Happily ever after at the Four Seasons Prague

Along the picturesque Vltava River, the Old Town of Prague rises out of the morning mist shimmering in fairytale magic.  To visit this city is to be whisked along on a stream of storybook memories that take your breath away.   And, to settle into the Four Seasons hotel is to set the stage for a purely grown-up, happy-ever-after ending all your own. The Four Seasons Prague is composed of three unique buildings dating from Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Classical and Baroque periods, along with a recent addition that helps blend them seamlessly, reflecting the character and elegance of this historic location. Vibrant décor, superb art, and a wealth of floral arrangements in both public areas and bedrooms add stylish cohesion to the architecturally diverse spaces, while delicately balancing ancient with modern. Still, the hotel feels quite intimate, more boutique-like than its grand sister properties in London and New York—but that’s only fitting in Prague. Here, narrow cobblestone streets carve a serpentine path on both sides of the river.  The most imposing man-made structure is the Charles Bridge that connects them, visible in stunning detail from the hotel grounds and the riverside rooms.  It’s a glorious picture-postcard view, and one can easily become hypnotized watching the landscape transform moment-to-moment in the ever-shifting light. Guests receive every bit of the renowned Four Seasons hospitality, and then some. The staff is always creating new bonuses to enhance your stay in Prague, like the customized map of top spots for taking photographs, or the creative list of “Ten Romantic Things to Do” in the city, and, of course, the dreamy collection of “White Christmas” events. The spacious rooms and suites are dressed with bespoke fabrics in varied color palettes to highlight the distinctive architectural features of each surrounding structure. Throughout, baths are roomy, tech is top-notch, and a world-class concierge staff provides truly personalized service.  Case in point: I asked them to secure train tickets to Vienna, and they not only did so efficiently, but when the specific seats I’d requested were unavailable, the courier phoned to discuss alternatives rather make a booking that might displease me. Although Four Seasons aficionados won’t find many surprises here, that fact is oddly comforting.  A city like Prague is replete with enough surprises of its own.  After a day spent exploring, it’s soothing to return to a nest that is at once enchanting and familiar, with an up-to-date fitness salon and a spa that features the miraculous and addictive Omorovicza skin treatments from Hungary. One mini-surprise is the hotel’s excellent CottoCrudo restaurant (Italian for “cooked” and “raw”), considered one of the best eateries in Prague.  (The city’s other top Italian, La Finestra and its casual-bistro, La Bottega di Finestra, also live up to their reputation, and are only a two-minute walk away.)  I know . . . I know it sounds a little crazy to wax on about Italian food in the Czech Republic of all places, but, believe me, it will make perfect sense once you’ve sampled a traditional Czech meal and then waddled away from the table.  At CottoCrudo my favorites included the flavorful and blessedly light “crudo” fish dishes — an Italian interpretation of sashimi—and the heavenly pasta with wild boar ragout, which was, as the saying goes, “simply to die for.” Beyond its luxury, this Four Seasons is inviting, romantic and peaceful, bringing the mystique of Prague straight to your doorstep.  Surely, “happily ever after” is right around the corner, too.