Four Seasons Hotel Prague Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary

Four Seasons Hotel Prague marks twenty spectacular years of luxurious hospitality. Over the past two decades, the riverside Hotel has established itself as a place of truly breath-taking views and impeccable service attracting discerning guests who wish to experience the beauty of Prague through all senses.

Located in the heart of the Golden City at the very bank of the Vltava River with unparalleled views of the Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, the Hotel’s special location and dedicated team have blended into the right chemistry, which has created many memorable, heartwarming moments for both guests and the community as well as earned more than 50 international awards, including the first Michelin star in Central Europe and the only Five Star Hotel Rating by Forbes in the Czech Republic.

“Twenty years is a remarkable milestone, one that could not have been achieved without our wonderful people. I am immensely proud of each and every team member, some of whom have been with us since the very beginning, for bringing in passion and putting us on the forefront of luxury hospitality in Prague,” says General Manager Martin Dell.

Four Seasons Hotel Prague opened in February 2001 as the first Four Seasons in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the first five-star luxury hotel on the local market.

More Than 50 Awards and the First Michelin Star for Prague and Central Europe

Over the course of the last twenty years, Four Seasons Hotel Prague has earned more than 50 acclaimed international awards. “To highlight some, the Hotel was recognized in the Forbes Travel Guide, Condé Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider and Business Traveller Awards,” says Martin Dell.

One of the most notable accolades arrived in 2009, as the Executive Chef of the time, Andrea Accordi, recalls. “I moved to Prague with a dream of achieving my second Michelin star and the goal to bring the first star to the city. It was the first time for me to run such an important and beautiful hotel, I was so excited and at the same time thinking how I would manage such property. On the day of the Michelin star release, I think I went to the office of Rene Beauchamp, who was the General Manager at that time, at least six times to see if there were any updates. Finally, the call came in, Allegro got the first Michelin star in Prague and Eastern Europe! This was one of the greatest moments for me and the team and we went straight into the kitchen to celebrate with a glass of champagne. What a moment and what a party between emotions and tears,” says Andrea Accordi.

Twenty Years in Fun Facts

• Guests from 167 countries including one from Antarctica with a one-night stay
• Almost 1 million beds were made
• 700,000 breakfasts served including 70,000 breakfasts in bed
• The longest stay in the Hotel was 550 nights (18 months)
• Chefs prepared 1,600,000 plates
• The Baroque building used to be a fisherman's hut
• 1,500,000 pieces of luggage handled

First Five-Star Luxury Hotel in Prague

The story behind the first five-star luxury hotel in Prague is as interesting as the stories and memories that are created in the Hotel every day. Following the dissolution of the iron curtain, Anthony Sharp, Four Seasons founder Isadore Sharp's son, travelled to Czechoslovakia. The country enchanted him so much he embarked on a mission to find a site for a hotel. After visiting a few areas, the choice came down to the unique riverside location with three historical buildings.

Four Seasons Firsts

Four Seasons Hotel Prague is a member of the widely acclaimed hotel luxury brand, which has been a leader in the industry for decades as it introduced many now-standard services and items such as:

• Bath amenities, robes and hair dryers
• European-style concierge services and 24/7 in-room dining
• Twice-daily housekeeping
• One-hour pressing
• Round-the-clock laundry and dry cleaning

In 2015, Four Seasons took off with the industry's first fully branded private jet and began a new era of luxurious travel with regional tours centred around stops at Four Seasons hotels and resorts. Each year, a new itinerary is unveiled and so far, Prague has been featured every year.

In the same year the company also launched its mobile App, allowing guests to check-in and out, book airport transportation, make reservations or order room service, all by a few simple clicks on the phone. In 2017, the App was enhanced by people-powered Four Seasons Chat.

Celebrating with Love

The Hotel is set to celebrate the anniversary among valued partners and guests at a red-carpet gala evening on October 22, 2022 in Rudolfinum, one of the most beautiful historic music halls in Europe. The night will be filled with sounds of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, flavours fashioned by the Hotel’s first and current executive Michelin-distinguished chefs Vito Mollica and Marco Veneruso, and exciting festivities full of love.

History and Architecture

The neo-Renaissance building was originally commissioned by a fish merchant and designed in 1883 as an apartment house with on-site shops.

Dating back to 1827, the neo-Classical building was first designed as a factory, and converted into an apartment house in 1846.

The oldest house of the complex was built on the bank of the River Vltava. Earliest references to a wooden building that previously stood there date from 1568. In 1737, the structure was replaced with a new one in the Baroque style.

The design and restoration of Four Seasons Hotel Prague tested the creativity of a team of architects from Dum and mesto studio. They executed the restoration with careful preservation of the original architectural features and historic details in the interior.

"Archaeological research had been carried out on the building site since the end of 1998 by the Museum of the capital city of Prague. During the construction of the Hotel, it was necessary to carry out reconstruction works on the three existing historical houses. The main intention was to create a collection of individual "palaces" that retain their autonomy. The new palace was designed in a simple composition of a stone sandstone house and connects the three historic buildings," say the authors of the Hotel, architects Vitezslava Rothbauerova and Jiri Hurka from Dum a mesto.