“Limit your expectations” was a quote I kept relying on, since a very good friend taught me. However life gives more and more lessons and it is time to change the attitude.
Expect nothing or worse…
Martin’s independent hotel reviews Part XI – Hotel Icon
Visit of the Christie hotel took only a few minutes. Because I still had some spare time, before I could go to the Icon hotel, I decided to make a stop at the Jama restaurant. One of my business friend Chris Wiseheart, who is also my taxi transfer competitor, visits Jama often. I wanted to see why.
The place offers many different beers, burgers and American and Mexican food. There were not many people yet, I suppose it gets busier later in the evening. The service was not bad, even though the waitresses were more noisy than the guests and one “forgot” to answer my greetings. The waitress that served me was kind and smiling, which I always appreciate. I had a quick non-alcoholic drink and needed to use the restrooms. I was surprised to find out in how bad condition the toilets were. Apart from the damaged restrooms the pub looks good and the atmosphere is nice.
Time to go to the Icon Hotel.
Reception desk at the hotel Icon; copyright Hotel Icon
The entrance to the hotel is not marked well and one is not sure, if he is going to the hotel or the neighbors next door. The heavy entrance door does not provide a pleasant welcome and is followed by another glass door. I can imagine that coming in or out with baggage can be frustrating. When you get through the main door, you easily climb up to the hotel lobby.
Two sets of door – entrance to the hotel icon – photo copyright @ Icon
The lobby is not very big, but there are a few seats, where you can sit down before or during the check in. The hotel has its own restaurant with bar and spa center. All is accessed from the hotel lobby. I was surprised that the staff at the design 4-star hotel do not follow any dressed code. I do not understand it as a failure, though I would definitely not expect both receptionists to wear jeans. The lobby also does not refer to the “design” features of the hotel. There is nothing special that would catch my eye.
I was welcomed by two smiling and very pleasant receptionists. My guide at the Icon was the hotel resident manager Renata Zizkovska. Very energetic, professional and welcoming.
We started the inspection tour of the design hotel Icon at the restaurant and bar. The tapas bar and restaurant is called the ROOM and according to the website it serves simple, tasty food. A very pleasant design reflects the “Design” attribute of the hotel, unlikely the hotel Icon lobby.
The Room, Tapas bar and restaurant; copyright @ Icon
Only a few steps away from the Room is the Spa – Zen Studio. I really liked it, even though it is small. The smell, the atmosphere, the cleanliness – all flawless. Exactly what you expect from the relaxation area.
The hotel design Icon offers accommodation in 31 design rooms. The rooms are great. Stylish, trendy design, all usual 4-star features (safe, cosmetics, air condition, LCD satellite TV, etc.), great bath rooms and hand made Hastens beds. I especially liked the armchairs. The pictures show the rooms as they really are. The hotel Icon website is a little bit confusing and lacks updates. E.g. the picture gallery was last updated in July 2013.
Only part of the hotel where I felt strange were the halls. Very dark yet very colorful lightning made me feel like in old Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi movies e.g. Total Recall or The running man :-D.
Wardrobe – photo copyright Icon hotel
Full room view – photo copyright Icon hotel
Safety box – photo copyright Icon hotel
Bathroom – photo copyright Icon hotel
Twin room – photo copyright Icon hotel
Double bed – hand made – – photo copyright Icon hotel
Junior Suite – photo copyright Icon hotel
Suite and my favourite armchair – photo copyright Icon hotel
Double Room – photo copyright Icon hotel
The hotel Icon is rated 8.9/10 on the booking.com; it has rating 95% and rank 60 out of 669based on 698!! reviews on the tripadvisor.
The design hotel Icon is definitely a true design hotel and offers good quality 4-star accommodation and services.
What I liked about the hotel: rooms, spa, location, tapas bar the ROOM, staff.
Please leave a comment or share the review, if you enjoyed reading it. Feel free to post on our Facebook too. Do not forget that if you like our Facebook page, you automatically get 5% off on all our transfer rates and 4 Euro off on all Prague airport transfers.
