Hotel Aurus

We stayed at 8 different hotels over the course of our recently completed trip and this was the worst of the lot. Really, it was the only one that was genuinely disappointing. Maybe we just had bad luck, but I wouldn't recommend it. From the positives - the room was gorgeous. The location was fantastic. It was right in the heart of the old town area, so everything was very walkable. The issues, though - the hotel is a hike from the train station, and my smartphone's walking directions were less than ideal. So, it took us a while walking cobblestone streets pulling our carry ons to reach the hotel. Maybe that's on me for not better deciphering the local transportation options, but it was a pleasant day for a walk.In all, it probably took us 30 minutes to reach the hotel. Once we arrived, we found out that you need a key code to check-in to the hotel. And that the hotel is unstaffed. Yes, I did get a message saying I needed to check-in 24 hours in advance, but it didn't say that the hotel is unstaffed. (And EVERY hotel on the trip told me to check-in early, but it didn't matter for any of the others. I prefer to check-in when I reach the hotel.) So, this meant that I had to frantically send a series of e-mails back and forth and fill out on-line forms without wifi before I could check-in. The hotel offered a phone number to call, but our eSIMs didn't offer phone service. I could also use WhatsApp, but I didn't have that installed and it required a text for activation. Again, I didn't have phone service. Check-in took well over an hour of me fighting with my phone and sending e-mails. Once we were finally checked in, the room and facilities were gorgeous. They're absolutely true to the pictures, and the rooms overlook a plaza with a bunch of great restaurants. The final straw, though, was when the power went out in the room at Midnight. Maybe this was a freak occurrence, but I sleep with a CPAP, so it meant that I wasn't sleeping. Because the hotel isn't staffed, I sent an e-mail. The service desk auto-responder said the e-mail wasn't staffed after 9PM. I got a response at 8AM that power was back on, but by that time, we'd already left the hotel.

Located in the heart of Old Town, this "Hotel" is operated more like an AirBnB. There is no reception for check-in or other typical Hotel common areas. A small locked door with keypad is easily missed on Karlova and is the only access. Guests must be aware and ensure they pre-register prior to arrival to obtain a six digit code to gain entry to the "Hotel" and their room. We did not receive an email or any communications after our booking or on the day of our arrival advising us of this process. There is a telephone number posted on the exterior but expect to experience a long complicated exchange of emails while standing in the middle of a busy street. Otherwise, once we gained our six digit code the stay was pleasant.

The Aurus Hotel by Adrez Living is a simple building in the smack dab of Prague's old city. In fact, it couldn't be more in the center of it as it is right on the trail between the Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square. We stayed on the third floor and had a gorgeous view of the city streets. Being that high up, it wasn't noisy at all. The room was large, comfortable and clean. Even though the elevator fits one person with their bags and there is no front desk, the place still deserves the excellent rating owing to its price, its location and its splendor. We stayed four nights there and were able to walk, Lime scooter or cab everywhere with ease. Highly recommended.