Budapest is a city built for decadence, so make the most of your stay here by staying in some of its most opulent hotels.
At the heart of Budapest, you’ll find several palaces. Some appear abandoned and cordoned off, while others have been restored to their resplendent grandeur–many reincarnated as luxury hotels wrapped up in the mystique of their own history. You’ll find the most luxurious hotels in the Hungarian capital clustered around downtown Pest, on the eastern side of the Danube River. Location-wise, this makes it a prime location to explore the city. However, you’ll also see how they fit into their equally striking surroundings, giving you an immersive experience of the city’s past and present.
If you asked anyone which is Budapest’s most luxurious hotel, the Four Seasons in the Gresham Palace would be the first choice. This luxury hotel resides in a former palatial residential building constructed at the height of Budapest's Belle Epoque. The ground floor opens into an arcade once meant to house shops and offices belonging to the Gresham insurance group. It has doors large enough to bring a horse and carriage through. The hotel rooms occupy former luxury apartments, with those facing the river enjoying the finest views in the city over the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle. You’ll find all the best amenities in the hotel, like their rooftop spa. Here, you can indulge in treatments by Omorovicza, a local luxury skincare brand whose products use local healing thermal water. For drinks and dining, there is the Múzsa cocktail bar and the Kollázs Brasserie.
Known as the Corinthia today, this was Budapest’s first “Grand Hotel”–and one of the largest in Europe at the time–known then as the Grand Hotel Royal in 1896 with 350 rooms. Although a fire in the 1950s damaged a part of the hotel, parts of the original structure are intact. These include the grand ballroom on the mezzanine level and the spa, which was lost to time for many years. When the hotel wanted to construct an underground parking lot, they came across the remains of the 19th-century spa, restored to its former splendor with a stained-glass-covered rooftop and a colonnaded turquoise pool that’s free to use for guests. The hotel complex is vast, and staff can easily walk up to 15 km a day in a single working day. You’ll find four excellent restaurants on-site, a lobby bar, an Orpheum, and an impressive guest list of A-list actors, celebrities, and more.
The Aria Hotel is a boutique hotel just around the corner from the famous St. Stephen’s Basilica; in fact, you get the breathtaking view overlooking the dome of this beloved landmark from the rooftop restaurant of Aria’s High Note Bar. Aria’s concept revolves around music. As you enter the lobby, you’re greeted by piano keys stretching across the marbled floor that curves above a real grand piano. Guests are entertained each afternoon by live music, accompanied by Hungarian wine and cheese. All 49 individually-designed rooms have a musical theme; even the subterranean spa draws aesthetic influences from jazz.
If you are looking for a hotel you’ll never forget, the Mystery Hotel will certainly tick that box. What it lacks in location-being set just east of the Grand Boulevard and close to the Nyugati train station–it makes up for with its history and incredible design. The hotel resides in a former Masonic lodge. If you grab a cocktail or dinner in its stunning Great Hall, you’ll see this heritage lingering in the original Egyptian-influenced frescoes laced with Masonic imagery covering its cathedral-like ceiling. Juxtaposed with the original features of the building, you’ll find elements of modern and surreal art that blend in seamlessly. For example, an oriental carpet that loops up the wall to the ceiling in the lobby or moving pieces of digital art scattered around the hotel. The spa is compact but a jewel box, with its jacuzzi enclosed inside a conservatory in a courtyard surrounded by palm trees being the highlight.
Located on the Grand Boulevard, the New York Palace Hotel is an architectural landmark in its own right. It is home to the world’s most beautiful café. One of the perks of staying here is that guests begin their day with a lavish breakfast in the heart of the New York Café. However, its old-world opulence stretches to the rest of this magnificent building. Column-lined frescoed halls lead you to the rest of the hotel, to the 185 rooms and suites. These rooms and suites have been renovated since the Anantara group took over the historic hotel. Although the rooms have a fresh look with all the modern amenities you’d expect from a luxury hotel, they still carry the whimsical elegance of the Belle Epoque. This is done in understated gold and bronze and soft, curved lines. The spa occupies 500 square meters and resembles a soothing cave. It offers signature spa treatments you’d expect from a luxury hotel, including a heated relaxation pool. Beyond the famous café, there is a Hungarian restaurant, a bar, and private dining-by-design options.
The Párisi Udvar Hotel's most spectacular feature is its stunning art nouveau atrium. This is covered in a mosaic of clear glass, giving the ceiling a bejeweled look. The intricate Moorish and Oriental details on the building add to its awe factor. The complex has 110 rooms and 20 suites. These suites contrast the building's maximalist proportions with a soothing, plush setting in shades of vanilla and cream. The Zafír spa in the hotel evokes a Turkish hammam with warm, earthy tones and Moorish tiles. Of course, the Párisi Passage Café & Restaurant is the crown jewel. It takes up the space in the famous atrium and offers Hungarian cooking with a fine dining twist.
