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NOTE: Unitas is undergoing renovations starting Oct. 30, 2006, and should re-open in the fall of 2007.
What can we say? We liked this place so much we stayed here. Centrally located and clean, this former prison houses the spirit of rebellion.
Once upon a time, during Prague's Communist era, the Pension Unitas & Art Prison Hostel was, as its name implies, a prison. Vaclav Havel, the former Czech president, spent some time in cell number six. Well, viva the Velvet Revolution! Prior to its stint as a prison, the building served as a nunnery. Talk about torture! Well, nowadays, the place is a lot more fun.
Though definitely belonging to the hostel accommodation category, the Pension Unitas portion of the property has private rooms and some charming details lurking around. On the walls, framed newspaper clippings of the hostel's political history mix well with Mucha prints. While the walkways in the Art Prison part boast murals. And, in case you forget the main rules, check out times, breakfast times, lost passport fee are all painted on the walls in red calligraphy-style letters.
Room sizes range from large to small. Furnishing is very simple, though there is plenty of space to hang up your clothes and ample shelving too. Not surprisingly, the former prison cells are small. Ceilings are high, and windows are large providing lots of sunlight.
Staff was knowledgeable and had a quick, helpful response for every question we came up with, from finding a laundry service to arranging a ride to the airport. And security is excellent: a video monitoring system at the entrance, a night-watch guard, and door code keep miscreants at bay. Breakfast, included in the price, is not much by hotel standards, though it is a slight cut above for hostellers used to nothing more than toast and coffee. The Unitas serves jams, thick breads, cheese and salami slices, even juice.
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