I’ve stayed in many luxury hotels, but I’ve never had my own lift right in my hotel room.

The Onyx Tower Suite at the Grandezza Hotel in Brno measures 95 m², has three floors, two bathrooms, a separate bedroom and a turret with two panoramic balconies.

Officially, it is the only three-storey suite of its kind in Brno. And perhaps even in the whole of the Czech Republic?

💬 Do you know of any other unique hotels in the Czech Republic? Let us know in the comments below the article – thanks!

The night cost us approximately 516 eur. It’s a lot, but this time I didn’t choose the Grandezza just for the sake of a review… A significant event took place here, one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

But back to the review: was the Onyx really as exceptional as it looks in the photos?

The Onyx Tower Suite in a nutshell

	Our experience
Hotel	Grandezza Hotel Luxury Palace
Location	Zelný trh, Brno
Size	95 m²
Number of storeys	3
Capacity	2 people
Price of our stay	516 eur
Parking	26 eur including valet service
Breakfast	standard hotel buffet
The biggest advantage	its own lift, turret and marble cladding
Biggest drawback	high price

There is only one Onyx Tower Suite in the hotel. During popular periods, it may therefore be booked up well in advance, or its price may rise significantly.

Check the price of the Onyx Tower Suite

How much does a night in the Onyx Tower Suite cost?

For one night from Saturday to Sunday in August, we paid approximately 516 eur.

That’s a slightly lower price than usual.

Usually, the price ranges between 15,000 and 743 eur , but I’ve also seen prices exceeding 826 eur .

By Czech standards, 516 eur per night is a rather steep sum. There’s no point in pretending otherwise.

On the other hand, you’re not just paying for a larger room here. You’re paying for a space that is , in itself, the main attraction of your stay.

At a price of around 516 eur, I felt the value for money was fair. I’d probably be reluctant to pay more than 619 eur.

When searching on Booking.com, Onyx only appears among the room categories on dates when it is available.

If the price is too high, you can compare the standard rooms and suites at the Grandezza Hotel directly on the same page.

Why did we choose Onyx?

The Grandezza is one of my partner’s favourite hotels, and even our very first stay together in the Junior Suite had a wonderful atmosphere.

So when I was looking for a place for a special occasion, the Onyx Tower Suite was my first choice.

It’s special enough without us having to travel to the other end of Europe just for one night.

Before we arrived, I arranged a bouquet with the hotel, which was waiting for us in the main living area. Communication with the staff was flawless, both over the phone and online.

We also found a chilled bottle of sparkling wine on the table as a gesture from the hotel. Another bottle was waiting for us in a small fridge right at the top of the turret. A very lovely touch!

The actual proposal didn’t end up taking place on one of the balconies, but in the main living area. In any case, we left the Onyx Tower Suite engaged, so you probably can’t expect a completely objective review from me 😊

Ground floor: a huge living area

The Onyx Tower Suite is situated on the 5th floor, right in the centre of the building, in a small tower.

The room’s centrepiece is a bespoke onyx wall featuring three round, nautical-style windows. Although the windows are relatively small, the room was surprisingly light.

The living area is equipped with:

• a large sofa
• a coffee table
• a huge television
• a rocking chair
• a dining table
• several wardrobes
• a coffee machine
• a minibar

I really liked the main living area. It’s magnificent, unusual and, at first glance, very different from a standard hotel suite.

The only part that struck me as a bit cheap was the finish on part of the wooden ceiling. Compared to the beautiful onyx wall, the chandelier and the bathrooms, it didn’t look quite as upmarket.

But that’s really just a minor detail.

This is simply a stunning space, and it gave me almost that kind of genuine, childlike joy!

Two bathrooms and a double bath

There are two separate bathrooms on the ground floor.

The first is really large and its centrepiece is a huge bath, which can easily accommodate two people. Surprisingly, however, there is no toilet in it.

That is located in the second, smaller bathroom, where you’ll also find a very nice separate shower cubicle.

