Top 5 Favorite Hotels 2010-2020: #2: Grandhotel Pupp, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

The most luxurious hotel in which I have ever stayed -- anywhere, any country, anytime -- was the Grandhotel Pupp in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary.

This was Old World, old school luxury. This was the kind of place where European royalty would come to "take to the waters" for luxury spa treatments, back in the day when being European royalty meant political power and being a player on the world stage, not just minor celebrity. This is the kind of place where the ceilings are as high as skyscrapers. The lobby is overstaffed with people who want to cater to your whims and make sure no need goes unmet.

Above is the room where the breakfast buffet was served. It was superb.

Below is the main dining room:

And there was lobby after lobby after lobby:

There is nothing utilitarian about the Grandhotel Pupp. Not surprisingly, it was one of the major inspirations for the Grand Budapest Hotel in that awesome Wes Anderson from several years ago that starred Ralph Fiennes as Monsieur Gustave H.

The room was beautiful:

But a bit dated.

And a hotel room which is a bit dated means that there will be one huge massive mega-problem: not enough outlets for all one's 21st Century electronics. But the view from my room was exquisite.

The hotel is located at the far south end of Karlovy Vary (but right next to the funicular!), and my view looked northward.

Dinner in the hotel's restaurant was fantastic. The food was very good, but the atmosphere was what made the night.

And, surprisingly, despite the rooms being a bit dated, the spa area was very much up to date, with a huge pool surrounded by jacuzzis of varying temperatures.

Outside the hotel, embedded among the cobblestones, were various bricks of celebrities who have stayed here over the years. This one caught my eye:

I only had two nights here. More would have been nice.

I'm not sure if I will see the Grandhotel Pupp or Karlovy Vary -- it's a big world with a whole lot to see and not much time to see it -- but I would be happy if circumstances bring me this way again.