Reading Time: 3 Minutes 59 Seconds
General info and a bit of history
The Hotel International is the largest Czech building erected in the style of Socialist Realism.
The structure was built between 1954 and 1956 based on a project by the architect František Jeřábek and his team.
In 1957 it was the largest hotel in Czechoslovakia and contained around 200 rooms.
In the early 1950s, Czechoslovakia was firmly linked to the Soviet bloc and faith in the Communist Party seemed to last forever.
Soviet delegations and advisers regularly went to Prague, but there was no suitable accommodation for them.
So, the then Minister of Defense, Alexej Čepička, had the idea of creating a luxurious hotel (Hotel Družba) with privileged accommodation, as a symbol of this bond.
It is said that Čepička hoped for Stalin’s participation in the grand opening of the hotel.
Subsequently, with the change in the political atmosphere, the idea of how to use the structure was revised.
The Čedok travel agency took over, and opened the luxury hotel to all foreign tourists, mainly the politically important ones. At that time it was renamed “Hotel Čedok”.
From the late 1950s, the building has never had a good reputation.
This is attributed to both its architectural design and to the era the era in which it was constructed, elements that evoke the period of Communist oppression.
On the other hand, the hotel is located in an almost hidden area, away from the tourist circuits and from the famous architecture of Prague. If you don’t know it, you don’t know where it is.
There are theories that say that planners and architects were pushed to choose a place where the hotel would not disturb Prague skyline.
In 2002 the Hotel International was included in the register of protected National Cultural Monuments (NPÚ – Národní památkový ústav).
Architecture
The fascinating building of the Hotel International is a testament to the Czech expressiveness of the period called “Sorela”, which is a portmanteau of “Socialistický Realismus” (Socialist Realism).
This artistic movement combined Soviet post-revolutionary classical architecture with art deco principles and elements inspired by the Czech folklore.
Those who know Moscow will immediately identify the similarity with the famous “Seven Sisters” (Сталинские высотки), the 7 skyscrapers commissioned by Stalin.
The project of the years 1952-1954 shows the hotel building divided into three separate parts: a central tower area, which ends with a steel tip with a 1.5 m star mounted on, and two symmetrical wings connected to it.
While small offices for officers were planned for the side areas, the central section was to serve as a private luxury hotel for the Soviet leaders.
The tower has 16 floors and the 15th is surrounded by a terrace with a 360° panoramic view of Prague.
The star mounted on the top of the tower steel structure was designed in a way that it could be removed and cleaned (its maintenance usually took place at night, so that the disappearance of the star did not generate panic).
The original star was in red enamel and inside it contained a particular light to shine in the dark. The natural color of the metal has now superseded the red.
The interiors of the hotel
The architecture and interior layout of the hotel have been preserved to this day and many of the unique ornaments are surprisingly still visible nowadays.
Many important Czech and Slovak artists and craftsmen worked at the hotel decoration.
The stained glass windows, glass reliefs and chandeliers with national motifs are the work of Jaroslava Brychtová and Vilém Dostrašil.
Jan Nušl took care of all the metalworking, such as the stair railing, grates, knobs and handles.
National and popular themes are significantly reflected in the friezes on the walls and ceilings.
The graffiti with natural motifs, in particular linden leaves, along with fruit and vegetables are the creation of artists Josef Novák and Stanislav Ullman. Above the spiral staircase, which leads to the top floor of the tower, stands a big mosaic by Max Švabinský depicting colorful bouquets.
In the hall there are two tapestries with themes of urban and rural life.
The first one depicts three dancers. It was designed by Alois Fišárek and made by Jenny Hladíková.
The second one is Cyril Bouda’s “Praga Regina Musicae” (Prague, the Queen of Music). Looking closely at this second tapestry, one notices a unique detail: the monument to Stalin in Letná, popularly called “Fronta na maso” (The meat queue), which was later demolished in 1962 and replaced today by the Metronome.
Another tapestry by Cyril Bouda is “Gifts of the Earth” and it adorns the wall of one of the halls on the first floor.
Tourist information
It is possible to visit the hotel through special guided tours, organized mostly by Praha Neznámá (Unknown Prague). They usually have schedules for the ones in Czech, but you can write them and check with them directly about English options – I don’t get any commission from them!
The tour takes you to the conference rooms, the foyer, the lounges, and the bunker.
Then, you jump on an old and slow elevator to reach the fourteenth floor of the tower, which is actually the thirteenth, but by superstition the number 13 was skipped.
With a staircase you move up to the fifteenth floor, from where you have an incredible view over Prague.
On one side you can see the castle and much of the city, with the skyscrapers of Pankrác, and on the other side are Bubeneč and Baba’s hill.
If you don’t want to pay for the tour, you can get a partial look at the interior while drinking at the Armstrong bar or eating at the Symphonia restaurant.
More info at the hotel official website.