Overlooking some of the most picturesque views in Krakow, the Hotel Wentzl offers superb accommodations for around $200 USD a night, making it the perfect choice for Krakow travelers. The luxuriously appointed rooms, phenomenal on-site restaurant, and top-notch customer service have earned Wentzl many accolades and rave reviews from its guests.
History of the Wentzl Building
Located on Main Market Square, the building dates back to the 15th century, and was owned by very wealthy townspeople, the Cellarich family. Originally designed as a single residence, it is one of the largest tenements in the square.
John Wentzl founded the restaurant in 1792, but the hotel portion is considerably newer, just opening in 2000. The Wentzl is known as the "building under the painting" due to the large fresco of the Virgin Mary adorning the building's facade. Some believe the artist was a student at the Academy of Art and painted this mural as repayment for his bar bill from the restaurant.
The hotel's interior is just as spectacular as its exterior. The common areas are beautifully decorated with magnificent art pieces, with many of best displayed in the main restaurant. The decor is very classic with deep, dark wood tones and rich velvet fabrics featured throughout each floor.
The Wentzl is the only hotel to call the main square home, making it even more popular with travelers. Krakow's Market Square, Rynek Glowny, is the largest medieval town square in Europe, dating all the way back to the 13th century. Although located directly in the pedestrian only square, the Wentzl offers off-site parking for registered guests, which is a great benefit since public parking lots can be expensive in Europe.
Accommodations at Hotel Wentzl
Quite the boutique hotel, there are less than 20 rooms available, all of which have windows opening directly to the square, providing stunning views. The spectacular decor featured throughout the common areas is certainly carried through to the guest rooms.
Incredibly spacious, the rooms are all lavishly appointed, most of them featuring very classic design elements. Dark wood furniture is seen throughout, complemented by regal purple and red fabrics. Ornate Persian rugs adorn the beautiful wood floors, and more intriguing art pieces fill the walls, showcased by creative artistic lighting.
The rooms have numerous amenities including flat screen TV's complete with a surround sound system, air conditioning, mini bar, free Wi-Fi, and a telephone. They offer single or double rooms, but just note, some of the older rooms feature traditional double beds found throughout Europe - meaning they are basically two separate beds pushed together. There is also a lock-out function, so two adjoining rooms could be combined to create one large two-bedroom suite.
The private bathrooms are very spacious, complete with a shower/tub combo, heated towel rack, gorgeous pedestal sink, embroidered plush robes hanging on the door, and slippers on the floor. A nice touch is the additional lighting hidden behind large moldings, which provides a much needed glow when navigating the restroom in the middle of the night.
Dining at the Wentzl
The signature restaurant at the Wentzl offers fine dining at very reasonable prices. The Renaissance themed interior features a collection of paintings from Wojciech Fibak's "Ecole de Paris" collection. Fibak was a Polish tennis pro and avid art collector. These paintings are works by a number of Polish Jews who emigrated to France in the early 20th century.
The menu offerings are superb and they also feature an extensive wine, liquor, and cigar list. The main dining room is also where breakfast is served for room packages including this option. The breakfast buffet includes European and Western style dishes, with some made to order specialties available as well.
With luxurious accommodations and fine dining, the Hotel Wentzl is truly a great deal for Krakow visitors looking to stay in the heart of this beautiful historic city.
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