48 Hours at The Augustine Hotel Prague

As the newest high-end five-star hotel addition to Prague, I really felt in best mood when arriving. The check-in was smooth and we got a welcome drink, what I found a nice touch. Afterwards we got a tour through the public areas, followed by an inspection of the room. We were lucky and got a parking space in their courtyard, otherwise when you prefer parking in a garage, they park your car in the garage of the nearby Aria Hotel.

The room itself was spacious, the bathroom on the other side not – with a bath-tub-combination (I normally hate this most in a hotel). As the toiletries were upscale ones and filled up every day, I was not that discerning. Just to let you know: they do have rooms in the standard category with larger bathrooms and even separate showers as well. The bed was very comfortable as the whole room. Unfortunately we did not have a view over the Castle Hill, but therefore we overlooked a church and a courtyard. One afternoon there was a wedding going on in this courtyard but happily for the hotel they finished in the early evening. Otherwise it could have ended like at the Grand Hotel Stockholm – see previous blog posts.

Breakfast Buffet was on the small side, although everything can be ordered from your table and will be prepared in the kitchen at your disposal. The scrambled eggs were really good and in my opinion everything else was of good quality, too. The service was perfect and very attentive, we felt very welcomed.

The bar is also a nice place to relax in the afternoon, as the Augustine Spa is: A small spa indeed with a sauna, hamam, steam bath and relaxation room with experience showers. The products were really good – Kerstin Florian, Ila and Ex Voto are predicted to be world-class.

All in all, I like this hotel because of the generous layout combined with the chic italian style, the location and the wonderful ambience of staying in an old monastery.

Staying at The Grand (Hotel) Stockholm - Part 1

After some stressful weeks it was time again for me to take a little break and hide away from everyday life. I decided to visit the deep North of Europe, a place where I have never been before. I booked Lufthansa return tickets from Innsbruck to Stcokholm via Frankfurt and from Oslo back to Innsbruck also via Frankfurt. I was very satisfied with all flights, except the SAS flight, where you have to purchase your drinks and snacks, otherwise all other flights served free drinks and snacks, as usual with Lufthansa. Unfortunately the Business Class seats were not different from the ones in Economy Class, you just get your neighboring seat in addition, which is nice but not necessary. 

After a two hours flight from Frankfurt, I arrived at Stockholm Airport, which is originally in Arlanda, 40 km outside of the city center. I took a taxi as this is the most convenient option, which brought me to the Grand Hotel within 30 minutes. The arrival was not very special and I was not even guarded to the room. The booked Single Room was also very nicely decorated and furnished in a modern way with new furnitures. The bathroom was held in white marble and everything was brand new inside my room. Unfortunately the room as very small for my kind of expectations and also the view was not really "Grand"!

On the above pictures you can see my suitcase in relation to the room size. Not really what I expected from such a renowned hotel and from a member of Leading Hotel of the World. After a while I started exploring the city and left the Grand Hotel behind me. On the same evening I had dinner at the Verandan Restaurant overlooking the Royal Palace, which is open to public for free on National Day (6 June). The food was very good for Sweden's standards and the views were just impressive. I really loved the dessert: "Chocolatnepumuk" or something like that.

A weekend in Salzburg!

Last saturday I have been to the Austrian city Salzburg.

The reason for my trip was a dinner at the renowned "Obauer" restaurant in Werfen, about half an hour south of Salzburg city. Due to the fact that we want to tour through the old town and stroll through some shops, I decided to book a room at the Sheraton Hotel. 

Normally, I do not really like to stay at a Sheraton hotel, but the one in Salzburg has an excellent Club Lounge with balconies and stunning views to the castle hill, as well as a vast buffet with high-quality products. There has always been warm and cold dishes, cakes and n excellent choice of drinks, from non-alcoholic, coffee to alcoholic beverages. 

Although I contacted the hotel directly to allocate a room in a modern style, they did not meet my request. Nonetheless they upgraded us to a King Suite with a separate living room, bedroom and two bathrooms. 

The bathroom was in good condition, with a small bath tub, a single vanity, a separate shower with dirty shower head as well as "branded" toiletries by Frette. In fact these bath amenities are even worse than Sheraton's own "Shine" line and smell a bit cheap, to be honest. Please note that they once had Bulgari - really - when I stayed there in December 2012.

All in all, our stay was very comfortable, the staff average, although the woman in the Club Lounge was very attentive, and the location satisfying. As the Club Lounge is really worth to stay at this Sheraton, I will try to stay here again when I am back in Salzburg.

Restaurant-Check Prague - Part 1

Prague. During the next weeks, I will present some of my favourite hot-spots in my hometown for June, July and half of August 2013. There are several options for having a great evening - the best ones will follow up on my blog during the next 5 weeks. Although Prague has many Italian restaurants, and of course no bad ones (!), you should definitely try typical Czech cuisine. 

1.) Kogo Slovansky dum (picture above)

My absolute favouirite place to have a business lunch or fancy dinner! Cool italian restaurant with probably one of the best fish dishes in Prague. The Pizzas and Pastas are great as well. Vitello Tonnato should not be missed, as one Dolci for a great end of the evening. The location is great as well, next to the Municipal House and the Powder Tower, perfectly situated in a green oasis.

Starters from 5-15 euros, main courses from 13-23 Euros. 

http://www.kogo.cz/en/kogo-slovansky-dum/kogo-slovansky-dum/

2.) Cestr Steak Restaurant (picture above and below)

Top-Secret Hot-Spot far away off the beaten tourist track, but still not too far for Prague's Food Lovers, or those enjoying a great evening with friends. Great steaks from Czech cattle, you can choose from which part you want your steak and of course how long it should be grilled on charcoal. The beer is served in nice cans and the menu consists of a personal envelope which can be taken home. The dessert was great as well. There is also a terrace with a more cool atmosphere. 

The best steak (Tenderloin) and therefore the most expensive course -  is around 23 Euros. 

http://cestr.ambi.cz/en/

The best steak in town - altough it is from Czech Republic!

3.) Marina Grosseto Ristorante (picture above and below)

Not on my favourite's list, but still a great venue for a nice dinner, especially for those not having enough time in Prague to see everything. The view to the castle and the Charles Bridge comes up to nearly everything - that's also the reason why I come again to this restaurant. The service is not everywhere the same - some servers are great and some are definitely not! Food is good and pizza is also above average. Although the location is exceptional, the prices are average - not too high for the quality offered. 

Starters from 6 euros, pizza/pasta from 6 euros and main courses are starting at 14 Euros.

Following you can find some dishes we had during our evening.

http://www.grosseto.cz/en/marina