While taking a walk along one of the streets coming from the Krakow Old Town’s Main Market you can see one of the most amazing hotels in Poland. Located in the historical residence of the noble clan – in the Czartoryskis’ Palace – the Grand Hotel welcomes guests for over 100 years now and cares about their comfort and privacy. After the opening of the hotel in 1887 the articles about the “most luxurious and modern hotel” in Poland appeared in the press. Since then the most guests of the hotel were of aristocratic origin from Poland and Europe.
That’s also when the ornamented entrance gate to the hotel from S³awkowska street and secession were created. The hotel was the first in Poland to offer electric light and running water. In two words, the Grand Hotel has always been one step ahead. After the war the hotel went through devastation and thefts stage. However at the beginning of the nineties a new leaseholder decided to make an attempt to bring back the days of glory to the Grand Hotel. The success was complete.

Nowadays, right after having entered the Grand Hotel you can feel the high-class character of the building. The air-conditioned interiors, professional staff and quiet sounds of classical music filling the lobby and the corridors will comfort every soul and promise a very comfortable stay. The Grand Hotel has always had very prominent guests, such as Joseph Conrad. They say that Henryk Sienkiewicz – the famous Polish wirter once said that without the everyday coffee with cream in Grand Hotel Krakow would not be the same. Also nowadays the Grand Hotel is a place that welcomes guests, who are very demanding but also willing to pay the price for meeting their expectations.

Rooms

There are 62 exclusively arranged rooms in Grand Hotel, including 9 luxurious suites. All the rooms are equipped with a TV-set (with the access to pay TV channels as well), safe, mini-bar and a comfortable desk. As one may expect, in a hotel of such a standard, all the rooms are air-conditioned. Apart from the equipment of the rooms, their décor is an unquestionable advantage. It brings the guests back in time to the times of glory of the Polish aristocracy and Czartoryskis’ clan. Stylish furniture, rich fabrics along with architectural details and ornaments make an unforgettable impression. Comfortable armchairs with magnificent upholstery, beds with soft bedclothes and ornaments matching the style of the rest of the room, it all makes you feel like a real palace guest.
In the bathrooms of the rooms of the Grand Hotel, there are bathtubs big enough to prepare a comfortable bath in them. The bathrooms are shining clean and modernly equipped.
As far as the suites are concerned, a separate article can be written about them. I liked the “Chamber Suite” the most. It seems it was prepared for the business clients. Two separate, luxurious rooms are connected with a living room with a table surrounded with stylish chairs standing in the middle of living room and waiting for the long discussions around it.

Restaurant

The room the restaurant is located in comes from the hotel’s big times. It is called “Mirror Room” due to the large number of Belgian mirrors on its walls. The interiors of the restaurant are full of brilliance, crystal lights and the ceiling in the form of a incredible stained glass window makes the restaurant very charming. The closets in the corners of the restaurant room, which provide the guests with privacy, are a very interesting element designed to meet the guests’ expectations. Stylish, secession furniture surrounding the rooms make the atmosphere full of splendor.
The specialties of the restaurant’s kitchen come from the Old Polish cuisine. Nevertheless, the chef assures that this does not limit him and is ready to meet every, even the most sophisticated caprice. Maybe it is worth checking?
The Grand Hotel’s restaurant is surely the high-class one.

There is also the Vienna Café in the Grand Hotel. It is a café arranged in secession style, filled with coffee aroma and Vienna classical music. They say, it is right here, that Henryk Sienkiewicz used to have his coffee every day. It is also here that you can find the “Cindirella” table, where every day a group of venerable professors of the Jagiellonian University gathers and discusses up-to-date issues. While visiting the Vienna Café you just cannot miss the famous “grand” rose ice-cream, which is a pride of the Grand Hotel.

Café Strauss, on the other hand, welcomes businessmen analyzing some stock market data, journalists reading everyday newspapers from Poland and from all around the world, artists discussing current trends and guests relaxing over a glass of bourbon or whisky attracted by the noble cigars’ aroma and peaceful music.

Conference rooms

The Grand Hotel organizes a lot of conferences and events on the highest level. There are 8 conference rooms with really palace-like interiors at the guests’ disposal. All the conference rooms are equipped with complete, modern instruments necessary for a successful meeting. Apart from that there is also the equipment for symultanic translations and a modern sound system in every room. The rooms are air-conditioned and there is a possibility of shading them.
There is a special offer for the organizers of the conferences. It is a so called “Club Room” located in the first floor of the building. The office furniture coming from the 19th century, with sofas, armchairs and a library containing a precious book collection and the neighboring private bar make the place perfect for organizing a business meeting of the highest quality. The Business Centre located nearby makes the offer of this stylish and professional place complete.

Additional Services

There is a professionally equipped Fitness Center in the Grand Hotel. In the gym, there are e.g. dumbbells, moving tracks, gym-bikes that will help any guest to stay fit. After having exercised you can relax in the sauna, which is located in the Fitness Center.

Grand Hotel’s guests can also use tennis courts next to the Crown Piast Hotel. To get the information in that matter you have to contact the reception desk.