Inner City / Chain Bridge

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest

★★★★★

There are grander hotels in the world, but few with a better story or a better view. The Gresham Palace stands on Széchenyi István tér, facing the Chain Bridge, with Buda Castle directly across the Danube, and it is one of the finest Art Nouveau buildings in Central Europe. It was completed in 1906 as the Budapest headquarters of the Gresham Life Insurance Company of London, with luxury apartments above, and decorated with every refinement of the age: wrought-iron gates with peacock motifs, mosaic floors, stained glass, glass-roofed arcades and ceramic tiles. The twentieth century was not kind to it. It survived the siege of 1945 damaged, was divided into communal flats under communism, and decayed for decades, until a painstaking restoration brought it back to life, and it opened as a Four Seasons in June 2004. Today it has 179 rooms, including 19 suites, decorated in a calm, contemporary classic style, and the best of them look over the Danube to the castle and the Chain Bridge, a view that is spectacular at night, when both are floodlit. The lobby, under its restored glass ceiling, is one of the most beautiful rooms in the city. Kollázs, the brasserie, serves French cooking with Hungarian specialities, and Múzsa, the lobby bar, offers Asian-inspired drinks and dishes with a Hungarian twist. The spa, on the top floor, has an indoor infinity-edge lap pool, a Finnish sauna and signature treatments using Hungarian moor mud. Service is smooth, warm and anticipatory, and the concierge team is one of the best-connected in the city, able to arrange baths, private guides, restaurant tables and opera tickets. Rates are the highest in Budapest, and Danube-view rooms command a premium, but for a special occasion, it is the city's defining luxury address.

The location is perfect for a first visit. The Chain Bridge is at the front door, so Buda Castle is a short walk across the river and up the funicular, and the Parliament is about fifteen minutes north along the embankment. St. Stephen's Basilica is five minutes' walk east, and the Inner City's restaurants, Váci utca and Vörösmarty tér, with its Christmas market in season, are close by. The Danube promenade and the tram 2 line are just outside, and the docks for Danube cruises are a few minutes away.

Choosing the room: book a Danube-view room or suite; the view of the castle and the Chain Bridge is why you are here, and city-view rooms, though comfortable and quiet, miss the point. Higher floors give better views over the bridge. The spa and pool are a wonderful retreat after a day of sightseeing, especially in winter, and the lobby bar is a lovely place for a drink even if you are not staying. Families are well looked after, with connecting rooms, children's amenities and a concierge who can plan family-friendly days.

The value case: Budapest offers excellent hotels at lower prices, and a four-star base will cost a fraction of the price. What the Gresham Palace delivers is the combination of historic architecture, the best view in Pest, flawless service and a location from which you can walk to almost everything. For a honeymoon, an anniversary or a once-in-a-lifetime visit, it is worth it. Book early for December and for spring and summer weekends.