Hotel Review: Hotel Dvorak, Karlovy Vary

I arrived at the famous Karlovy Vary/Karlsbad spa city at the end of the season, at the beginning of November, but the life in the city was nothing but quiet. Tourists from all over the world, but especially from Russia and its former Soviet Republics were everywhere, checking the late evening offers from the expensive shops. Thus, is was not a big challenge to find my way to the Dvorak Hotel, who kindly accepted to host me during my stay here. Walking is the longest way to reach the hotel, besides the direct bus connection and the taxi, but it offers me the first encounter with the city lights, and also to experience of getting the right help for reaching my destination. English and German are easily spoken, so no risk of getting lost in translation. Half an hour after arrival - 20 minutes of walk and fast 10 minutes of checking, I am ready to go to my room, crossing a classical hall with red doors and modern photography snapshots.

The same classical Art Nouveau style is waiting me in my room. Big bad with red-wine bed covers bordered with gold, minimalistic furniture, just enough place to rest and take your time before heading to the spa. Named after the famous local composer Antonin Dvorak and part of the Vienna International Hotels, it has 126 rooms, out of each 15 apartments, 60 standard rooms, 48 type comfort as well as 3 accessible rooms, with available services round the year. The hotel is family and generally children friendly, proof being the many kids running around the breakfast hall early in the morning. Pets are also accepted, in exchange of some extra charges.

A welcoming note on the big TV screen, near the desk where I will keep working for a couple of hours every day, enjoying the efficient wifi services, brought me back to the practical reality. While I do my hard work, I can get updates of news from around the world, either from BBC or from CNN. Everything is quiet and early in the morning, a sunny view of the center of Karlovy Vary and the yellowish autumn hills around are an invitation to be as fast as possible for enjoying the short days outside. The many leaflets and guides I received on my desk help me to make my stay easier, but with so many choices, it's a bit difficult to keep being organized. Every room is also provided with a direct dial telephone.

Coffee and tea are available to fill my time but I am too excited to finally be in Karlovy Vary for spending too much time in the room. Maybe I would have like more coffee for my long writing hours, but for now, it is just enough. My room is also provided with a minibar, with drinks and beverages, including the fanous local Becherova but also peanuts and different snacks.

Only the elegant bath tube can offer me an alternative to the long walks around the hotel. My room is also provided with separate bathroom, and different practical amenities, among which a functioning hair dryer.

The ambiance in the room is elegant enough to make my stay pleasant, although I travel alone this time. The small Art Nouveau details are exactly what I need to relax before going out in town. A small notebook and a pen will keep me punctilious company and will help me to record my discoveries, while enjoying the lights and shadows of my stylish Art Nouveau lamp.

A big package with shower and bath products made of wine, a local speciality, are the complimentary offer of the hotel. The other branded products offered are also based on natural products and confirm the reputation of spa hotel of Dvorak. Home shoes and white clear bathrobe are ready just in case I am planning to visit the spa any time soon.

The morning breakfast is a pleasant surprise and gives enough energy for being able to keep walking for long hours. It takes place in a big hall with classical paintings on the wall and another sample of Art Nouveau decorations. Besides the classical French pastry and cheeses, plus the tasty coffee, kindly brought at the table by the careful team, there are a lot of regional specialities, aiming to accommodate probably the culinary tastes of the guests: red beet juice, herring, porridges. The selection of breads is also great and I hardly say good bye to all the delicious temptations, but the travel work is calling me loudly.

The small lobby near the dinner hall, with its green leather decorations, keeps inviting me for more laziness, but I'm decided to keep my schedule for the time being. In the evening, I am enjoying some fresh drinks in the lobby bar. As there was no concert there, I just have some quiet time, eventually reading something, but usually the hotel guests can also enjoy some live music concerts, besides their cocktails. The smooth background music is very inviting, and the cakes are also delicious. There is only one problem: too many active smokers around.

When needed, the hotel can also book a dedicated guide, in English, German or Russian. My experience with the guide provided was excellent, after almost two hours of walking, being introduced to a lot of well kept secrets of the city.

But most part of the tourists are actually here to enjoy the diversity of spa treatments offered. From relaxation and aqua aerobics, to the very complex F.X. Mayr Treatment, everything is ready to make the guests feel better. With so many extensive packages around, there is a bit hard to make the offer interesting, but at Dvorak things are quite easy, it seems. For instance, they are the only ones in town offering the F.X.Mayr Treatment, removing toxic substances from the body. The program of choice also includes: oxygen therapy, various treatments for the locomotive system, treatment of rachialgia or relaxation therapy, aimed to help the workaholics to get rid of the pressure accumulated after long hours of work and too much deadlines' stress. There is an indoor pool, sauna, steam bath and a fitness studio too, and the complex treatment is made under the close supervision of the hotel's physician assisted by a team of therapists.

My stay in Karlovy Vary ended too soon, and unfortunately, the check-out is as faster as the check-in. Now, that I finally my dream of visiting Karlovy Vary was made true, it's time to plan a new return to this classical spa resort, most probably for enjoying a longer spa season the next year.

