Raffles Europejski Warsaw

Rooms and decor

Picture a large cream-white Neo-Renaissance building that has stood on Krakowskie Przedmieście, Warsaw's Royal Route, since 1857 — this is Hotel Europejski, a city legend that lived through the Belle Époque, the World Wars and the communist era, and today has reopened under the Raffles name after a renovation of more than 7 years. Step into the lobby and you meet a giant crystal chandelier, marble floors patterned to echo the original, and a grand staircase whose every curve the restoration team kept. All 106 rooms, including 23 suites, mix Polish elegance with modern touches — soft pastel tones, heavy drapes, Eastern European wood furniture, and above all the art. Every room has an original work by a contemporary Polish artist on the wall, drawn from the hotel's collection of more than 500 pieces chosen by a curator working directly with the brand. Reviewers describe waking up to a Wilhelm Sasnal or a photograph by Zofia Kulik across from the bed and feeling like they slept in an art gallery with a comfortable bed. Bathrooms are Carrara marble with Diptyque amenities, and a few rooms look out over Saxon Garden or the spire of the Holy Cross church on this historic street.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is the Long Bar, the signature of every Raffles worldwide, and this one follows the original closely — dark wood walls, green shaded lamps, tall leather bar stools, and bartenders who know the Singapore Sling by heart and pour a Polish version using local herbs and premium vodka. Next door is the Europejski Grill, the main restaurant of chef Beata Śniechowska, built around wood-fire grilled meat and top Polish ingredients, with house-baked bread, house-made butter, and dishes like tartare or a barszcz that reviewers call honest and warming. The highlight that still excites locals is Lourse Warszawa, a legendary pastry shop that closed for decades after the war and that Raffles chose to revive in the lobby — serving wuzetka cake, sernik (Polish cheesecake) and macarons under crystal chandeliers. One level down is the Raffles spa, whose real claim to fame is the mosaic-tile pool made by artist Edmund Krzeń back in the 1960s — blue, green and gold patterning that the team preserved in full and repaired tile by tile. The spa also has a hammam, sauna, treatment rooms using Sodashi products, and a full fitness room.

Location and getting there

Location is another trump card. Raffles Europejski sits on Krakowskie Przedmieście, the prettiest street on Warsaw's Royal Route — partly pedestrianised and lined with palaces, churches and historic buildings. Across the way is Saxon Garden, a central park with fountains and statues. Walk out, turn right and follow the Royal Route for about 10 minutes and you reach the Old Town and the Royal Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Nearby are the Fryderyk Chopin Museum, dedicated to Poland's famous composer, and the handsome buildings of the University of Warsaw. Metro Świętokrzyska (lines M1/M2) is about an 8-minute walk, so you can hop the metro anywhere in the city with ease, including to Wilanów Palace, Łazienki Park or the POLIN Museum. Chopin Airport is 20 to 25 minutes by car. In short, if your first day starts with a slow walk through old Warsaw without ever touching a car, this spot earns a perfect ten.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The thing reviews mention most is the price, which is the highest in Warsaw against other 5-star hotels that run roughly half the rate. Anyone thinking in terms of value per square metre may feel it's expensive, because this place sells story, design and legend rather than room size. Second, some room types — the Courtyard Room and Deluxe in particular — are fairly compact next to newer 5-star builds, and some reviews say they're smaller than expected; for more space you have to upgrade to a Junior Suite or Suite, which moves the price up noticeably. Third is noise: rooms facing Krakowskie Przedmieście are on a street that often hosts city events, parades and small concerts, especially in summer, so light sleepers should ask for a room on the Saxon Garden side or the inner courtyard, which is far quieter. Finally, the pool, though beautiful, isn't large — it's a design-and-heritage pool, not one for serious laps, so anyone expecting long lanes will be disappointed.

Our take

From sitting down to read the real reviews and the story of this building, Raffles Europejski Warsaw is a hotel that sells story and legend with full confidence — 168 years of Warsaw history, a spot on the city's prettiest stretch of the Royal Route, a collection of more than 500 contemporary Polish artworks you won't find elsewhere, the iconic mosaic pool, a Long Bar true to the original, and the Lourse pastry shop revived from the city's memory. If your mental picture of the trip is soaking up old Warsaw in the morning, a soak in the 1960s mosaic pool in the afternoon, and a Sling at the Long Bar before bed in a room hung with original art, this is a stay that's hard to forget. But if you measure value by the square metre or come to Warsaw on a quick business trip needing only a good room, the price here may be too high to justify. Overall we give it 9.2/10 — best for couples, luxury travellers, and history-and-art lovers who want to sleep inside a city legend, not just a fancy hotel.