Hotel Zvon has an excellent location on Ceske Budejovice's splendid main square and parts are quite historic but in general the place has been overmodernised to the point of characterlessness.The very good yet reasonably-priced restaurant on the first floor is a definite plus but the rooms are rather nondescript and not really worth the rates.

We wanted to stay in Cesky Krumlov but were turned off by all the reports of noise at night and found that not one Hotel had consistently positive reviews. This town (Cesky Budejovice) is about 30 kilometers away and much less charming overall, but we liked the reviews of the Grand Hotel Zvon and it seemed like a higher standard - and quieter - than staying in Cesky Krumlov.

We were not disappointed. The hotel is right on the main square and boasts excellent views. Pay a little more and get a room with view on the square, it's well worth it. Despite a central location, it was extremeley quiet. Rooms were large and very well appointed, as were bathrooms. One evening there was an orchestra playing a free concert in the square and it was absolutely lovely to open our windows and enjoy the sun and music wafting in. That said, with double paned windows, you could close them and be isolated from the sound very effectively.

THe hotel's fancy restaurant was advertized all over . . . but apparently is now closed - permanently. There is a pub as well - the original Budweis pub! Turns out Cesky Budejovice is the Czech name for "Budweis" adn the town is home to the original Budweiser Beer a- NO RELATION to American Budweiser (much better!). Despite smoke in the diningroom of the pub (there is a lot of smoking in Czech Republic) the food exceeded our expectations by a long shot. Excellent, freshly prepared local specialties. The family that owns the hotel and pub also owns a farm where they raise cattle and sheep for meat . . . so the meats were all extremeley fresh. There was an emphasis on local produce as well - not at all what we might have expected from a beer hall!

Our only complaint (other than smoke in the pub - hard to get used to) was that the reception area and front desk were downright dreary! We highly recommend that the hotel brighten up the entry, lounge and front desk area. Repaint a brighter color (it was clean, just dreary), reupholster, improve lighting, etc.

Staff varied widely in skill and friendliness. When we asked for brochures on the town and surrounding areas, bike rentals, restaurants, etc. they were empty handed, directing us to the tourist office across the square. But, the office was closed so we had to "wing it" until they opened, loosing valuable time. Perhaps THEY could walk over the the tourist center themselves and stock these basic items! Also, some staff didn't smile and very few spoke decent English. It was just difficult to be understood and to get the help and information we were looking for. Nothing terrible at all, just not great.

That said . . . we enjoyed the hotel and definately would recommend it to others. When you get out of Prague . . . you are not in the "big city" anymore, and the quality of hotels and amenities goes down. Zvon was clean, well appointed and well located - and the food was quite good at the pub. We recommend. Parking free in their lot, or you can park on the square right in front and pay a small amount at the parking meter.

This elegant hotel is right on the main square. So if you are lucky, you can get a room with view of the town hall. The rooms are elegant and the furniture is quite new. The coins are the elevator (only one) and the costly parking. In the first floor is restaurant. They serve great local food. The mains starts arount 10-15 Euro. But I don¨t understand why they have a Pilsner Urquell (beer from Pilsen) on tap.

I have stayed at this hotel twice. Both times I chose the executive room. This is a room with a view of the square. Well worth the price by comparison with other cities in the world, because the square is quite beautiful, and impressive. This is a nice little city with some great beer halls, one of which is located at the Hotel Zvon. They sell Pilsner, and Kozi dark beer, however, and not the famous local lagers, like Budweiser, or B.B.B. The food at the beer hall, and upstairs, in the restaurant (Gourmet Symphony) is quite good. I recommend getting a reservation for the beer hall, which gets very crowded. Getting a table at the upstairs restaurant was no problem. The wine service there is very impressive, as the waiter decants your wine, which of course has it's own pram upon which your bottle and decanter are displayed by your table. I rather liked that. They have a nice international wine list, with a number of nice Czech wines.
The room was absolutely beautiful. It was very posh, and comfortable. I really enjoyed the room, and the amazing view.