Hotel Victoria

The benefit of staying here is that you don't have to pay through the nose like you generally have to in the centre. The downside is that you have to put up with the somewhat remote location. The hotel is located in Prague 3, the third district west of the old town, but you only have to follow the slope in the road to find the nearest tramway station, just 50m away. Once on board, you're looking at around a 15 minute ride into the historic city centre. The area surrounding the hotel is really of little interest, other than to give you a different perspective on the life of the local people. There are, however, several shops and restaurants not far from the hotel and a music bar just next door.

Since the hotel is cheap and out of the way, it tends to attract lots of (generally noisy) groups of students, just like its nearby companion, the Gloria. The top floors of the hotel are non-smoking.

Having opened in 2003, the hotel is easy to spot from down the street, thanks to its beautiful recently renovated façade and wooden detailing. Once inside the secured entrance you'll find yourself in a little lobby with a modest reception desk on the far side. A selection of snacks can be purchased 24 hours a day here, along with various soft and alcoholic drinks.
To the left lies the rather charmless breakfast room, which is guaranteed to suffer a few bottlenecks at peak times, whilst to the right you have the lifts and the beautiful staircase leading up to the rooms. The communal areas are clean. If you want to use the Internet, Wi-Fi is free in the lobby but there is no computer for guests to use if they haven't brought their own. Don't panic, though - there's an Internet cafe just 50m away.

The hotel's 42 guest rooms are all in the Standard category and if there are a few of you travelling together, you'll be pleased to know that the rooms can accommodate up to 5 people. The decor is bright and low key with a few pieces of cheap wooden furniture where you can store your belongings and a large window letting in natural light. All of the beds here are large singles and can be pushed together to form a double bed if need be.
Amenities include free Wi-Fi access in reception only (other than that you have to use the cable connection in your room), a minibar, a safe (available to hire), and a small cathode ray television broadcasting foreign channels installed in front of the bed. Individual air-conditioning is only to be found on the 4th and 5th floors and there is no room service. The pleasant bathrooms all come with a shower, though bear in mind that the finishing in the corners seems a little hazardous in places.

The modest breakfast room is located on the ground floor near reception, though the twenty or so settings seems a little tight given the capacity of the hotel. The decoration is low key and lacks any real charm. The comprehensive breakfast buffet consists of a selection of hot drinks, fruit juices, cold cuts, hot sausages, cooked vegetables, and cheeses, and is included in the price of the room.