If you’ve been to Vienna before and have any epicurean leanings, then Julius Meinl has surely been part of your life. Founder Julius Meinl I was a true pioneer in the sale of ready-to-drink roast coffee, settling in the Austrian capital in 1862, with the business eventually becoming a mini-empire. His Julius Meinl am Graben Flagship food store has finally become an internationally renowned destination in itself.
The company was sold around the turn of the millennium, minus the flagship. And now the family is launching what would have seemed inevitable, a (partially) branded boutique hotel company. Its inaugural property will be located approximately 300 kilometers from the Vienna mothership, with The Julius opening in prague this month of July in a neo-Renaissance building on the edge of the Nove Mesto (New Town) – and the magnificent first images have just been released.
Avoiding all pomp and extravagance, the venerable Matteo Thun & Partners were retained to instead infuse the Julius with a more elegantly cool and understated chic. Indeed, the 168 rooms have a decidedly welcoming, almost residential vibe, with oak wood floors and a soft color palette of muted greens, oranges and yellows, inspired by the aesthetic of the artist/ exalted Czech designer. Alphonse Mucha. (Deluxe studios even have kitchenettes, if, say, an extended shoot in the city is planned.)
The hotel’s central social space will be a light-filled atrium, and next to it is the stylish Emporium Bistro, showcasing a kind of laid-back café vibe, with warm woods and modernist light fixtures. The elegant namesake bar features dramatic arches and sultry, dark lighting, perfect for long, cultured evenings sipping Czech mules and specialty beers.
Prague is especially lively in the summer, with its sidewalk cafe scene and unparalleled bar that revolves around Žižkov. But for culture lovers, the Národní muzeum will show The earth is me, an exhibition dedicated to building on the need for a long-term commitment to sustainability, with categories like fashion/food/water and landscape/biodiversity; and the venerable of the city jewish museum undertakes a program to assist in the evacuation and restoration of Collections of Ukrainian museumsdonations being accepted in person or via a QR code directly at this link.
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