George’s Prime Steak House hits number 1 on the Tripadvisor
At the moment the George’s Prime steak House is the number 1 rated Prague restaurant on the tripadvisor.
However even though it has the top rating, there are a few very bad reviews. I am really thinking about giving it a try myself. Something is telling me, that this place can not be bad. Do you think it is a good idea to spend 80 Euro and thus be able to write a personal independent review?
Share or comment! Thank you.
Martin’s independent hotel reviews Part X – Hotel Christie
The hotel Christie is a 4-star hotel located in the New Town at Vladislavova street. The building of the hotel Christie used to be headquarters of one popular Czech commercial TV and later it was transformed into the hotel. I did not really intended to visit the hotel Christie in the beginning, but because I had an hour and half to spare, I added it to the hotel reviews series. There will not be any pictures, as it was already dark when I came to the hotel, and my camera is not very good without good light. The hotel staff told me not to use the pictures from the hotel website, if I was going to write anything bad about the hotel.
As I downgraded hotels from 5 stars to 4 stars in my previous reviews, it is fair to tell the Christie hotel does not reach the 4-star rating. It easily reaches the standards of 3-star hotel in my point of view.
When I made the appointment, I was approached with the same attitude like at the Alchymist Grand or the Charles Mostecka street hotel (reviews yet to come). Nobody expects a lot of business from a small transportation guy with a bit of experience in accommodation arrangements… Thus I happened to be guided by a doorman. He did a good job, however he only showed me around. I was not told anything extra, unless I asked specific question.
The rooms, I was shown, were very used. The hotel is clean, but everything seems to be worn out. Parts of the wall paint were gone, some walls were damaged by number of hits by guests, who were dragging their bags around. Trust me, the number was not small. Like if nobody cared about the wall paint, since the first time it was painted. The same feeling I had in the rooms. Old towels, furniture that could be modern back in 90’s, very odd bed linens and sofas’ upholstery.
The hotel Christie website looks good at the first sight. It has a simple and easy to use “availability check” and a booking form. The pictures on the website show the hotel in much better light than what I have seen myself. Unfortunately some of the pictures in the photo gallery are super old. You can even find pictures of rooms still equipped with CRT TV’s. I just hope that they do not use these anymore. There are several typos on the website (Just a statement, my writings are not flawless too :D).
The hotel does not offer any extra services apart from laundry, sightseeing arrangements and taxi services. There is however large conference area and restaurant which may be a plus point for business travelers. The restaurant was completely empty, when I was at the hotel Christie. The bellboy told me it was open for public and it was unusually empty. I think, it is not that popular, there are many better looking and more inviting restaurants all around in the neighborhood.
What I like about the hotel: conference area, number of rooms considering the location, the location
Booking.com rating of the Christie hotel is rated 8.1 out of 322 votes (honestly it surprised me, I was expecting lower rating), the tripadvisor rating is 69% ranked 265 out of 670 hotels.
If you are looking for accommodation in Prague, I am sure you can find better value in the same location. If you disagree with me, please feel free to comment below or post on my Facebook.
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The winner chooses the date, pick up time, pick up point and drop of point. Taxi service is door-to-door. The distance from pick up point to drop off point must be maximum 500 Km and at least one point has to be in Prague, Czech Republic.
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Front view of the BMW 5 series edition LifeStyle – Martin’s Taxi
Rear view of the 5 series BMW – Martin’s Taxi Transfers
Mercedes Benz minivan seating
Comfortable seats in the Mercedes Benz minivan
Mercedes Benz VITO – air-condition switch
Passengers’ air-condition – rear passengers part of the Mercedes VITO
BMW 5 series, white leather seats, panoramic roof, air suspension
BMW 5 series, white leather seats, panoramic roof, air suspension
Martin’s independent hotel reviews Part IX – Hotel Esplanade
Esplanade Hotel Prague
The Esplanade hotel Prague is located in the same area as the Jalta and the Yasmin hotels. The Esplanade is a little closer to the Main Train Station than the other hotels and and a few more steps away from the Wenceslas Square. The hotel is facing a park adjacent to the Main Train station – funny called the Sherwood. Do not worry though, it is a safe area. In fact Prague is very safe city in general. Apart from the pickpockets and cheating taxi drivers there are not many threats tourist should worry about.
