Grand Hotel Smitka (Hotel Slovan) 1940s
From an undated postcard
Hotel Slovan 2006
Photograph © Copyright 2006 Eva Haunerová
Hotel Slovan’s main staircase
Copyright information unknown
Hotel Slovan
Smetanovy sady 1
301 37 Plzeň
Czech Republic
Tel.: ++420 377 227 256
Fax: ++420 377 227 012
Hotel Continental 1950s
Copyright information unknown
Hotel Continental 2006
Photograph © Copyright 2006 Eva Haunerová
Hotel Continental
Zbrojnická 8
305 34 Plzeň
Czech Republic
Tel.: +420 377 235 292
Amongst the many changes to take place in Plzeň during the cold war years, none can be more lastingly obvious than the replacement of the old Hotel Central on Náměstí Republiky by the current buidling.
During the communist era, the Hotel Central was renamed the Hotel Ural but reverted to its original name in 1989.
Hotel Central 1962
Photo from the Plzeňská ekologická nadace (Pilsen Ecological Institute) web site
The above picture shows the original Hotel Central the architecture of which fits much better into its surroundings than the current structure (below) although I can’t help feeling that it was predated by something more fitting.
Hotel Central circa 2000
Copyright information unknown
The Hotel Central holds a special place in my heart as it provided me with a place to sleep during my first visit to Plzeň in 1991.
Hotel Central 1991 (The yellow car on the left was mine)
Photograph © Copyright 1993 Clive Porter
Due to its blatent ugliness and open representation of all that brings to mind an iron-curtain Czech architecture, the hotel doesn’t figure on many peoples holiday snaps. For this reason, finding photographs of the buidling is not an easy task.
Hotel Central 2005
from the Hotel Central Website
Despite its incongrous looks from the outside, the Hotel Central is a great place to stay and, since it’s refurbishment in the mid-90s, earns each of its four stars.
I am currently searching for more photographs both of the old and new buidlings and would be eternally grateful to anybody who is able to provide these. If you should have one or more photographs which you’d like to share, please leave a comment with your e-mail address (your e-mail address will not be visible on the internet).
Hotel Ural detail from an envelope
from a Hotel Ural Envelope 1980s
Hotel Central
náměstí Republiky 33
301 00 Plzeň
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 377 226 757, +420 844 116 666
Tags: Plzeň, Pilsen, hotel, hotel central, hotel ural, czech republic