Disclaimer: I was offered two nights at Hotel Dvorak, but the opinions are, as usual, my own. 

For more images from Hotel Dvorak, have a look at the dedicated Pinterest board: http://www.pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/hotel-dvorak-karlovy-vary/

Your best hotels for an unforgettable stay in Karlovy Vary

Visiting Karlovy Vary was an old travel dream of mine that I was finally able to accomplish at the end of the last year. For 48 hours I had the opportunity to explore almost every corner of the city, enjoying the beautiful autumn colours and intensively hiking on the hills around. Although the high season was already over for a couple of days, the streets were full with tourists and the hotels kept working at high capacity. As a first time visitor, you may be surprised of the many hotels and trying to make your life easy, when I was not too busy hiking or visiting glamorous shops, I also made a short tours of some of the most recommended hotels in the area. My choices for now are as follows:

During my stay, I was the guest of Dvorak Hotel, with its Art Nouveau design and a generous breakfast. Familiy and children friendly, it offers a variety of special spa treatments, including the unique FX.Mayr Treatment, aimed at eliminating naturally the toxines out of the body, oxygen therapy, special treatments for the locomotive system or relaxation therapy, designed to help people cope easier with the work load accumulated during the year. Here you can have a full review of the hotel rooms and its facilities.

In addition to the healing waters, Karlovy Vary is also famous for its International Film Festival, considered one of the most appreciated in Central and Eastern Europe. Most of the screenings are hosted at the Thermal Hotel. Although from outside it may look a bit too serious and even unfriendly - since the name of its architectural style 'brutalist architecture' -, it offers a lot of special facilities to guests, including a vey elegant swimming pool. From the window of your room on the top you can also have a beautiful view over the city. During the festival, don't be surprise of meeting around big movie stars such as Leonado di Caprio, Robert de Niro or Sharon Stone...

Elizabeth Baths first caught my attention by its big park with large alleys, but those doing an intensive documentation before coming here they know that here you can find the largest balneologic facilities in the city, with over 60 types of treatments. A special place should be given to the aesthetic treatment the visitor receives when admiring the beautiful architecture and classical interior decorations.

Grand Hotel Pupp is the favourite choice of luxury travelers, as well as of the many VIPs visiting Karlovy Vary (especially the big movie stars invited for the Film Festivval). Opened initially in 1700 as Saxony Hall, it went through dramatic changes under the direction of the Austrian architects Fellner and Helmer, by the requests of the Pupp family. An articulated collection of new-baroque buildings, it offers to their high end customers a royal spa and clinic, special treatments, including laser and other wellness packages. The gastronomic offer is also impressive, with a bar, gourmet restaurant and a coffee open to outside visitors as well.

Luckily, the tourists looking for some affordable packages do have from where to chose as well. Situated close to the hills around the city, Villa Smetana offers not only a fresh air and a quiet stay, far away from the busy central areas, but also attractive massage treatments, lymphatic drainage, shockwave therapy, sauna and acupuncture.

Those interested for a more central location, can check the 3-star Ontario Hotel, situated a couple of minutes away from the famous Mill Colonades and their healing waters. Their 12 appartments do offer a family ambiance plus special treatments such as: bath and spa (pearl, mineral, carbon dioxide), wraps (paraffin, mud, peat packs), therapy (electrotherapy, pneumo puncture, laser, gum irrigation, ultrasound) or massage (traditional, arctic fire, reflexology, underwater).

 

Also close to the center is the four-star family friendly Hotel Embassy. It offers to the guests various special deals, including some golf classes, as well as a traditional Czech restaurant. Don't forget as well about the exclusive La Prairie packages.

Hosted in a 18th century building, Renesance Krasna Kralova Hotel is also situated just in the heart of the city. After the a first luxurious view of velvet and Oriental carpets, silk and hardwooden floors, the guests are tempted with various massages, including Thai-style, and other packages, some of them also including medical examination.

Another sample of the local 18th century architecture is Hotel Salvator, with its restaurant and Cigar Club, and Romantic Biedermeyer furniture. The treatments are focused on balneotherapeutic and rehabilitation procedures, the bath using the thermal water channeled to the hotel directly from the neighbouring Vridlo Geyser.

After extensive hiking, spending time in the chic lobby of Interhotel Central was a pleasure that I wanted to enjoy as much as possible. Besides the spa treatments, indoor swimming pool, sauna, solarium, fitness and balneotherapy, it also hosts regularly corporate events and is a favourite choice of business travelers. Professional snooker opportunities are also part of their offer.

Although at some distance from the busy city, Park Hotel Richmond has a lot of privacy, fresh air as it is situated close to some interesting hiking trails and a quiet stay. Besides the usual treatments offered, it has special antistress programmes, beauty parlours, and a 200-person lounge capacity. During the sunny days, having a coffee on the terrace may be also part of your antistress therapy.