The Lötz-style stained-glass panelling in both bathrooms is unique and, in my opinion, just as beautiful as the onyx wall in the main room.

Second floor: bedroom and private lift

You can reach the second floor via the staircase or take the private lift, which is part of the suite.

I’ve never experienced a lift right in a hotel room before.

It’s, of course, a bit of an unnecessary luxury, but at the same time one of the things that makes the Onyx Tower Suite absolutely unique.

On the second floor, there is a separate bedroom.

The bed has a very thick mattress, which at first glance might seem unnecessarily large. However, we found it extremely comfortable to sleep on, and in terms of quality, it was one of the best features of the suite.

In the bedroom, you’ll find:

• a small television
• additional wardrobes
• a separate toilet with a washbasin

There really is plenty of storage space throughout the Onyx.

I always appreciate that, although during our one-night stay we obviously didn’t have a chance to use most of the wardrobes.

Check the current prices for the Onyx Tower Suite

Third floor: a turret overlooking Brno

The lift does not go up to the top floor.

You have to climb a very narrow, winding staircase, which certainly won’t be comfortable for everyone. For heavier people or travellers with reduced mobility, access to the turret can be downright problematic.

The turret itself is small. Inside, you’ll find two chairs and, between them, a small fridge containing a bottle of sparkling wine.

To be honest, I was expecting more comfortable armchairs rather than ordinary chairs. If you want to sit here for any length of time, the comfort isn’t exactly ideal.

Part of the floor is made of glass, and there are small panoramic balconies on both sides of the turret.

And the view is the main reason why it’s worth making the climb up here.

From the balconies, you can see Zelný trh, Petrov, Špilberk… In fact, you can literally see the whole of Brno. When you combine the views from both balconies, you have a 360° panoramic view of the entire city.

A romantic moment in the turret with a glass of sparkling wine – included in the room rate – is a truly unique experience.

I even happened to wake up the next day just a few minutes before sunrise (which is after 5 am in August) and that moment alone made it all worthwhile!

Does the air conditioning work even during heatwaves?

We were in Brno during the height of the summer heatwave. It was 37 °C outside, so I was a bit worried about how comfortable it would be living right under the roof.

Fortunately, the air conditioning in the main living area and the bedroom is very powerful. We enjoyed a comfortable temperature on both floors throughout our stay.

One drawback is that the air-conditioning controls are located only by the front door. This means you can’t adjust the temperature directly from your bed.

There is no air conditioning in the turret, and it got really hot in there on a hot day.

However, given the glazing, the position directly under the roof and the open balconies, I wasn’t expecting anything else.

Perfect blackout

The blackout facilities in both the main room and the bedroom work brilliantly.

The blinds on the main windows let in practically no light at all. A little light does get in through the turret, but as it’s situated above the bedroom, it doesn’t disturb your sleep in any way.

Combined with the comfortable bed, we slept really well.

Facilities in the Onyx Tower Suite

The basic facilities are similar to those in the other Grandezza rooms:

• minibar
• safe
• electric kettle
• iron and ironing board
• bathrobes
• hotel slippers
• complimentary bottle of Mattoni water

Unlike the Junior Suite, we finally had a capsule coffee machine here too. It goes without saying in the Presidential Suite, but in my opinion it should be standard in all rooms of a five-star hotel.

In the Junior Suite, there’s only instant coffee.

The Věžička also has its own small fridge with a bottle of sparkling wine included in the price of the stay.

Watch out for the slippery stairs

The biggest practical issue with the Onyx Tower Suite is the staircase.

The stairs between the floors are very slippery. I recommend exercising the utmost caution when walking, particularly in hotel slippers.

Even more problematic is the narrow spiral staircase leading up to the turret. Not only is it steep, but some guests may find it really cramped.

If you have limited mobility, the main living area and the bedroom, which are accessible by lift, will be available to you, but you will not be able to reach the top turret.

