Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Prague

I cannot say enough about this hotel; the property, the kindness of the staff, the excellent restaurant (and that's highly unusual for a hotel restaurant), the attention to small details. During the past 30 months, I have logged 365 hotel nights...yes, I've spent the equivalent of one full year in hotels in the past two and a half years. I have experienced good, bad, and middle-of-the-road properties throughout the U.S, plus Hawaii, Germany, the UK, France, and the Czech Republic. I can say without hesitation that the Augustine exceeded every single expectation that I had for it. The property is adjacent to (and connected to) the St. Tomas cathedral and abbey -- six abbots still live there! -- and the hotel's excellent concierge staff will give you a guided tour of the property on certain days. You'll see frescoes dating back to the mid 1300s, a sobering small chapel devoted to one of the abbots captured and killed during the Nazi occupation, the lower space where St. Tomas beer was brewed for more than 500 years, and a library with genuinely ancient books. The rooms themselves are magnificent, quiet, and comfortable. As a Marriott Titanium Elite, I was able to choose either additional points as a bonus or free breakfast for the entirety of my stay -- while in most properties, the breakfast isn't worth anywhere near as much as the points, breakfast in this property was full, satisfying, and elegantly served. It's walkable (or, in reality, climbable...Prague is a very hilly city!) to all the major attractions. Trams and transit are truly ubiquitous, available every three to five minutes to take you anywhere you might want to go. But I reserve my highest praise for the staff. It's surprising how often those who work in "hospitality" are more focused on merely operating the property than on truly welcoming guests. Every single staff member at this property seemed intent on ensuring that we felt as welcome as a guest in someone's home. The housekeeping staff was absolutely on top of every detail; the bell staff were efficient, friendly, and helpful. And the Concierge team -- led by the indefatigable Lukas Horak -- was truly in a class by itself, compared with nearly any other property I've stayed. I've read that if you leave five stars on a review, it gets ignored as hyperbole...in this instance, if I could give more than five, I would. Do not hesitate to book here. It's truly magnificent!