Villa Fitz: A 19th-century administrative building has been converted into a hotel

·15 July 2026

The Neo-Renaissance Villa Fitz in Rokycany, the Czech Republic, has undergone a major transformation. The 19th-century building had long stood abandoned, but following a comprehensive renovation and extension, it has become a hotel open to the public, featuring a restaurant, a wellness area, a fitness centre and conference facilities. The project was designed by the architectural practice luni architekti.

Villa Fitz – history and the path to renovation

The villa was built in 1869 as a private residence and went on to serve several purposes over the course of more than 150 years. In the past, it housed, amongst other things, a gendarmerie station, a Czech police station and the District Public Administration Office; however, over time, the building was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The architectural practice luni architekti decided to breathe new life into this beautiful historic building and restore it to its former glory. For Lukáš Janout, the project also held personal significance, as the architect remembered the villa from his childhood. Together with the developers, he decided to create a space within it that was lacking in Rokycany, situated just 16 kilometres from Plzeň. Today, the former administrative building serves residents and visitors alike, offering high-quality accommodation, dining and leisure facilities. It takes its name from Johann Fitz, the former owner of the residence.

The villa at the start of the 20th century. Source: villafitz.cz

Back to the early 20th century

The designers have restored the villa to its former appearance, bringing it closer to the state it was in following the 1909 reconstruction designed by the architect Bohuslav Ryšavý. To this end, later additions which had distorted the building’s form over the decades were removed. A new section has been added to the east, with proportions reminiscent of the historic building, but featuring a modernised arrangement of windows, doors, walls, cornices and gables. A single-storey, fully glazed pavilion housing a restaurant was designed between the old and new sections. This transparent space offers a superb view of the park, whose greenery almost spills into the interior.

Traditional materials and modern amenities

During the renovation of the villa’s façade, wooden windows were fitted, and traditional roof tiles and plasterwork were applied, thus paying homage to the historic design. The new section features brick walls and reinforced concrete ceilings, which are also used in the basement. The restaurant has been fitted with an aluminium mullion-and-transom façade with large glazed sections. The building is heated by gas boilers and fan coil units in the hotel rooms, whilst a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery is responsible for air exchange. The combination of traditional materials with large glass panes clearly emphasises the boundary between the historic building and the new part of the complex.

Villa Fitz has been given a new lease of life

The complex has been divided into several functional areas. Guests have access to a hotel, a restaurant with a private lounge, a multi-purpose conference room, a fitness centre, a wellness area and commercial premises. In the restaurant, located in the connecting corridor, the exposed concrete and visible services have been left as they are, whilst the centrepiece of this interior is a large fireplace and a bar finished with large-format tiles. The hotel rooms, meanwhile, are fitted with bespoke furniture, marble-effect cladding and small tiles. In the conference room in the attic, visitors can admire the preserved suspended structure of the former bell tower, whilst the wellness area has been fitted out in the historic cellars with brick vaults and stone-and-brick walls. The results of this redevelopment were recognised in the Best of Realty 2024 competition, where Villa Fitz took second place in the hotels category out of 70 entries.