Project profile: W Hotel Prague

W Hotel Prague is a landmark hospitality renovation and restoration project that reimagines the historic Grand Hotel Evropa as a contemporary luxury lifestyle destination in the heart of Prague. Designed in collaboration with an international design team, Chapman Taylor’s studio in Prague led the sensitive renovation and restoration of the hotel’s protected heritage interiors, carefully balancing historic preservation with the bold identity of the W Hotels brand.

Located on Wenceslas Square, the original Art Nouveau building first opened in 1905 and has long been considered one of Prague’s most iconic architectural landmarks. Following a near decade-long transformation, the hotel officially reopened in March 2025 as the first W Hotel in the Czech Republic.

Reviving an Art Nouveau landmark

The project centred on the restoration and reinvention of the former Grand Hotel Evropa, preserving its architectural heritage while introducing a new contemporary hospitality experience. Chapman Taylor worked closely with Czech heritage authorities to restore and enhance key historical interiors, including original stucco detailing, mosaic flooring, decorative lighting and ornamental features dating from the early 20th century.

The restoration sought to retain the building’s historic identity while allowing the W brand’s energetic and contemporary character to emerge throughout the guest experience. This balance between old and new became central to the project’s architectural narrative, creating a hotel that celebrates Prague’s rich cultural history while appealing to modern international travellers.

The concept of the “Elixir”

A key design narrative guiding the interiors was the concept of the “elixir”, a symbolic golden thread representing transformation, timelessness and Prague’s historical association with alchemy and mysticism. This idea is subtly woven throughout the hotel’s spaces through material choices, lighting, colour palettes and bespoke design features.

Whimsical references to a “fantastical garden” further enrich the interior concept, creating moments of surprise and escapism throughout the hotel. Botanical motifs, layered textures and dramatic lighting installations help establish a dreamlike atmosphere that merges Art Nouveau elegance with contemporary hospitality design.

This narrative approach allowed the project team to avoid direct historical imitation, instead creating a carefully curated relationship between heritage and modernity.

Contemporary hospitality within historic spaces

The completed hotel features 161 guestrooms and suites alongside a collection of restaurants, bars, wellness and social spaces. Signature destinations include the W Lounge, Above Rooftop Bar, Grand Café, Minus One cocktail bar and AWAY Spa.

At the centre of the public areas is the W Lounge, conceived as the hotel’s social hub and organised around a central bar framed by fluted columns and rich material textures. The revitalised Grand Café, once frequented by Prague’s elite during the early 20th century, has also been carefully restored and reintroduced as a contemporary dining destination.

Chapman Taylor also played a significant role in designing bespoke heritage-sensitive interventions throughout the project, including a dramatic four-metre-high crystal chandelier inspired by the transformation of raw minerals into Bohemian crystal, new stained-glass vitrines, spa interiors and custom hospitality features integrated within the original building fabric.

Craftsmanship, art and cultural identity

Materiality and craftsmanship were central to the project’s success. The interiors draw heavily on Czech artistic traditions, particularly Bohemian glassmaking and Art Nouveau decorative arts. Brass detailing, coloured glass, mosaic surfaces and handcrafted elements establish a layered interior language rooted in local culture and heritage.

Collaborations with artists, lighting specialists and local craftspeople further reinforce the hotel’s cultural identity. Contemporary artworks, bespoke lighting installations and curated material palettes create an immersive guest experience that connects Prague’s artistic legacy with the contemporary global identity of the W brand.

A new chapter for Prague hospitality

W Hotel Prague represents one of the city’s most significant recent hospitality transformations, successfully restoring a beloved historic landmark while introducing a new luxury lifestyle destination to the Czech capital. The project demonstrates how heritage preservation and contemporary hospitality design can work together to create commercially successful and culturally meaningful destinations.

A new chapter for Prague hospitality

W Hotel Prague represents one of the city’s most significant recent hospitality transformations, successfully restoring a beloved historic landmark while introducing a new luxury lifestyle destination to the Czech capital. The project demonstrates how heritage preservation and contemporary hospitality design can work together to create commercially successful and culturally meaningful destinations.

The hotel’s success has already received international recognition, including winning Hotel & Leisure Development of the Year at the 2025 CEEQA Awards.

Through careful restoration, strong narrative-driven design and close collaboration with heritage authorities and specialist consultants, Chapman Taylor helped transform one of Prague’s most iconic buildings into a vibrant new social and cultural destination where history, craftsmanship and contemporary luxury coexist seamlessly.