Pre-arrival and evening service

Communication with the hotel prior to our stay was flawless.

The bouquet we’d ordered in advance was prepared exactly as agreed, and a complimentary chilled bottle of sparkling wine was also waiting for us on the table.

In the evening, the staff offered us turndown service. We declined, but the chambermaid at least brought us two small Lindt chocolates.

It’s just a small detail, but in my view, it’s precisely this sort of attention to detail that makes a stay in the presidential suite special.

Valet parking

Hotel parking costs 26 eur per day and is located in the car parks of the Velký Špalíček shopping centre.

The standard rate for public parking at Velký Špalíček is 23 eur for 24 hours, so you’re paying an extra 3 eur for the valet service.

Standard cars are not permitted to drive directly into Zelný trh. The hotel will therefore send you a Guest Card before your arrival, containing authorisation and a detailed route from Šilingrovo náměstí.

Access to the area is valid for the entire duration of your stay.

The valet service works well here. Simply stop anywhere in front of the hotel, tell reception that your car is outside, and you won’t have to worry about it at all from then on.

The service worked brilliantly at check-out too; we didn’t have to wait for the car at all.

If you need the car at any time during your stay, simply let reception know and you’ll be given a parking card for your departure and, if necessary, your return.

Breakfast is the same as for a standard room

Guests staying in the Onyx Tower Suite receive exactly the same breakfast as all other hotel guests.

Unfortunately, this means a fairly standard buffet with eggs, sausages, cheese, cold meats, bread and pastries, and a limited selection of sweet treats, fruit and vegetables.

If you have the option to choose a cheaper rate without breakfast, we’d happily go for that next time and head to our favourite Egga instead.

You can find a more detailed assessment of the breakfast, the standard Junior Suite and other services in our full review of the Grandezza Hotel.

What we liked and what we didn’t like so much

Pros	Cons
✅ Three separate floors	❌ Very slippery staircase
✅ Private lift directly in the room	❌ Extremely narrow entrance to the turret
✅ Two panoramic balconies	❌ There are no comfortable armchairs in the turret
✅ Views across the whole of Brno	❌ The air conditioning can only be controlled from the entrance
✅ Unique onyx panelling	❌ It gets hot in the turret during the summer
✅ Very comfortable bed	❌ The same average breakfast as in standard rooms
✅ A huge amount of space
✅ Excellent service

Who is the Onyx Tower Suite for?

The Onyx is simply a room for special occasions. I probably wouldn’t think of spending over 413 eur on a night’s stay during a normal visit to Brno, but I reckon it would be perfect for:

• engagements
• anniversaries
• birthdays
• a romantic weekend
• lovers of unusual hotels
• travellers for whom the room itself is the main attraction

On the other hand, I wouldn’t choose it if:

• you just want a comfortable place to stay in the centre of Brno
• you’re expecting a thoroughly modern design
• you have difficulty with narrow or slippery stairs
• you don’t want to pay a hefty surcharge for the view and the unusual layout
• you’re expecting an exceptional breakfast that matches the price of the suite

Is the Onyx Tower Suite worth the price?

In my opinion, based on our 516 eur, it is. Of course, it depends on the occasion.

It’s a hefty sum, but the Onyx offers an experience that’s hardly comparable to a standard hotel room.

You get 95 m², three floors, your own lift, two bathrooms and private balconies in a turret overlooking Brno’s historic centre.

Not everything is perfect, though. The staircase is slippery, the chairs in the turret aren’t very comfortable, and the breakfast is downright boring for a hotel of this calibre.

Nevertheless, I really liked the Onyx. I’d never experienced a private lift in a room before, and the evening view from the turret with a glass of sparkling wine is one of those moments I’ll remember.

And, of course, we left here engaged.

I’d be hesitant to book at 1239 eur. However, at around 516 eur, the price seems reasonable for a one-off, exceptional experience.

Check availability of the Onyx Tower Suite