Prague

Hotel International

The Prague sister of the Moscow skyscrapers stands in the quiet Dejvice district. It is a working hotel, so you can go inside and see the 1950s interiors.

Hotel International in Prague
Hotel International and its garden square
The main entrance of Hotel International
The hotel facade with flags
Height
88 m
Floors
16
Built
1952–1956

At a glance

Can you go in
Yes. It is a hotel, and you can visit the lobby and the restaurant without staying
Best view
From the park by the hotel and from the square in front of the main entrance
How much time to allow
About an hour for the building and the lobby
Architect
František Jeřábek

History

The building was commissioned by the Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence and was first planned as a hotel for the military. It was designed by František Jeřábek together with the military design institute.

Construction lasted from 1952 to 1956. During that time its purpose changed and the building became one of the most luxurious hotels in the country. It was first called Družba, then Čedok, and later International.

After 1989 the hotel was run by the international chains Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. Meanwhile the star on the spire was red, then green in Holiday Inn colours, and finally gold. Since 2023 the hotel has again been called Grand Hotel International.

Hotel International in 1959© Fortepan, Nagy Gyula, CC BY-SA 3.0

Architecture and numbers

Three wings meet at a central tower with a copper dome and a star. The facades are decorated with sgraffito scenes of construction, and inside the mosaics and a large tapestry with a panorama of Prague have survived.

88 mheight with the star
16floors in the tower
1.5 msize of the star on the spire
1956year completed

What is inside and can you go in

The hotel is open to guests, so you can see the interiors without a tour.

The lobby and the Praga Regina Musicae tapestryOpen

The lobby and the Praga Regina Musicae tapestry

The lobby has a large tapestry by Cyril Bouda with a panorama of Prague. The main staircase has a mosaic by Max Švabinský.

People behind the building

František Jeřábek

Architect

The Czech architect who designed the building together with the military design institute. The hotel became the largest Socialist Realist building in the Czech Republic.

Where to take photos

View of the building. The garden square in front of the hotel

The garden square in front of the hotel

From the garden by the main entrance you see the whole tower with its star together with the wings.

View of the building. Koulova Street

Koulova Street

If you get closer to the facade, you can clearly see the sgraffito, the flags and the Socialist Realist details.

Where to stay nearby

You can stay in the skyscraper itself or closer to the historic centre.

What to see nearby

Walking times are from the hotel.

Stromovka Park

Stromovka Park

20 min

A former royal hunting park and one of the largest in Prague.

TripsterSputnik8
Prague Castle

Prague Castle

40 min

The country’s main castle, with St Vitus Cathedral. It is quicker by tram.

TripsterSputnik8

Map

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Address

Česko, Praha 6, Koulova 15

Getting there

Dejvická metro, line Aabout 10 minutes

  1. Exit onto Victory Square, Vítězné náměstí.
  2. Walk north along Jugoslávských partyzánů Street. You can see the tower with its star from far away.

Other Moscow skyscrapers

1Moscow State University Main Building on the Sparrow Hills Moscow State University Main Building 1953 · 240 m 2Hotel Ukraina on Kutuzovsky Prospekt Hotel Ukraina 1957 · 206 m 3The Kotelnicheskaya skyscraper where the Yauza meets the Moskva River Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building 1952 · 176 m 4The Foreign Ministry building on Smolenskaya Square Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building 1953 · 172 m 5The skyscraper on Kudrinskaya Square Kudrinskaya Square Building 1954 · 156 m 6The Red Gates skyscraper on the Garden Ring Red Gates Building 1953 · 138 m 7Hotel Leningradskaya on Komsomolskaya Square Hotel Leningradskaya 1954 · 136 m

Never built

Hotel Rossiya on the foundation of the Zaryadye skyscraper, 1972 Zaryadye skyscraper1947 project · 275 m Boris Iofan’s design for the Palace of Soviets Palace of Soviets1930s project · 415 m

More “sisters”

The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science The Latvian Academy of Sciences building in Riga Riga Latvian Academy of Sciences The House of the Free Press in Bucharest Bucharest House of the Free Press Hotel Ukraine, formerly Hotel Moskva, in Kyiv Kyiv Hotel Moskva (now Hotel Ukraine)

FAQ

Can you go into Hotel International?

Yes. You can visit the lobby, the restaurant and the bar without staying and see the 1950s interiors.

What is the hotel called now?

Since 2023 it has been Grand Hotel International Prague. Before that it was called Crowne Plaza.

How do I get to Hotel International?

Take the metro to Dejvická on line A, then walk for about 10 minutes.