• Podewils (Gdansk): Boutique hotels with genuine Old World flair, run by a crew with Jeeves' touch for pampering guests, are few and far between in Poland. Podewils is one of these rarities. You'll feel like the personal guest of an aristocratic pal.
  • Hotel Carska (Biaowieza National Park): A hotel fit for a tsar -- in this case, Russia's Tsar Nicholas II. A must for fans of unusual hotel design, this hotel/restaurant occupies a refurbished railway station that was built to welcome the tsar and his family in the 19th century. The waiting room has been converted into an upscale restaurant, but you may not want to ever leave your room.
  • Palac Bonerowski (Kraków): One of Kraków's most recent entries in the five-star category is a stunner: a sensitively restored 13th-century town house just off the main square. Many period elements, including original stonework and carvings, have been preserved in the spacious rooms.
  • Jaczno Lodge (Suwaki Landscape Park): This lovely cluster of stone-and-timber houses is hemmed in by woods and the pristine water of Lake Jaczno. The owners are architects who have meticulously designed every space, from the luxurious rooms to the rose bushes and fruit trees in the garden.
  • Hotel Monopol (Wrocaw): The hotel where Marlene Dietrich once stayed has undergone a thorough renovation. Purists might lament the loss of the old Art Nouveau interiors, but the sleek ultra-modern rooms will certainly appeal to lovers of cutting-edge contemporary design. This is the only hotel we've seen with its own in-house high-end wine-and-cheese shop.
  • Paac Paulinum (Jelenia Góra): This elegant 19th-century palais was originally the home of a Silesian textile baron; now, it's a stunningly renovated luxury hotel but, thankfully, still without the ultra-luxury price tag.
  • Lalala Arthotel (Sopot): Several imaginative and eccentric rooms designed by photographers and artists are on offer here. The owners have a deft touch for making you feel right at home.
  • Andel's (Lódz): Trendy, gleaming high-end luxury hotel carved out of one of the city's abandoned textile mills. This is a must visit for fans of Dwell and Wallpaper magazines to see what can be done with a warehouse made of blackened mortar and with loads and loads of vision (and cash).

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.