Slotting in the key card to power up our dark hotel room, I dance in to Kendrick Lamar’s Backseat Freestyle, neatly set up to start playing on a retro record player.
Our surroundings are illuminated by multicoloured fairy lights across a chillout area overlooking the hotel’s neogothic gates.
This sets the tone for a stay at the Moxy Warsaw Praga. Part of a planned network of lifestyle hotels from Marriott International, it’s playful but not childish – and an Instagrammer’s dream.
Handwritten hashtags adorn the mirrors, the huge open-plan lobby is scattered with oversized board games and kitsch toys from the ’80s, and the 24-hour bar doubles as the check-in.
There’s an inclusive, more sensible side too. so that guests over 30 don’t feel too old. The overall philosophy is about connectivity, modern design and comfortable rooms.
Warming my cockles beside a cool transparent fireplace in the lobby’s relaxation zone, I could easily have grabbed another flatbread from the all-day self-service snack area but we opt for a mooch about the Old Town.
The room
Our family room at the top is big, with a balcony, extra pull-out sofa bed and a large bathroom with trendy Muk toiletries and a shower big enough for two (oo-er).
An old-school rotary telephone keeps our record player company in the chillout corner and the room is dominated by a 49in TV. The motion-activated underglow bed lights are a nice touch too.
The tribe
All sorts. I see twentysomething creatives bouncing ideas about over beers, loved-up mini-break couples, a Friday night Rummikub club and a family of five fighting over flatbreads.
The local vibe
The hotel stands on the site of what was once the Warsaw Vodka Factory ‘Koneser’ but is now the Praga Koneser Center: a complex of bars, restaurants, shops and galleries you can happily wander around for a weekend.
However, a glance at the stark architecture reminds you where you are, and the Old Town is the place to learn about Warsaw’s complex history.
Stroll along the Royal Route and seek out the 17th-century bronze Wishing Bell, hop around it on one leg and make a wish. (Yes, I looked like a plonker. No, I haven’t won the lottery yet.)
Find more culture in the form of arty propaganda at the Neon Museum (£3) and combine the lot with a historic, cultural boozy hit at the Polish Vodka Museum (£9). Opt for the tasting – the museum is within staggering distance of the Moxy.
Flight from London to Warsaw from £26 return, from Ryanair. Rooms at Moxy Warsaw Praga from £45pn.
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