HOTEL GRóDEK

DESCRIPTION

• Rooms : 23, Boutique hotel, Historical location, Charming decor and ambiance, Good restaurant with award-winning chef, Library and bar.

• The understated beauty of Krakow pervades this small boutique hotel, superbly located in a very quiet part of the old town. Hotel Gródek is located on Na Gródku street, on the site of one of the medieval fortifications by the old city walls (replaced by Planty, a park, in the early 19th century). This location is entirely undisturbed by the flow of traffic. What's more, the hotel adjoins a medieval convent of Dominican nuns, which lends an evocative historical feel. The hotel itself is an unassuming and friendly four-star 23-roomed hotel, conscious of its historical importance. Excavations prior to refurbishment revealed an impressive collection of finds, all excellently displayed in the restaurant. Both the current president and Lech Walesa have stayed here. Finally, the welcome, the log fire, the general ambiance and the bold oak staircase bring the whole place together; along with the cosy wood-lined library-cum-bar.

• Rooms are individually styled with antiques, original art work and gorgeous quilted bedspreads. The rooms are not large – it is a small hotel – but the proportions are spot on. Space is used well: elegant and intimate without being cluttered. As with the rooms, the space in the basement Cul-de-Sac restaurant is used well, with a large conservatory area to lighten the darker, rich interior. Breakfast is a buffet and dinner is quite nice, where you can try twice 'Polish Culinary Champion' Rafał Targosz's tempting starters such as tuna tartare with avocado on a mousse of Italian fennel or a main course of lamb cutlets with mint, aubergine mousse and asparagus dumplings. (Both featuring on the summer 2008 menu).

• Hotel Gródek is just a short walk from Krakow’s central Grand Square (Rynek Glowny), the largest square of medieval Europe and one of the world’s finest with its spectacular landmarks, which has remained the hub of the city since the 13th century.