Grandhotel Praha – the legend at the foot of Mt Lomnický štít celebrates 120 years

As the sun rises, it first lights up Mt Lomnický štít, then pulls Skalnaté Pleso out of the shadows, and finally its rays touch Grandhotel Praha as the very first building in Tatranská Lomnica. This iconic panorama has now stood for an incredible 120 years

Grandhotel Praha began writing its story in 1905. At that time, Tatranská Lomnica was developing as a health and leisure destination and became a meeting place for European aristocracy. Spa resorts were built, and luxurious hotels soon followed. The challenge of creating a grand, representative hotel with high capacity was taken on by architects Quido Hoepfner, who also designed Grandhotel Starý Smokovec ****, and Gejza Györgyi. Originally named Hotel Palace (Hungarian: Palota – szálloda), the hotel was built in a beautiful Art Nouveau style and welcomed its first guests on 1st July 1905. Fourteen years later, after the First Czechoslovak Republic was established, it was renamed Grandhotel Praha **** and has kept the name ever since.

The three-storey Art Nouveau building originally housed 150 rooms with electric lighting and central heating. It also featured a bar, a reading room, a billiard hall, a tobacconist’s, a barber’s shop and a hairdressing salon. Silver table settings and waiters in tuxedos all added to the unique atmosphere of this special place. As a one-of-a-kind hotel offering services unavailable elsewhere in the High Tatras, it quickly became the number one choice for many, attracting well-known cultural and public figures, including Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first Czechoslovak president.

Development of tourism in the Tatras

The opening of the Grand Hotel in Tatranská Lomnica played a key role in the tourism development. While the High Tatras had been mainly a summer destination during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century, the arrival of this large hotel also saw the beginnings of winter sports and the winter season. In fact, the slope below the hotel was adapted for skiers already in the very first hotel winter season, and people could enjoy a natural sledge run created by partially modifying a forest path. Wealthy hotel guests favoured skijoring, i.e. skiing while being pulled by a horse or a team of horses.

The construction of the cable car running to Skalnaté Pleso and Mt Lomnický štít was the most significant step for the development of Tatranská Lomnica, though. The cableway projects, which included four station buildings along the way to Mt Lomnický štít, were designed by renowned architect Dušan Jurkovič. The construction began in 1936, and the final section was completed in 1940.

Celebrating in 2025

The four-star jewel of the Tatras, perched above the centre of Tatranská Lomnica and framed by a panorama of peaks, looks as if it has stepped out of a fairytale. Built in the Art Nouveau style with turrets, elegant balconies and other stunning details inside and out, it is a balm for the soul, not only for those who stay overnight, but also for those who stop by for a coffee and delicious dessert. In response to modern-day demands, the Grand Mountain Spa was added 15 years ago – a two-storey wellness centre featuring a unique outdoor pool overlooking Popradská kotlina (basin) and Mt Slavkovský štít. Offering a walk along an authentic alpine beach with mountain views, various saunas, fragrant massages and the exclusive Tatry Essentials cosmetics range made from Tatra herbs, it’s no surprise that Grandhotel Praha has been a multiple winner in the “Heritage & Wellness” category of the Heritage Hotels of Europe Awards. And after quality wellness relaxation, there comes another fairytale – this time a culinary one. Dishes made from carefully selected local ingredients and herbs grown in the hotel garden, followed by desserts that surprise with their dreamy appearance and taste.

A lot has changed in those 120 years. The first aerial tramway has been replaced by modern transport facilities, the mountain resort has expanded its summer and winter offers, and stables for horses have given way to electric car chargers. 

The sun sets, and its last rays touch the hotel’s Art Nouveau façade. The day draws to a close, and the legend slips into its evening rhythm. A pianist plays Yesterday in the lobby bar as guests arriving for dinner share their stories from the day – skiing, sledging, hiking in the Tatras. 

For 120 years and counting.