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Warsaw's first boutique hotel has only been open since June 2003, but its Art Deco ambience recalls the Polish capital's heyday between the wars. Tucked away
in a quiet and secluded side street, it is conveniently central but mercifully hidden from the brutalist tower blocks and dual carriageways that blight the city centre. The Stalinist Palace of Culture and Sciences is just a few blocks away, but here you feel you could be in Paris. Only the bullet-holes in the nearby apartments hint at the battles that raged around here during World War II. The belle époque exterior has been delicately restored; and although the interior is brand new, you'd never know it, since the entire building is tastefully decorated in a range of Twenties and Thirties styles, and furnished with an array of period antiques and immaculate reproductions.
The cosy library is well stocked with upmarket books, magazines, CDs and DVDs, and the sleek restaurant should dispel any prejudices you may harbour about Polish food. Resident chef Kurt Scheller is renowned for introducing a light, cosmopolitan flavour to Varsovian cuisine. Born in Switzerland, he has worked as far afield as Berlin and Bahrain. The Rialto's intimate scale and discreet location give it an exclusive atmosphere, and although many of the guests may be business travellers, it will never be just another business hotel.
WHEN TO GO
Polish winters tend to be harsher than those in Britain, but the
summers can be hotter too, so to discover this re-emerging metropolis on foot, it's best to travel in spring or autumn.
ROOM TO BOOK
Each room is unique, and each has its own charms, but the 11 suites are especially appealing.
CONTACT
Hotel Rialto, ul Wilcza 73, 00-670 Warsaw (00 48 22 58 48 700; fax: 58 48 701). Doubles from €262; suites from €417
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