There are 74 rooms available at the Esplanade hotel and I believe I have seen all the room types. Some of the rooms were not my taste, but all were definitely at the level you expect at a hotel with such a history. The Esplanade hotel was founded in 1927.
I was 2 minutes late. I hate being late. My job as a driver to hire is to be on time – always. I was welcomed by a very communicative receptionist and also greeted with a smile from the doorman. The manager of the hotel Mrs. Kovacikova accepted my apology for being late and took me for another great hotel tour.
As I mentioned previously, Miroslava was one of the top-notch managers. Again she proved that the hotel management gives the face to the hotel. You can have 5-star amenities and huge rooms, but if you do not have good staff, you do not have a 5-star hotel. Even though I personally do not think that hotel Esplanade deserves 5-star rating on the international level, thanks to the staff and the way the hotel is maintained, it can be 5-star in Prague.
Copyright @ Esplanade; Restaurant adjacent to the lobby
The lobby and the reception area are not too big and there are not many seats. The lobby is connected to the adjacent restaurant/café however. It is ideal for business meetings or just an afternoon coffee or tea time. The restaurant apart from regular operation is also used as a buffet breakfast hall. I had a chance to sit down and experience: “The quietly inviting and stylishly romantic atmosphere enhanced by the tunes of the twenties of 20th century.” (as per the hotel website.)
Copyright @ Esplanade; Cafe, Restaurant, Night bar
The hotel Esplanade is one of the few hotels, where you can still find the proper single rooms. The single rooms are in average 14m2 big/small. I found those very cozy and peaceful, even though the single rooms are really small. Deluxe singles are slightly bigger, but the difference is not noticeable.
Copyright @ Esplanade; Deluxe single room
All rooms have the standard 4/5-star features: air-condition, LCD TV, work desk with a lamp, safety box, hairdryer, minibar and telephone. Biggest difference in the room types is as usually the room size. Junior suites e.g. are over 30 square meters and have two separate rooms. The specialty of the Esplanade hotel accommodation are the historical suites. They are furbished with original period furniture, paintings and there are glass cabinets which have historical tea sets on display. The historical suites are good for romantic stays, but they were not my personal taste – too princess-like.
Copyright @ Esplanade; Standard double room
Copyright @ Esplanade; Deluxe Double room
Copyright @ Esplanade; the two rooms Junior Suite
Copyright @ Esplanade; Triple Room
Copyright @ Esplanade; historical suite
The hotel Esplanade offers conference areas and meeting rooms on their website. I do not think these rooms are ideal for conferences. I found them great for weddings or celebrations though.
Copyright @ Esplanade; Blue room
Copyright @ Esplanade; Golden meeting room – the only “maybe room” for small conference
Copyright @ Esplanade; Red Meeting room
There is not swimming pool, whirlpool, spa or gym. That is another reason not to rate Esplanade 5-star hotel. Regular services e.g. laundry, concierge, 24/7 reception, car park are available. There is also a small shop at the hotel lobby. Hairdresser or nail studio is within walking distance from the hotel, but the services are not available at the hotel.
The Esplanade hotel is rated 8.4 out of 10 based on 322 reviews on the booking.com; on the tripadvisor it has rating 76% and rank 180 out of 670 hotels; hotels.com rate the Esplanade 3.8 / 5, but based only on 5 reviews.
What I liked about the hotel: restaurant, original wooden floors in the rooms, decent room designs, staff, exterior of the building, antique furniture in the rooms and public hotel areas.
The hotel has its own contracted transportation partner, but I will be more than happy to organize the airport transfer or international transportation for you. Should you want to comment the hotel Esplanade review, do so below in comments section, or join our Facebook page.
Martin’s independent hotel reviews Part VIII – Hotel Yasmin
Entrance of the Design Hotel Yasmin – Politickych Veznu street
Hotel Yasmin is located near the Wenceslas Square. In fact it is connected to the Square via the shopping passage. Thus literally the Design Hotel Yasmin is as located as the previously reviewed hotel Jalta. However the area is less busy with nightlife and traffic. The hotel is 4-star and offers accommodation in unique original designed rooms.
