Raffles Europejski Warsaw

Warsaw’s top hotel is well-located just outside the historic Old Town and has 106 beautiful rooms and suites, several dining options and excellent facilities such as a spa and fitness center.

• Lourse Patisserie, the ground-floor café that serves delicious desserts (don’t miss the Signature Cake, a sinful chocolate creation)
• The pampering facilities, including an excellent gym, spa and indoor swimming pool
• Europejski Grill, the all-day restaurant that offers some of the best food in the city

The grande dame Europejski Hotel opened in 1857 and quickly became a Warsaw institution, drawing visiting luminaries and serving as a meeting point for Warsaw’s creatives. But, much like Warsaw itself, the neo-renaissance hotel was almost entirely destroyed during World War II, and while the elite watering hole finally reopened in 1962, it never regained its former status. That is, until 2018, when Raffles Hotels & Resorts unveiled the results of a multi-year renovation. Better than ever before, the Raffles Europejski Warsaw reigns as the city’s—better yet, the country’s—best five-star hotel, one that both nods to its storied past but clearly incorporates elements of modern Poland.

Located on the Royal Route (a series of streets with important historical landmarks), just a short walk from Warsaw’s Old Town, the Raffles Europejski Warsaw is subtly elegant, with 106 rooms and suites outfitted with bespoke furniture and a striking contemporary art collection, including 500 pieces by more than 120 Polish artists. The accommodations are the largest in the city and have marble-clad bathrooms, an Art Deco aesthetic (think carved wood headboards and parquet floors), soft pink velvet couches and gold accent tables.

History is woven into the common areas, beginning with the ground-level Lourse Patisserie, which was the first French patisserie in Poland and the go-to café for politicians and artists in the 1920s and 30s. Now, Lourse continues to attract locals as well as hotel guest with its selection of decadent desserts, including ice cream, pralines and pastries (don’t miss the Signature Cake, a delicious chocolate cake). The main restaurant, Europejski Grill, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and, thanks to Spanish design studio Lázaro Rosa Violán, is Warsaw’s chicest dining room. Here, patrons can enjoy Polish caviar and exquisite dishes including burrata with wild asparagus and pine nut salsa, veal schnitzel and Scottish salmon with a side of romanesco and black lentils. For a quick bite, the sleek Long Barserves craft cocktails and both Asian and classic American bar fare—the Singapore fried rice and bacon-cheddar burger are favorites. Lastly, the club-like Humidor, a cigar lounge, offers fine cigars paired with spirits and pralines.

Rounding out the amenities at the Raffles Europejski Warsaw are several wellness spaces: the six-treatment room spa, the 24-hour fitness center (which is equipped with the latest sports technology, including a body composition scale to identify body fat percentage) and an indoor swimming pool.

All travelers to Warsaw should stay here; it is the most luxurious property in town and equally suited to families and business or leisure travelers.