The deteriorating former Škoda Hotel in Plzeň will be transformed into a top-notch hotel

Plzeň – The former Škoda hotel, one of the three most famous hotels in Plzeň during the past regime, will undergo an extensive reconstruction costing 150 to 180 million crowns. The dilapidated building, which has served as a dormitory since 2000, will transform into a modern four-star hotel with 200 beds by mid-2027. It will be operated by a global hotel chain. The goal is to restore the building's original prestige and adapt it to modern standards, involving a complete renovation and modernization of all exteriors and interiors, said builder and investor Michal Fictum from the Plzeň firm MIRAS.

"Demolition work has already begun in the dining hall, which will last for two to three weeks. In its place, new underground parking spaces and a new restaurant with seating on the green roofs of the newly planned building of the same height on the same footprint will be created," he said. According to Fictum, the current façade made of panels will be replaced with a fully glass structure with aluminum supporting elements and a light façade.

The architectural study by the Plzeň office A.S.S.A. architects considers preserving period elements from the original hotel as well as from the restaurant. The original flooring, tiling, and even menus will remain. "The study also considers a fitness area with a small wellness center and a large conference room or additional wellness spaces on the top floor," said the technical director of the office, Martin Němec.

The project investor is also seeking to trademark the original hotel, which he will not operate himself. A well-known hotel chain, which operates 4,200 hotels worldwide, will take care of it. The name of the chain, which emerged from a competition, was not disclosed by the investor. He added that it should be a significant chain like Courtyard by Marriott, Vienna House, and Ibis, which already have hotels in Plzeň.

"The project will bring new accommodation capacities, but it will also revitalize the public space in the Českých bratří square," Fictum said. The hotel was completed in 1967 as part of the urban planning solution for the square. Its author was architect Václav Kubeš, and the construction closed a long-unused western section of the area and offered then-modern accommodation capacities and gastronomy. The building consists of a ten-story accommodation section and a ground floor with a restaurant and café. After 2000, it became a dormitory, which was affected by a fire in 2020.

The Czech company MIRAS – construction and remediation s.r.o. is among the leading construction companies in the region. It was founded 26 years ago and is still led by Michal Fictum. It focuses on new constructions, renovations, and development projects, having completed over 350 of them.