The lobby of the hotel looks very fancy and also a bit crazy. The number of different colors and shiny design features may not be sympathetic to some guests, but for me it was great. There are plenty of seats, the lobby is large with a few private corners and one feels privacy even when going to the reception desk to check-in. My guide at the hotel Yasmin was Mrs. Lenka Darázs – Senior Sales Manager. Mrs. Darázs’ approach was exactly what you expect from a person, who is dedicated to her job. She was professional first of all, but also very friendly, informative and even personal. I should make this clear. She was personal in the meaning that she really cared, why I actually came to the hotel, what was my job and my background. The most managers I dealt with, were not really interested (and I do not blame them), because I do not work for any big companies. But when someone cares, it is necessary to appreciate it.
Copyright @ Yasmin hotel; the seating area in the open area of the lobby
Copyright @ Yasmin hotel; lobby with the columns, which provide extra privacy
We started the tour of the Yasmin hotel by walking through the lobby bar towards the Noodles restaurant. Even the restaurant is tailor made and originally designed. I did not mention any part of the furbishing or decorations in the hotel that would be standard. Everything is custom made, which gives the Yasmin hotel the unique look and feel. The restaurant was occupied by tourists as well as regular Prague residents. Prices are very reasonable considering it is a hotel restaurant.
In the summer it is possible to sit outside in the inner courtyard, which changes into a summer terrace. It has a similar concept as the summer terrace at the Iron Gate hotel, but naturally the Yasmin summer terrace is much more modern. This is especially appreciated by Czech people, who work in office buildings in the hotel neighbourhood.
Copyright @ Yasmin; Summer Garden
Copyright @ Yasmin; Summer Garden
The hotel has a few conference areas as it is used a lot for conferences and business meetings. I was not able to see them, because there were ongoing meetings. It is possible to see the pictures at the Yasmin hotel website. Speaking of the website it is modern, shiny and very accurate. What you see, is what you get.
There are 196 rooms available at the hotel Yasmin. All equipped with nowadays standard 4-star features such as: free wifi, safety box, LCD satellite TV, air condition, bath cosmetics, coffee and tea making facility, water, minibar etc. Some of the hotel rooms allow smoking. Most of the rooms face the inner quiet courtyard. As I mentioned above, the hotel furniture and design is unique and custom made, which allows much more space efficiency. There is nothing I could really complain about. Maybe the black & white design of the bathroom did not follow the light and harmonic hotel design, but for me it was not a problem.
All the pictures below are under hotel Yasmin copyright:
Deluxe room
Deluxe room
Yasmin Suite
Black & White design Bathroom
In addition to above mentioned services the hotel offers 24/7 reception, laundry service, and there is a gym, sauna and underground parking. Coaches can stop in front of the hotel for limited time. Parking in public areas is almost impossible like in the rest of the Prague 1 district.
The hotel Yasmin is rated 8.5 out of 10 based on 211 reviews on the booking.com; it has rating 86% and rank 143 out of 670 hotels on the tripadvisor.com; the hotels.com rate the Yasmin design hotel 4.3 out of 5 based on 129 votes.
What I liked about the hotel: unique extravagant design, room space efficiency, option to park indoor, reasonable restaurant, excellent staff approach.
The hotel does not have any contracted limousine service or transfer company. Feel free to book our airport transfers to/from the hotel Yasmin.
If you have any comments, feel free to post below or on our Facebook page.
Martin’s independent hotel reviews Part VII – Hotel Jalta
Feel free to use the photo as long as you provide the credit to my blog or http://www.taxi-transfers.cz; Hotel Jalta – Wenceslas Square
The Hotel Jalta Prague is located on the Wenceslas Square. The Square is for some reason considered the very center of Prague by most of the tourist. I myself prefer Old Town Square or the Republic Square area, or even the Malostranske namesti. Firstly the Wenceslas Square is more like a boulevard rather than a square. Also there are too many shopping centers, restaurants and hotels on the Wenceslas Square, where e.g. Old Town Square and Malostranske namesti are more historical centers, and the Republic Square is center for shopping as well as cultural events and even has great restaurants and nightlife. Of course you can find the National Museum, the Statue of the St. Wenceslas and e.g. Koruna Palace on the Wenceslas Square. It is my personal preference and my personal opinion. Surely the Wenceslas Square is still one of the best areas to stay at. In my opinion the Jalta hotel is ideal for business stay.
