Hotel Jalta, an architectural gem of Wenceslas Square, celebrates its 60th anniversary

Boutique Hotel Jalta has been completing the unique architecture of the upper part of Prague's Wenceslas Square for exactly sixty years. Despite its relative youth, this unique building holds its place not only on the list of cultural monuments of Prague's historical center but also on the UNESCO World Heritage list. During its existence, the hotel has provided accommodation for more than 2 million guests, including prominent figures such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama and American movie star Bruce Willis.
The building, designed by architect Antonín Tenzer, was considered timeless due to its exceptional façade and interior already at the time of its creation in 1958, standing out from the common designs of the era. The total construction costs of approximately 40 million crowns made Hotel Jalta the most expensive building ever built in Czechoslovakia at that time.
In his design, architect Tenzer employed elements of functionalism, which distinguished it from the typical architectural output of the prevailing Socialist Realism. The selection of materials for the façade – travertine and marble – was co-determined by then-President Antonín Zápotocký, who was himself a trained stone mason.
Several award-winning artists who successfully presented their work at the World Expo EXPO 58 in Brussels in the same year also contributed to the appearance of Jalta, such as Stanislav Libenský, Jaroslava Brychtová, Antonín Kybal, and Václav Markup.
Jalta became Tenzer’s “most personal” building. He designed and oversaw every detail. However, he did not attend the grand opening on the last day of May 1958 – he was not invited. Later, in interviews, he returned to this event with a certain perspective. The hotel was presented as a creation without names, without specific creators.
The hotel was luxuriously equipped for the time. In addition to custom furniture, original lighting, curtains, carpets, and other furnishings designed specifically for Jalta, guests had access to a phone, a radio receiver, and a television in their rooms (it is worth noting that Czech television began broadcasting just before the start of construction work and began week-long broadcasting precisely in the year the hotel opened). Heating was conducted through ceilings, complemented by air conditioning. All rooms featured their own bathrooms. Additional services included, for example, shoe care, which was already accounted for in the project: there were small cabinets – shoe lockers leading to the hallway, where guests left their shoes, and the staff returned them cleaned without disturbing them in any way. Guests could also use the services of a hairdresser or the hotel car.
At the start of its operation, the hotel employed 164 staff members. Those who communicated with guests had to speak foreign languages. Among the staff were craftsmen including an upholsterer, locksmith, plumber, and carpenter, a staff member for cleaning shoes, five workers in the laundry, or a waiter solely serving rooms. All had a uniform: maids wore black dresses with white aprons and caps, waiters wore tuxedos, porters wore dark blue, and stewards wore gray suits. The staff facilities were also at a high standard; in addition to changing rooms and washrooms with showers, they had access to a bathroom and their own kitchen with a dining room.
A rarity of the hotel is the anti-atomic shelter with a capacity of up to 250 people located in its second basement. The existence of the shelter, which was first revealed in 1990, now houses a publicly accessible Cold War Museum. During the previous regime, the hotel was also at the center of attention of the State Security, its walls were filled with listening devices with the headquarters located in the underground parts of the hotel.
Due to its exceptional location, the hotel was at the center of revolutionary events taking place in Wenceslas Square. It is estimated that in its 60 years of existence, around 2.2 million guests have been accommodated at the hotel, including notable figures such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, actresses Mia Farrow and Bruce Willis, British writer Frederick Forsyth, rock stars Suzi Quatro and Bruce Springsteen, as well as local celebrities like singer Waldemar Matuška and Slovak opera singer Peter Dvorský.
Currently, the hotel is owned and operated by the Anglo-Czech real estate company Flow East, which has been advocating for the protection of Prague's architectural cultural heritage and the overall restoration of Wenceslas Square since 1990. The building was completely renovated in 2007, followed by further improvements, making it today a luxurious boutique hotel. Hotel Jalta offers accommodation in 94 rooms and a conference center for 330 people, which includes the COMO restaurant, specializing in traditional Czech, Mediterranean, and Italian cuisine as well as sushi, along with a unique cocktail bar. The lobby of the hotel is adorned with one of the original silkscreens of Franz Kafka by Andy Warhol.