Mandarin Oriental Prague - Prague, Czech Republic 

The hotel is absolutely terrific. The location is perfect, and you can pretty much walk everywhere. Excellent restaurant as well.

This hotel is sleek and chic and brand spanking new. It's also out of the action: located in the lesser city of Prague; i.e., on the "other" side of the Charles Bridge, but within a pleasant walking distance of the Old City. To be removed from the hustle and bustle can be a plus or a minus, depending on what kind of experience you're looking for. For the most part, though, walking back and forth didn't bother us. It provided for great people-watching opportunities while we casually strolled or when we stopped for a cold piva (beer). People with physical disabilities, however, should think twice, as getting over the Charles Bridge would present great challenges. In other words, "handicap accessible" hasn't caught on in Prague. Red flags should also go up for those who are faint of wallet. Prague isn't cheap; and neither is the Mandarin-Oriental. Our room certainly wasn't the most expensive. We ordered up a superior room with a king bed, which I believe was on the "low end." Nevertheless, we paid $680 U.S. per night (including VAT). The weak dollar, of course, didn't help matters. In any event, our room (indeed, the hotel itself) is Asian inspired. The room was comfortable enough and the decor was lovely. The only problem was the shower. The curve of the tub made taking a shower somewhat difficult, because you couldn't stand directly under the shower head because of a severe slope in the tub. This was extremely annoying. The staff, however, made up for that glitch. Each member certainly aimed to please, but one concierge whose name is Vaclav, consistently hit the bullseye. He anticipated our every need (and then some!) and he is the reason why we rate our stay at this property as "excellent," as opposed to "above average." It seemed as though Vaclav rejected the motto, "Ask and you shall receive;" instead opting for the motto, "Don't ask and I will know how to make you extremely happy" Hats off to him and the Mandarin-Oriental for knowing that excellent service is what separates a very good hotel from a truly great one. Yes, make no mistake: the Mandarin-Oriental Prague is a truly great hotel!