The Icon boutique hotel, located on V jámě Street in Prague 1, manages to provide a perfectly quirky balance between the luxury of the Czech First Republic and the edgy urban style of today. It took exactly a year to transform the 1930s building (previously a facility catering to blind children) into a trendy hotspot, with the preservation of the building’s original features a prime concern.

“The original parts of the building, such as the staircase and hand rails, had to stay as they were,” says the hotel’s resident manager Stanislav Bayer, “Apart from that we did everything new.” Bayer describes the style of the hotel as “boutique and unique… very free, very hip.” It’s a design hotel that is very much about design. The industrial-style lounge and other public spaces in the building serve as a living gallery that showcases the work of various upand-coming artists who are very keen to have their pieces presented in such an up-to-the-minute and unusual setting.

Despite being so stylish, the lounge space and bar are very casual, with none of the stuffiness associated with larger traditional hotels. Comfy purple leather couches, embroidered cushions and free Wi-Fi encourage guests to kickback and relax with a laptop and a cappuccino or a good book and a glass of wine. A spot for a DJ and topclass sound system means that it’s also a good spot for parties or events. Return guests comprise a mixture of business and leisure travelers, with those in more creative professions in particular choosing to make their way to The Icon. “Film production and advertising companies love the hotel because it’s hip and funky and new,” says Bayer. “And you can do what you want… within reason.”

The hotel’s Jet Set restaurant offers fare similar to that of its sister venue of the same name in Prague 5 – international cross-over cuisine with a lot of Italian and Czech influences. The restaurant, which can hold up to 80 people, is also used for serving generous breakfasts to guests. Another unique feature is the Zen Asian Wellness massage salon at the front of the hotel. With four tranquil massage rooms and a dedicated staff of Thai and Balinese professionals, it’s the perfect spot to recharge your batteries after a hard day of shopping, sight-seeing or doing business in the very heart of the city. There is a small meeting room where twelve people can be seated around the historic meeting table that used to be in the office of Czech entrepreneur Tomáš Bata’s shoe factory in Zlín.

A stroll up to your room will reveal other interesting touches, such as the room numbers, which are displayed on illuminated cubes beside each door. The purple color scheme of the lounge is carried through to the guest rooms, although here it is muted with calming beiges, creams and golds, imparting the rooms with a modern yet homey and comfortable feel. The Icon is very proud to be the only hotel in Europe fully equipped with beds from the company Hästens. The company has been manufacturing these very special beds, which are built in one piece, since 1852. They feature specially constructed handmade frames and springs and are stuffed with horse hair. “Their slogan is ‘You’ll sleep like a King. And we can prove it!’,” says Stanislav Bayer. “They are the exclusive provider of beds for the Swedish king and the entire royal family.” The bedding and towels are all anti-allergenic, so even the most sensitive guests can be assured a restful night’s sleep.

Each room is equipped with a flat-screen TV and a DVD player. Ingeniously hidden inside the table, there’s a connection to the Internet, as well as iPod and MP3 interfaces, so guests can play their own music in the rooms. The telephones are wireless and compatible with Skype, allowing them to be linked to a laptop and used as Skype phones, all of which is important to the type of clients the hotel is targeting. Almost all of the bathrooms feature a tub as well as an American rain shower, a definite attraction for visitors from across the Atlantic. Huge mirrors and luxurious marble floors and walls mean that after sleeping like a king you can bathe like a king, while taking advantage of the complimentary toiletries from the Dutch-based company Rituals.

Apart from the home comforts and little luxuries, what really makes the hotel stand out is the pleasant and helpful (and Diesel-attired!) staff. “We try to be as personal as possible,” says Bayer, “but not to bother people… just to be attentive and to help wherever we can. I think that is what the people who come here look for and come back for.”