Check out our Hotel Avion Brno review and find out what it’s like staying in one of the world’s narrowest hotels.
Welcome to our Hotel Avion Brno review, based on our recent 4-night stay in this 4-star hotel in the centre of the Czech Republic’s second city.
It’s a unique design hotel within a short walk of many Brno sights, and unusually also a National Cultural Monument. The Avion Hotel is one of the most famous Functionalist buildings in the Czech Republic, a late 1920s gem with many wonderful design features.
So read on for all you need to know about staying at the Avion Hotel Brno.
Hotel Avion Brno Review – Why Stay?
Hotel Avion is one of the best hotels in Brno city centre, ideally situated with many of the best things to do in Brno within just a few minutes’ walk.
The recently restored Hotel is a National Cultural Monument, one of the key works of prominent Brno architect Bohuslav Fuchs.
Brno has some of the finest Functionalist architecture in Central Europe, and the Avion Hotel is a major part of this legacy, which includes the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Villa Tugendhat Brno.
The Hotel has many wonderful design features, from its distinctive furniture and windows to its Piet Mondrian-influenced red, yellow and blue colour scheme.
Part of the Hotel is also a Museum, which guests can visit for free.
Brno Hotel Avion History
The Avion Hotel was built in 1928-1929 by the Brno-based modernist architect Bohuslav Fuchs.
The site was previously occupied by an inn, U Kosteleckeho.
It was built on an unusual plot of land, just 8 metres wide and 34 metres deep. So it’s one of the narrowest hotel premises in Europe.
The Hotel operated until 2016, though its condition had greatly deteriorated by this time. It was then rebuilt from 2016 to 2022.
Hotel Avion Brno Architecture And Design
The Avion Hotel is one of the best-known examples of Functionalist architecture in the Czech Republic.
Functionalism was a major departure from the likes of Art Nouveau which preceded it.
The architect of Villa Tugendhat, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, described his building style as ‘skin and bones’, the structure kept very simple with little or no ornamentation.
There are some similarities in the features of Hotel Avion to those at Villa Tugendhat – particularly the large windows on the façade.
Hotel Avion Brno Rooms
There are 37 rooms in the Avion Hotel. We were lucky to be allocated Room 502, at the front of the building, overlooking Česká Street.
Our room was a spacious large double with a beautiful brand-new bathroom.
We particularly liked the light, airy feel from the large windows – which were essentially walls of glass.
We also loved the colour scheme in our room and throughout the Hotel. I liked the quirky white bedside lampshades, which stand out wonderfully against the red walls.
Some of the other rooms in the Avion Hotel have great views over other parts of the city. The rooms at the back of the Hotel offer views of the two Baroque churches, St James (below which is the Brno Ossuary) and St Thomas on Moravské náměstí.
Avion Hotel Brno Breakfast And Meals
Breakfast is served in the Italian bistro on the ground floor of the Hotel.
There was a very good buffet spread, covering pastries, eggs, meats, sausages, cheese and lots of fruit.
The buffet was continually replenished, and the hot food was what it was meant to be – hot! It set us all up nicely for our three days in Brno and then our trip back to Prague.
We also enjoyed a pizza from the bistro one evening at one of the tables on the street outside.
Hotel Avion Brno Rooftop Views
One of the unexpected bonuses of staying in Hotel Avion is the incredible rooftop terrace.
We visited in a gorgeous Indian summer week at the end of September and had the views to ourselves whenever we felt the urge.
It’s almost a 360-degree panorama of Brno, with especially great views of the nearby St James Church and Špilberk Castle. There are also views of other Brno landmarks close by, including the Old Town Hall Tower and the iconic Brno Cathedral.
The views are especially beautiful at sunrise, sunset and dusk.
Hotel Avion Brno Museum
The Avion Hotel Museum occupies the second and third floors of the building.
It’s a very high space, the height accentuated by the narrowness of the available space.
The space differs considerably from the rest of the hotel, particularly with the grids of small square panes of glass. Although there is also a typical large window overlooking the street.
The Museum also contains several examples of sleek contemporary (1920s-1930s) furniture which give you an idea of how the hotel would have looked around the time it first opened.
Hotel Avion Brno Room Rates
We paid around $100 for a large double when we stayed at the Avion Hotel. We’ve checked rates several times since and they have tended to be similar. They tend to drop from Sundays to Thursdays, rising for Fridays and Saturday nights.
You can book your stay at the Hotel Avion by following this link.
Getting To Hotel Avion Brno
The Hotel is very easy to reach. It’s a short taxi ride from the train and bus stations in Brno. Or you could get tram 4 or 9 to Náměstí Svobody (two stops) or Česká (3 stops) then walk 3-5 minutes from either to the Hotel. Both stops are on Rašinovo.
Alternatively it’s a 10-15 minute walk from the stations.
Hotel Avion Brno Review – Final Words
I was very intrigued by the prospect of staying in a Functionalist design hotel, and if anything, Hotel Avion exceeded my expectations. We had a great stay in a fascinating city, and I left with a greater appreciation of the wonders of Functionalism than when I arrived. It would make a great base for returning to check out some of the best day trips from Brno.
Disclaimer – We stayed three nights at Avion Hotel Brno as guests of TIC Brno, and paid for an additional night’s accommodation ourselves. All opinions and views expressed in this article are entirely my own.
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.
Explore more of our articles on Brno and Moravia here:
- Brno Ossuary – the resting place of 50,000 souls below the streets of Brno
- One Day In Brno – 24 Hours In The Czech Republic’s Superb Second city
- Brno Christmas Markets – atmospheric Christmas cheer in the Moravian capital
- Lednice Castle – magnificent World Heritage Castle, part of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape
- Mikulov – breathtaking historic border town a stone’s throw from Austria