The building Prague argued about — and then fell in love with.
In 1996, a glass tower began to curve above the Vltava riverfront. It looked like it was mid-step. Half of Prague hated it. The other half couldn’t stop staring.
Thirty years later, the Dancing House is a national landmark — and you can sleep inside it.
Built to Move
The Dancing House Prague stands on Rašínovo Embankment, next to the birthplace of Václav Havel. The site had sat empty since 1945 — bombed during World War II, then caught in decades of debate about what should fill it.
The idea came from Vlado Milunić, a Czech architect of Croatian descent. He had spoken with Havel — then still a dissident — about building something on the vacant lot. Something that would symbolise renewal. Czechoslovak society regaining its momentum after years of rigidity.
When Havel became president, the project moved forward. Milunić’s concept: two towers, one static, one dynamic. Leaning into each other. Dancing.
Frank Gehry joined the project — famously agreeing because, as he put it, he would do anything for the country that gave the world Jaromír Jágr. Nationale-Nederlanden, a Dutch company, funded the build.
The result was a deconstructivist structure that had no real precedent in Prague. A curving glass tower — nicknamed Ginger — wraps around a solid stone tower — Fred. Together, they bend over the intersection like two figures mid-spin.
Time Magazine named it Best Design of the Year in 1996.
The Architecture
Two towers. One language.
The stone tower (Fred) anchors the building to its context — the classical Vltava facades that line the embankment. It holds its ground. The glass tower (Ginger) breaks from it, all curves and movement, panels tilting, light catching differently at every hour.
The building was never meant to blend in. Milunić conceived it as a transition point — between old Prague and new, between restraint and freedom. The form itself is the argument.
From the river, it reads as motion. From inside the glass tower, the city bends around you.
Staying Here
The hotel occupies the upper floors of the building. Suites sit inside the glass tower — the Ginger side. The curved walls and slanted windows aren’t decorative. They’re structural. The rooms move with the building’s form.
From the higher suites, Prague Castle sits directly across the river. At night, it’s lit against the dark. You don’t need to leave the room to understand why this city gets under your skin.
Rooms are modern, clean-lined, and quiet. The design doesn’t compete with the architecture. It steps aside and lets the building do the work.
The 7th Floor
The Ginger & Fred restaurant sits at the top of the building. The views from here take in Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, and the full curve of the Vltava. The kitchen runs European contemporary. The terrace opens in summer.
It is, measurably, one of the best dining rooms in Prague — not because of the menu alone, but because the room itself frames the city differently from anywhere else.
Breakfast is included for hotel guests. A 10% dining discount comes with a direct booking.
What to Know Before You Book
- Location: Rašínovo Embankment 80, Prague 2 — on the Vltava, a 15-minute walk from Charles Bridge
- Best rooms: Ginger Suite or any upper-floor river-facing suite for the Prague Castle view
- Dining: Ginger & Fred restaurant on 7th floor — book separately, especially for summer terrace
- Direct booking benefit: Breakfast included, welcome snack on arrival, 10% restaurant discount
- Promo code: Use DANCING on the official site for an additional discount
The Point
Most hotels are places to sleep near things worth seeing. The Dancing House is worth seeing. Staying here means waking up inside an argument that Prague spent years having — and learning that the building won.
The architecture doesn’t just frame the experience. It is the experience.
Check availability and Book here!
