Stay Report: Holiday Inn Prague Airport (Czech Republic - August 2018)

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Prague Airport
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I was traveling in Prague with a friend and staying at an AirBnB in the city, but they were leaving a day earlier and I had an early morning flight the next day so I decided to leave the AirBnB and stay next to the airport.  There are two hotels located next to Prague Airport - Courtyard by Marriott or Holiday Inn.  The Courtyard is located on the airport property and is probably a 2-minute walk to terminal, while the Holiday Inn is located further way on airport property but is a 10-15 minute walk outside.  I decided on the Holiday Inn because there was a significant price difference between the two, and for me the higher price did not justify the distance to the airport (especially since Holiday Inn also runs a complimentary shuttle to/from the airport).  Booking the stay through the IHG website was very convenient, and it was very easy to manage the reservation through the IHG app.  

Check-in time was stated to be around 1pm, but I went to the hotel early (as my friend's flight was leaving early) and the hotel was accommodating and allowed for an early check-in.  From the outside, the hotel looks newly built and modern.  As you enter into the lobby, the bar/restaurant is your right-hand side while in front is a lounge/sitting area.  To the left, against the wall, are the check-in desks.  Check-in went smoothly and during check-in we inquired about the shuttle (since we had an early flight) and the check-in attendant asked if we wanted to order breakfast to go.  Apparently breakfast was complimentary and for those who have early flights, they prepare breakfast to go in bags for passengers to take with them.  Its a nice gesture (and one that I have only seen at a few hotels) and it was nice for the check-in attendant to mention this.  I got my key and took the elevator, which were open elevators so you can see outside and which were located next to the check-in desks, and went up to the 4th floor to my room.

The 4th floor is considered the "IHG Floor", and after looking at the room I am not sure what that meant considering it was a standard HI room.  As you entered into the room, on left was an open closet and a place to sit down (which was nice) and next to it was another open storage area that contained the iron and ironing board.  Across from the open closet was the bathroom which was a decent size and contained a sink, a toilet, and a stand-up shower.  The size of the bathroom and the items in the bathroom were decent, but the bathroom toiletries needed to be improved.  The open closet continued into the bedroom area where there was a space to place your suitcase.  This was connected to the ledge which run across the
wall and continued into the desk.  Above the ledge was a TV and on the ledge were books about the city, the TV remote, complimentary bottle of water, as well as coffee/tea set.  Below the ledge, right next to the desk, was a storage space as well as a mini-fridge.


On the other side of the wall, away from the TV, was the bed.  It was a queen-size bed so it was a decent size and it was comfortable enough for the one night (the bed was comfortable enough for one or two nights - but not sure it would be comfortable for a longer stay).  On either side of the bed were two small nightstands connected to the bed and next to bed, facing the window, was a small table and chair.  While the additional furniture is appreciated, it was a lot of stuff in a not so big room; however, all the room and the bed were comfortable enough for the one night.

Since I was only there for one night I could only try out some of the hotel's facilities.  I tried the airport shuttle, which operated at specific times until 11am and then by request afterwards (it was a 5-minute ride to the airport); the wifi which was free and fast (with no security restrictions or passwords); and I went to the gym but it looked really small and basic - the sign said 'mini gym' and they were not joking.  The gym was located in the basement, next to the kitchen and staff quarters and seemed to be an afterthought and looked really depressing.  The hotel had additional amenities such as the restaurant but I was not able to try that; I did try the complimentary breakfast which was given to me in a to-go bag and this was a nice gesture.


Overall, it was an average stay at the Holiday Inn Prague Airport.  The hotel is located on the airport property but at the farther end making it a longer walk or a short car ride away from the airport.  To access the city from here, you either need to take a car, paid transportation, or a bus which connects to the metro (which was not that complicated as many locals were also using this method).  The hotel and rooms are decent for one or two nights, and that seems to be what most people use this hotel for (park and go).  Given the price, you get a decent and updated hotel with free and fast wifi, a comfortable bed, and a complimentary breakfast.