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Back in the 90s, Prague was heralded as the as the Next Big Thing. This was great for the Czech capital, everybody believed it and descended upon the city in a swarm; this was bad for the Czech capital, everybody believed it and descended upon the city in a swarm. Thus is the great irony of ahead-of-the-curve travel: once everyone knows about it, it goes up in smoke.
So it is with great caution that I introduce the Polish city of Kraków, deep in the country’s south. Regarded as one of the most beautiful cities on the Continent — it was the capital way before, and way longer, than Warsaw — Kraków is a renowned cultural hub not only for Poland, but for most of Eastern Europe. It’s not the “Rome of the North” for nothing.
Even better, this is one of the few cities in Europe that avoided getting bombed flat in WWII. An architectural mish-mash from the Middle Ages forward, Kraków makes a camera all but overload. You’ll commandeer Instagram and Twitter with photos, and rule over it entirely once you reach your hotel, provided you are staying at the Stary.
Embracing all the romance of the Renaissance without any of the realities (Black Plague, cholera, institutionalized social stratification…), the Hotel Stary opened its luscious doors in 2006, and set the standard for massive luxury overdose in Poland ever since.
The first prize winner of the renowned Prix Villégiature Award, bestowed to “the most beautiful hotel interior design in Europe,” there is irony to the Stary in that the actual building is described as an old tenement. Be that as it may, never underestimate the power of a refurb: all 53 rooms of the five-star hotel reflect the city’s historic and contemporary selves using different color schemes, décor, and a fabulous dose of form and function.
For those of you whom luxury should never have an upward limit, the Hotel Stary offers up three fantastical Luxury Suites divided into a sitting room, a bedroom, and a design not unlike a ducal palace. Marble and onyx harmonize with wooden floors, natural lighting, and oriental carpets to usher you into a fairy tale of nostalgia. Fifteenth century motifs blend so seamlessly with plasma TVs and Jacuzzis top the point you’d think all three were of the same era. The grandeur is unsurpassed, and I get the feeling that the people who go to the Stary tend to be of that discretion-seeking ilk wanting to leave the world behind.
And isn’t that the point of a vacation?
For more information, go to stary.hotel.com.pl or contact Steele Luxury Travel at 646-688-2274 to make a booking and receive some complimentary perks and amenities with each booking!