3 Best Hotels in Budapest, Hungary

Dating to the late 19th century when it was constructed for the New York Insurance Company, the opulent New York Palace Hotel is as gilded and glamorous as its famous café suggests. After a tumultuous history that saw its historic site lying dormant following the fall of the Iron Curtain, the New York Palace Hotel reopened in 2006 as a five-star member of Italy’s Boscolo Hotels, and in 2020 it became part of the Anantara brand under the NH Hotel Group. The marble facade is adorned with ornate carvings and clock towers, while inside, grand columns, chandeliers, and frescoes transport guests back to a golden era. The gilded stucco and plush velvet of the iconic café extend into the hotel rooms where you will find warm golden hues, silk wallpaper, high ceilings, and elegant bathrooms. Executive Premium rooms have balconies with views of the parliament, castle, and basilica. It's worth exploring the cavernous underground spa, for its wide selection of signature treatments or just a relaxing dip in the heated pool.

The Corinthia first opened as the opulent Grand Royal Hotel, in time for the Magyar Millennium in 1896. The subsequent century unfortunately wasn't very kind to it---two world wars, communist rule, the 1956 revolution, and more contributed to the hotel’s decline and eventual closure, and it wasn’t until an extensive renovation in 2003 that it reclaimed its former glory. Its storied past has served it well, though, as the chief inspiration for Wes Anderson’s 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel. The expansive atrium lobby is full of Italian marble and wrought-iron ornamentation, and the hotel's Royal Spa---a dazzling reconstruction of a spa designed and built in the late 1880s and operating until 1944---is replete with a swimming pool, saunas, Jacuzzis, massage salons, tropical showers and more. Guest rooms and suites are stylish with dark wood and jewel-tone upholstery; bathrooms are all-Italian, from marble floors to gleaming fixtures.

A funky three-star hotel located in the Jewish District, Roombach offers trendy colorful design with a homey touch. Front-facing rooms have a view to the gorgeous 1872 synagogue designed by Otto Wagner, while guests in the back escape the nightly bustle of partygoers. Complimentary breakfast is served in a bright café and bar facing the street. While this place may not have everything, what it does have is a central location at an affordable price.