From grand and gorgeous hotels in the heart of Krakow Old Town to hidden boutiques that sit under the gaze of the Wawel Castle, the accommodation options in the UNESCO-tagged heart of the city are some of the best around.
You’ll be treated to four- and five-star service in these parts. The main sights and attractions will be right on the doorstep. It’s also the perfect place to stay if you want the buzzing nightlife scene of Krakow just minutes from your suite. Yep: Get ready to discover some of the very best hotels in Krakow, all courtesy of the beautiful Old Town.
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This is a part of our full guide to booking hotels in Krakow.
A quick look at the top hotels in Krakow Old Town
Why stay in the Krakow Old Town?
The Old Town is the hub of Krakow. We’d say it’s the best spot to be based if you’re traveling to the city for the first time and want to be close to all the major sights. The hotels here also happen to be some of the best around – they’re the spots that international football teams bed down in when there’s a tournament on and where the celebs go!
Hotel Wentzl
Views don’t get better than the ones on offer from the windows of the Hotel Wentzl. Up there with the most luxurious hotels in the city, this palatial stay on the Main Square commands four stars and whole load of enticing extras. The suites are opulent, with sprawling bedspreads and a few touches that evoke the regal age of the town. Beneath them, a grand lobby space is adorned with mahogany wood coverings and lit with dim candelabras (talk about atmospheric!). Meanwhile, the on-site restaurant – Restauracja Wentzl – dates back all the way to 1792 and has even hosted Polish presidents in its time. TL;DR – it might not be cheap, but boy is this one charming…
Hotel Stary
We can’t stop waxing lyrical about Hotel Stary. And why not? This luxurious hotel down Szczepańska is undoubtedly one of the very best hotels in Krakow Old Town. Topping the bill is a stunning underground pool and spa facility. It takes guests deep under the cobbled of the UNESCO district for a dip and a stint in a sauna. Way above is a panoramic bar and terrace, from where you can see the spires of the Wawel Castle and the church on the Main Square. The rooms, obviously, are seriously stylish. In fact, the hotel has won global hospitality awards for its interior design. Nice.
Balthazar Design Hotel
Man, this one’s cool. A relatively recent addition to the line up of Krakow Old Town hotels, the boutique of Balthazar certainly knows how to make waves. You won’t catch a single suite looking mundane in these parts. Some come dressed in aqua-blue wallpaper, sparkling with crystal chandeliers and packed with Picasso-esque mirrors. Others are sumptuous boudoirs, flaunting floral bedheads and Art Deco bathrooms. The location is perfect for sightseers. The Wawel is just outside, and the Main Square waits up Grodzka street about 5-10 minutes’ walking to the north.
Santi Hotel
Another prime example of the sort of wonderful historic hotels in Krakow Old Town, Santi resides in an impressive row of mansions that date back to between the 1400s and the 1700s. The rooms are a combo of that rich heritage and stripped-down modern styles. They pit stucco walls against dimly lit alcoves; tiled heater stacks against LCD TVs. Hotel Santi is a proud recipient of Booking.com Traveller Review awards and a BA customer choice award. Just in case you were wondering what all our gushing is based on!
Hotel Wawel
Neatly tucked down quiet Poselska street, Hotel Wawel is wedged into the blocks that run parallel to the Planty Park. The keyword inside is contemporary, but with just a hint of the long and royal histories of the city. So, you get big suites with dim lighting, comfy sofas and good air conditioning, and flat-screen TVs. There’s also an on-site spa, but that comes at a little extra cost.
Bonerowski Palace
The name should be a good hint of the sort of high luxury you’re going to get in this one. And, sure enough, with an impressive five stars and a location right on the Main Square, the Bonerowski Palace is up there with the very best hotels in Krakow. The interior suites are sprawling to say the least. They come with large seating areas that are filled with antique furniture and elaborately patterned rugs. An al fresco eating area and a beer garden spill onto the cobbles of the square out front, so you can get to sightseeing before you’ve even finished your morning breakfast.
Hotel Polski Pod Białym Orłem
If you’re unsure where to stay in Krakow Old Town but are totally convinced you want a taste of vintage Poland, the Hotel Polski Pod Białym Orłem could be the ticket. It sits on the north end of Florianska Street, within easy reach of the area’s most historic sights and most buzzy shopping strips (hello souvenirs). However, the spot is a tad quieter than for the hotels on the Krakow Old Town Square itself, so you can enjoy being just a little away from the thick of it. More importantly, the doubles are cosy and richly decorated with wall murals and drapes. Oh: Don’t miss the weapons displays in the restaurant!
Hotel 32 Kraków Old Town
Hotel 32 is just on the fringes of the Old Town proper. In fact, it’s sat on Zwierzyniecka Street, which is a great place to be if you’re eager to see the Wawel Castle up close but still want access to the buzzy nightlife scene of the centre. The main upshot is that things tend to be a little more chilled than if you were to plump for one of the hotels in Krakow Old Town Square. 32 is beautifully done. Modern doubles and twins are kitted out in muted colour schemes and light wood panels. However, the very best rooms are the ones with dedicated terraces, some of which boast awesome views over the church towers and castle spires of the skyline.
PURO Kraków Stare Miasto
The PURO hotel chain has really worked its magic in Krakow. One outlet down in Kazimierz might just be the single best hotel in the city. But this establishment up on the northern fringes of the Old Town is also darn gorgeous. A sleek, glass-clad exterior gives way to lounges and restaurant areas that ooze charm and noir style. Rooms mingle minimalism with bold artistic touches, along with light-magnetising floor-to-ceiling windows. Location wise, you’re not strictly in the Old Town, but rather close to the train station and the Galleria Krakowska shopping mall. Still a top spot to be.
Hotel Wawel Queen
A four-star rating is more than deserved over at the Hotel Wawel Queen. Hugging the western edge of the Old Town, this sleek stay has some seriously bold and jazzy rooms. They all have flat-screen TVs with cable and fast Wi-Fi, aircon and soundproofing. Wawel Queen is also a great hotel in Krakow Old Town for busines purposes – there are on-site meeting rooms and a lovely lobby lounge.
Generally speaking, we’d say the Old Town is perhaps the single best area to stay in Krakow. However, there are other choices, like bohemian Kazimierz and the upcoming hipster district of Podgorze.
