History Repeating

A Czech hotel immerses guests in the country's culture

- JEFF WALLACH

OPENED IN 2022, Prague's Andaz hotel-ensconced in the historic 1916 neobaroque Sugar Palace, with a facade adorned with cubist-classicist decoration-is a sweet refuge on the quiet edge of the city's Old Town. Once a refuge for the national assembly during the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia and a bank after the fall of communism, the building enjoys a rich pedigree reflecting the eclectic nature of this vibrant metropolis. Original marble, soft carpets representing the nearby River Vltava, and blue ceilings standing in for the sky make even the journey to your room an experience as you pass by lions, horses and other figures painted on the walls.