Prague, May 2013: The Augustine (http://www.lhw.com/hotel/The-Augustine-Prague-Czech-Republic), one of Europe's top hotels and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is delighted to announce that it is now operating as an independent property, offering another level of luxury to discerning visitors to the Czech capital.

 

Waldeck Luxury Sarl, a subsidiary of Waldeck Capital (Luxembourg) SA, the new manager of The Augustine, as well as being its owner, is determined to create a hotel in which great memories and magical experiences are a given, not just a happy coincidence.

 

Waldeck Luxury has a solid foundation on which to develop The Augustine: the buildings of the hotel may be over 800 years old, but they have been restored by hand, and with passion, and the result is a property that has won more awards than any other luxury hotel in the four years since it opened. 

 

Each and every guest room is different, and has its own story to tell.  Service is world-class, with staff attending to guests with pride, a warm and caring approach, and, of course, discretion.  From now on, The Augustine will be a hotel that guests can trust to deliver - on all counts.

 

The design of the hotel is as authentic as the warmth of the staff welcome.  Key historic features such as cloistered terraces, wooden ceilings, wine vaults and stone arches have been carefully preserved and feature prominently in the hotel's design.  The interiors of The Augustine reflect both the building's 800-year history and its location, mirroring the style, history and heritage for which Prague is justly famous.   As a result, the hotel has a distinctly spiritual feel, with heavy linens and velvets used in shades of purple, red and orange, in addition to which all the bedrooms feature a range of decorative accessories inspired by 1930s Czech cubism.

 

The hotel's location could not be better, situated in the historical Lesser Town of Prague (known as Malá Strana), within a stone's throw of the Charles Bridge, just below Prague Castle and next to the famous Wallenstein Gardens.

 

By way of drinking and eating establishments, The Augustine has Elegantes restaurant, the award-winning 1887 bar and St.Thomas's Brewery Bar.  Elegantes offers the finest European cuisine, including a smattering of traditional Czech dishes, served in a sophisticated atmosphere in a contemporary glass structure overlooking one of the garden courtyards, where barbecues are organised during warmer months.  The 1887 bar is situated in the monastery's barrel-vaulted double-height hall with outside seating on the cloister terrace in summer, while St.Thomas's Brewery Bar is housed in the cellar of the monastery's former brewery, with its 17th-century stalactites and stalagmites, and serves the beer still brewed by the monks to this day.

 

For leisure moments, there is the sizeable Augustine Spa, with an 80 sq m gym, sauna, steam room, relaxation area and four treatment rooms; this is the only spa in the Czech Republic offering Kerstin Florian treatments, which use natural resources such as thermal mineral water, herbal extracts and essential oils.

 

Tom Smit of Waldeck Capital, the owner and now operator of The Augustine, said "Every member of staff at The Augustine is committed to bringing magical, bespoke experiences to its guests in an authentic and historic setting. As an independent, we will be able to respond much faster to the market and to guests' needs, thereby operating the hotel to higher standards. We look forward to welcoming our guests of the future".

Ends

Facts & Figures

Opening date:                        2009

 

History:                       Created from a complex of six historic buildings, including a former brewery and the 13th-century Augustinian St Thomas's Monastery, after which the hotel is named.

 

Sleeping:                    101-rooms, 85 elegantly appointed bedrooms (with an average size of 40 sq m) and 16 suites, all of which enjoy stunning views over either Prague Castle, the courtyards, the monastery chapel or the city's main cathedral on the nearby hill. The suites include the impressive 150 sq m Charles Presidential Suite and The Tower Suite built over three floors, with panoramic views across the rooftops of Prague.

 

Dining & drinking:     Elegantes restaurant
1887 bar
St.Thomas's Brewery bar

 

Relaxing:                    The Augustine Spa

 

Meetings & events:   The Augustine's main 196 sq m function room is housed in a magnificent double-height vaulted hall; the hotel also has four private meeting rooms suitable for intimate events, dinners and meetings, as well as a purpose-designed meeting facility with business centre.

 

Awards

Since opening, The Augustine has won recognition from various sources, including:

-      Wallpaper* nominated The Augustine for one of its four Best Design Awards 2011

-      Grand Restaurant Guide 2011 voted The Monastery Restaurant (now Elegantes) one of the Top Ten restaurants in Prague

-      Wallpaper* included The Augustine in its list of Best Business hotels 2010

-      Condé Nast Traveller included the hotel in its Gold List 2010

-      Elite Traveller Magazine included The Tower Suite in its Top 100 Suites in 2010

-      MIPIM shortlisted The Augustine in the Hotels & Tourism Resorts category 2010

-      EURO Magazine included it in its Top 50 restaurants in Prague

-      CIJ Awards named The Augustine Best Hotel Development in 2009

-      The Sleep Awards gave Tom's Bar (now 1887 Bar) the Interior Design of the Year award in 2009

-      European Hospitality Awards have its Hotel Interior Design of the Year award to The Augustine in 2010

-      Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts and Virtuoso Life magazine nominated The Augustine in the Best of the Best Awards in the category of Hotel of the Year

-      Barlife Awards voted Tom's Bar (now 1887 Bar) one of the Top 3 Bars in Prague in October 2010

-      Best of Realty gave 1st place to The Augustine in 2009

-      The Hotel Forum placed The Augustine second in the Hotel Property Awards at 2009

-      European Commercial Property Awards named The Augustine the Best Hotel in the Czech Republic in 2009.

For more information, please contact:

Sue Heady
Heady Communications

T: 01608 651 692 / 078 5595 0705
E: sue@headycommunications.com