Prague had ever garnered itself a reputation for marauding stags on beer-fuelled weekends.

Both the Mandarin Oriental and The Augustine sit on the ‘left bank’ of the Vtlava River in the area called Mala Strana, variously named as ‘Lesser Town’ or ‘Little Quarter’ and a fairytale land of magnificent architecture and aching views. Mala Strana sits on the lower levels of the massive Prague Castle complex – a series of historic buildings and castle which wind their way down the hill and contain a fair few of the city’s ‘100 spires’.

The whole of Prague Castle could take a morning of your time, but if you stop at just one place, make it the collections at Lobkowicz Palace, the only privately owned building within the complex. Recently opened to the public, the collection is known for its quite unique display of art, antiques and arms drawn from this ancient Lobkowicz noble family.

Suite sensation

The Augustine is the latest from the Rocco Forte Collection, the family concern which has seen Rocco Forte and his sister Olga Polizzi measuredly open fashionable hotel after fashionable hotel.

And this one is a triumph of comfortable design, taking elements of the religious life and Czech style without heading too far down the austere road. Opulence shines through by way of bishop purples and juicy greens, or rich reds and beautiful Czech glass shimmers in delicate craft pieces from the lobby through to the rooms and restaurants.

Weather permitting, the hotel offers up candlelight barbecues at The Monastery Restaurant to some live jazz and the bars serve their own hearty beer, restoring the traditional techniques used for years by the monks. Tom’s Bar is a jaw-dropper with unexpected original baroque frescos etched in pretty pastels in its arched ceiling – they’ve inspired some tasty cocktails too.

Those ceilings are impressive, but if you really want the best room in the house – make it the incredibly romantic Tower Suite with 360-degree views of this chocolate-box city.

Tourist trail

Of course, many tourists will see it as a must to shuffle their way over the Charles Bridge (in Czech signs, it’s Karluv Most), but good luck if you plan this yourself – I tried in a vain attempt to capture that iconic shot, but part of the bridge is currently closed in order to carry out renovation work on its famous statues and walkway, so in August, my shuffling became painfully more like standstill at peak times.

From The Augustine however, it’s much quicker to stride 100 metres in the other direction and stroll crowd-and-portrait-free across Manes Bridge (or Manesuv Most), stopping to take your Charles Bridge shot from there before popping into the Museum of Decorative Arts (www.upm.cz) for a quiet cultural respite before hitting Old Town Square.

This has become the tourist hub of the city, heaving with cafes, shops, horses and humans. A little trot around the area in a horse and trap is a twee experience, but fun nonetheless, whereas if you have teens in tow, they are more likely to plump for the increasingly popular Segway options (www.prague-segwaytours.com).

You feel quite unprepared for this open-air museum – the pastel-coloured buildings, the towering churches, the clip-clop of the horses over the cobbles and imagine this at Christmas. Although there has been talk that the Prague Christmas market has not been as ‘traditional’ as in the past, relying on cheaper imports rather than local goods and crafts. But hotels with courtyards big enough – such as the Mandarin Oriental – may well hold their own more authentic affairs if the complaints aren’t heeded.

And of course if you tire of the tat – there is always Manufaktura (www.manufaktura.cz), which sells a truly charming array of wooden toys, local craftswork and toiletries and is particularly magical at Christmas time. If you fall in love with the furniture, arts and ornaments in The Augustine, head to Modernista (www.modernista.cz) where Olga Polizzi and her RDD interior design team sourced many items.

By April Hutchinson

Location: Prague