The Kempinski Hotel Hybernska reviews the year and provides the hotel industry with a glimmer of hope for 2012

Kempinski Hotel Hybernska, one of Prague's leading luxury hotels, suggests that there is a glimmer of hope for the hotel industry with its review of 2011 and expectations for 2012.

Despite all of its predictions due to the ongoing economic and Eurozone crisis, the Kempinski Hotel Hybernska saw an overall increase in both its average monthly room occupancy and its average room revenue; this despite a very difficult first quarter due to the exceptionally tough winter and a number of other factors.

Whilst room occupancy is, of course, important, with the drop in the number of high end travelers to Prague, hotels have had to focus more on the local market, and this is where the Kempinski Hotel Hybernska has really come into its element, with its ‘Le Grill' restaurant and team, and its ‘Two Steps Bar' receiving a number of prestigious awards, as well as its art gallery and garden being constantly in the news.

Talking about the popularity of the hotel's restaurant and bar, Peter Knoll, the Kempinski Hotel Hybernska's General Manager, said: "A lot of credit for the hotel's ongoing popularity has to go to our team, which has worked exceptionally hard in the past year to ensure that we provide the very best product and service to our customers. As an example, both our Executive Chef and Pastry Chef have collected numerous awards and accolades during 2011 and they have been supported by an F&B team that is second to none."

The Kempinski Hotel Hybernska's Executive Chef, Marek Fichtner, made the headlines during the summer of 2011 when he was appointed to design the business class menu for Czech Airlines' new flight to Abu Dhabi, and since then he has not looked back. Marek is supported by Pastry Chef Karolína Kocincová, who continued with her winning ways by receiving awards in two different categories in the 16th Annual Gastro Hradec Competition and being nominated to represent Kempinski at the IKA Culinary Olympics 2012 in Erfurt, Germany. In addition to these awards, the hotel's Two Steps Bar came third in Maurer's Grand Bar 2012 and was nominated in the competition for the best bar in the Czech Republic.

The exceptional quality of the Kempinski Hotel Hybernska Prague was also appreciated by its own guests whose reviews on the world's most trusted travel review site, TripAdvisor.com, brought the Kempinski hotel the TripAdvisor's "Certificate of Excellence" for 2011, and fifth place worldwide and first in Central Europe in the category „Best Palace Hotels/Live like a King".

"These awards give me, personally, a huge amount of pleasure" says Knoll "as it reflects the  team spirit and drive we have here at the hotel with the aim to excel and deliver a unique experience for our guests!"

As part of Europe's oldest luxury hotel group, it is very important for the Kempinski Hybernská Prague to continue to support culture and art as an essential core of its management philosophy. At the beginning of 2011, the hotel turned its entrance corridor into an art gallery and offered its garden for exhibitions of sculptors. Hotel guests were able to enjoy some of the very best of both Czech and international art, including the works of the Italian sculptor Marco di Piazza, renowned Czech artists Jindra Husáriková and Eva Mansfeldová, and Czech sculptor Vladimír Bok. The hotel plans to continue with the theme as we move into 2012, with its first vernissage of 2012 being at the beginning of March and featuring the wonderful photographs of Jadran Šetlík.