Hotel Lobby is spacious and offers plenty of seats. Pictures were taken without flash and tripod. Sorry for the poor quality.
When you enter the hotel you get welcomed by professional and smiling receptionists and doormen. Lobby is spacious and offers a few seats on comfortable sofas. Even though on the picture I took the lobby does not look very well, it looks nice in real. The lobby is connected with the famous Como Restaurant, which is also used as a breakfast hall. My guide in the hotel was the sales and reservation manager Mr. Pisklak. He was very kind and informative.
Since my last visit of the Jalta (I guess back in 2006 or so), a lot of things changed. It is good to know that the hotel is continuously maintaining the rooms and the inner public areas. The rooms are well designed and decorated. There is the standard 4-star equipment in all rooms: safe box, minibar, air condition, L’Occitane cosmetics, hair dryer, LCD satellite TV (a bit obsolete design and size), robes, shoes etc. Some of the rooms have balconies facing the Square, balconies are relatively large and are perfect for smokers as the hotel is as usual non-smoking. There is also Nespresso and water available in the room – extra charges apply (and the water is not cheap… you can get a beer right at the hotel restaurant cheaper than the water in the room – frustrating; also the Nespresso is not available in standard or here called “superior” rooms).
The specialty of the hotel is a nuclear fallout shelter. Unfortunately I did not have time to visit it, but from what I read online it is an underground bunker which was meant to be used during the WW III! Also during the communist era it was used to eavesdrop all the hotel rooms and public areas. I am glad it is not used in such a way anymore. You can have the concierge organize a private tour of the shelter with an English speaking guide. I plan to do the tour myself, if I do so, I will update the article with the experience.
The hotel does not have any spa or pool, nor the extra services like hairdresser’s are available.
The hotel Jalta website is another example of how not to do the 5-star presentation. Main pictures are blurry. The presentation does not correspond with the hotel price level. The pictures of the rooms in the photo gallery section reflect the real room standings, but for regular user are difficult to find. I myself expected a lot better presentation.
The Jalta Hotel advertises couple of special deals among which is the free limousine transfer to/from the Prague airport. The limousine is Skoda Superb not E class or S class Mercedes Benz limousine as one would expect at the 5-star hotel. You get a discount if you book the hotel via the website and add the “special super secret” promo code “JaltaPromo”. You can get additional discount if you prepay the accommodation.
Some of the rooms unfortunately face the inner courtyard, which is not attractive at all. If you book the hotel directly, they will do their best to accommodate you in the rooms facing the Square. Remember, the bigger agent you book through, it is more likely to get the worse rooms :-D.
Hotel Jalta – view to the courtyard
The hotel Jalta is rated 8.5 based on 353 reviews on the booking.com; the tripadvisor rating is 88% with rank 119 out of 670 hotel, hotels.com rate the Jalta hotel 4.3 out of 5 points based on 118 hotel reviews.
Jalta hotel definitely does not reach the 5-star international rating, but in Prague it is above 4-star hotels standards.
What I liked about the hotel: lobby, Como restaurant, exterior and interior of the hotel, balconies, staff, location, junior suites, decorations in the rooms.
If you do not book the hotel directly and thus get the free airport transfer, please feel free to book it at my Prague airport taxi website. If you join our Facebook, you get additional 4 Euro discount each way. Should you need a Prague transfer from/to other cities e.g.: Vilshofen, Passau, Regensburg or more, visit the http://www.taxi-transfers.cz.
Feel free to leave a comment below or on our Facebook wall! Thank you.
Martin’s independent hotel reviews Part VI – Hotel Thalia
The Hotel Thalia is located on much busier place than all the hotels I have visited so far. I was a little bit concerned about the regular traffic noise in the hotel rooms. Surprisingly it is not noisy at all. Unfortunately there are other things I disliked.
