The Grandhotel Pupp, in the Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary, dates to 1701; however, the two main buildings that one sees, and sleeps in, date from the late-19th century heyday of Czech spa towns — and a time when Karlovy Vary was called Carlsbad.
The hotel section now referred to as the parkside wing was built in 1877, but the property sealed its claim to a “grand” name with construction of the larger riverside wing in 1894.
The older parkside wing of the Grandhotel Pupp.
One side of the Grandhotel’s riverside wing.
In 1988, during my first visit to the then Czechoslovakia, I traveled by car with a colleague to Karlovy Vary. As soon as we saw the Grandhotel, then the Grandhotel Moskva, we knew we had to stay there. It was no problem getting a couple of rooms (it was a dreary November day, after all). My room cost $23 but at this late date I don’t know if breakfast was included. Probably.
In my diary, I called it “a well-named old thing.” In addition, I said: “Featuring high ceilings, large eating rooms, good-sized bedrooms (esp. for singles), wide long halls, etc., it also offered, for me, a great view of the winding river stream and twin rows of rundown houses, shops and small hotels lining the waterway.”
In May this year (2022), I returned as a journalist guest of CzechTourism, in order to attend that organization’s Travel Trade Day for travel agents and tour operators from around the world. This time, the hotel shone in the light of a sunny spring day. And those spacious interior public spaces looked bright and airy, with their Belle Epoque décor intact and maintained.
Reception area in the Grandhotel’s riverside wing.
The Grandhotel’s Grandrestaurant.
I was checked into a room in the older, parkside wing, where again I was struck by how wide the halls were and, I might add, how tall the room doors were, now accessed with key cards not keys.
However, my room did not rise to the promise of the public spaces.
Of course, it had Wi-Fi and a sizeable flat-screen TV. Also, the bed and seating were comfortable, but furniture choices seemed outdated, and in my very large room, the space looked oddly under furnished.
Mine was a Comfort Room, meaning the most basic.
I later saw one Superior Room, the most basic in the riverside wing; it wasn’t significantly different, but there were pictures on the walls and the bathroom looked snazzier.
OK, now that I have said the cranky stuff, I hasten to say that I was thrilled to be back in the 228-room Grandhotel and back in Karlovy Vary (where, BTW, all those buildings lining the Tepla River look a lot spiffier than when I first saw them).
The heart of Karlovy Vary is distinguished by the rows of elegant houses lining the Tepla River.
Houses reflected in the Tepla River, in a photo taken while standing in front of the Grandhotel.
Also, the Comfort Room, at about $158 (150 euros) for two including breakfast, is a good deal. That puts guests in a five-star hotel with things like 24-hour room service, plus access to the spa (a pampering spa, not medical spa) and casino.
The included breakfast is no small matter. The buffet was abundant — and those breakfast eateries are really atriums with ceilings worth a second look.
A very nice dining space, and atrium, in the Grandhotel’s riverside wing.
I meant to make this a single posting about three hotels, but it was getting too long. Discussion of a couple of new properties in Prague is found here: https://besttripchoices.com/prague-hotels-quirky-fun-and-practical/
For more information about the Czech Republic, we offer at BestTripChoices.com the following, under the headline, Spa towns, UNESCO sites, at https://besttripchoices.com/czech-republic/
This blog and its photos are by Nadine Godwin, BestTripChoices.com editorial director and contributor to the trade newspaper, Travel Weekly. She also is the author of “Travia: The Ultimate Book of Travel Trivia.”
