Hyatt to open Andaz Prague hotel in Senovážné náměstí’s Sugar Palace

Another luxury hotel chain is headed to Prague. Andaz, a brand of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, will manage the first Hyatt property in the Czech Republic. The hotel will be called the Andaz Prague and is expected to open in 2022. The property, located in the long-derelict Sugar Palace on Senovážné náměstí in Prague’s Old Town, is being developed by UBM Development.

Andaz Prague will
feature 175-rooms, three food and beverage outlets, approximately 450
square meters of event space, a fitness center, and a spa.

Andaz Prague is
being promoted as one of Prague’s first “luxury lifestyle
hotels.” The chain says it is “a juxtaposition of heritage and
modernity … echoing the sights, sounds, scents and tastes of its
surroundings.” They add that the hotel will create a stay that
“immerses curious travelers and neighborhood guests in the very
best of its locale.”

“Prague has been a popular destination particularly since the Velvet Revolution 30 years ago. This city of Mozart, Mucha, and Hrabal continues to inspire people to explore its rich offerings. With the addition of Andaz Prague, we are excited for Hyatt to have a brand presence in the three imperial cities of Europe – Vienna, Budapest and Prague – and grow our opportunities to cater to the luxury demand,” Takuya Aoyama, Hyatt’s vice president development, said in a press release.

Thomas Winkler, CEO
of UBM Development, said he was pleased to be involved in the
project. “It is wonderful to be working alongside Hyatt to bring
the Andaz brand to the Czech Republic. This hotel has great potential
for those wishing to explore Prague, and we believe that the Andaz
brand is the perfect choice for this culturally rich city,” he
said.

“With our
long-standing expertise as Europe’s leading hotel developer, we
will transform this truly exceptional building in a new jewel of
Prague’s hotel landscape,” he added.

The Andaz brand is
also opening two new properties this year in Europe: Andaz Munich
Schwabinger Tor and Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere. These join Andaz
London Liverpool Street and Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht. Worldwide,
the brand has 21 hotels.

Hyatt Hotels
Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, has 20 brands on its
portfolio. As of September 30, 2019, these included more
than 875 properties in over 60 countries across six continents.

UBM Development has
been in operation over 145 years and is the leading hotel developer
in Europe, according to its press release. Its strategic focus is on
hotel, residential and office properties and on major European
metropolitan areas as Vienna, Berlin, Munich or Prague.

The neoclassical former office building called the Sugar Palace was built in 1912–16 for the Sugar Industry Insurance Association. The architects were Josef Zasche and Theodor Fischer, and the facade decoration is by German sculptor Franz Metzner.

The irregular pentagon-shaped building has two courtyards and attaches to church tower Jindřišská věž by an archway. The Ministry of Culture in 1993 listed the building as a cultural monument.

The building in communist era housed the Ministry of Nutrition and in 1968 briefly held the National Assembly. After 1989, it was used by Investiční a Poštovní banka. It was sold to J&T group in 2006, which planned to open a hotel. That didn’t happen due to the financial crisis. It was sold again in 2014 to a Russian-backed group and then again in 2017 to UBM. At that time it was announced that a hotel called W Prague, part of the Marriott network, would open in 2020.