The Eurostars Thalia Hotel claims to be a five star hotel. As you can read on the hotel website: “The Eurostars Thalia opens up a universe of luxury, elegance, design and class so that for the time you spend in the Czech capital it becomes an oasis of peace and quiet.”
Well I do not agree. The Thalia Hotel is definitely not a five star hotel. It can easily be compared to 4-star hotels, but that is the best it can get to.
Let me start the review with the review of the hotel website. At the first sight it looks relatively nice. I do not think, it is elegant or well designed. But for a regular internet user it is easy to use. The English and Czech version is full of mistakes however. I can not judge the other languages as I do not speak them. As far as I know, the owners are Spanish, thus probably the Spanish version will be the correct one. The CZ and EN language versions seem to be translated by the Google translator.
The pictures presented on the website are correct and accurate. Of course there are some extras on the photos (flowers, champagne), but that is acceptable.
When you enter the lobby, you are welcomed by a doorman and staff at the reception. I missed the smiles, which I expect at a 5-star hotel. The staff was professional though.
The entry hall is very empty, there are not many seats to sit down at, but I found a free arm chair. When I was waiting for the sales manager – Mr. Jungwirth, I mentioned that a small part of the ceiling was falling apart.
The adjacent Bistro Restaurant looks much better than the hotel lobby. There are wooden shelves in a library-like style, comfortable sofas and intimate atmosphere. It is a very pleasant part of the hotel and it is a shame that the lobby does not provide the same warm welcome.
copyright @ Thalia Hotel; comfortable arm chairs and book shelves in the Bistro Restaurant
I was shown the standard double room as well as the attic junior suite. The rooms are nice, well designed and quite spacious. There is satellite LCD TV, wifi, safety box, robes, free cosmetics and aircondition in every room. Something you do not find in all hotels is telephone in the bathroom, which I found a good safety issue. Some of the rooms have very nice views. The bathrooms and bed linens are very nicely designed and look expensive. Another good point for the hotel is the available car park – naturally at extra charge.
Copyright @ Thalia; The bathroom
One thing I really disliked about the hotel Thalia is the carpet in most of the halls. It looked very worn out and also dirty.
Copyright @ Thalia
Copyright @ Thalia
The Thalia presents itself as a music hotel for music lovers. I did not get the idea anywhere.
The gym is very simple, there are only a few machines and there is not enough space for a workout. Considering the number of rooms (125 rooms in total), there is space for maximum 2 persons in the gym in my opinion. The hotel lacks other services e.g. sauna, spa or hairdresser. That is another reason why I definitely do not agree with 5-star rating.
The Thalia Hotel is rated 8.5 on the booking.com, on the tripadvisor it has rating 84% and rank 155 out of 670 hotels, hotels.com rate the Thalia hotel 4.3 out of 5 points.
What I liked about the hotel: the library restaurant, attic rooms, the top-floor views, bathrooms, telephones in bathrooms, bed linens, reception desk (not the lobby), business and meeting rooms, car park available.
If you do not agree or found the review useful, please leave a comment below. You can also join my Facebook page. Do not forget about the airport taxi to/from the hotel Thalia available at Martin’s airport transfers website!
Time is money
Today did not start well. I was woken up by a phone call. Client called me from the airport that she could not find a driver. How could she found him, when he was fast asleep? Yes, I did not hear the alarm and over slept. I rushed around as fast as I could, but the car was not in perfect shape, I was not in perfect shape and I arrived 15 minutes late for the pick up :-((. Fortunately I live close to the Prague airport, otherwise I do not know, what would happen. The client did not ask for any discount and was happy that we reached the destination (bus station in town) in time. I felt bad to accept the full cost of the airport taxi – 28 Euro – and discounted the price of the Prague airport transfer to 20 Euro. I do not think that saved the day, but at least it made a smile on the client’s face. I learned another time that time is money…
I know that everybody makes mistake, but these kind of mistakes should not happen to a professional.
Martin's Transportation throughout Europe 