24 Best Hotels in Budapest, Hungary

Budapest's best boutique hotel is housed in a Bauhaus-style structure built in 1937 and once used as an orphanage. Most rooms are large, but the only nod to actual design are the lighting fixtures. That said, the terra-cotta, blue, and cream color-schemes are cheery, as is the light-blue-and-cream tilework in the bathrooms. Many rooms have lovely balconies overlooking the trees and mansions of the Andrássy út.

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.

Set on a leafy street in the revitalized Palace District, Brody House was once the home of a pioneering 19th-century physician, now converted into one of the city's coolest boutique hotels. The imposing and elegant facade belies its beautiful, bohemian interior; light-filled rooms are individually designed, featuring an eclectic mix of art and reclaimed furnishings against unfinished plaster walls for a stylish, rough-luxe effect. Pre-COVID, the hotel was part of Brodyland, a venture that once included a member's club, studios, and cultural events—it's slowly being revived, but for now, Brody House continues to embody Budapest's unique creative spirit. 

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.

It doesn't get much better than this: a centrally located, super-deluxe hotel in a museum-quality landmark with the prettiest views in town. No detail has been spared in restoring this stunning 1906 Art Nouveau palace to its original majesty: delicate wrought iron vents in the hallways, exquisite gold mosaic tiles on the facade, stained-glass windows, and cupolas. Three magnificent stairwells are so grand that you may not want to use the elevators. Rooms, some with balconies and vaulted ceilings, are similarly large and plush, with the best offering stunning views of the Danube and the chain bridge. Spanish-marble bathrooms---unlike any in Budapest---have both showers and deep soaking tubs. The lobby café is modeled after the building's original shopping arcade. You don't have to stay here to enjoy the setting over a drink at their impressive mixology-focused cocktail bar, Musza, or partake in Herend Afternoon Tea (weekends, 3–6 pm) where you can indulge in tea and cakes served on famed Herend Porcelain hand-painted china while classical music plays in the background.

The newly opened W Budapest perfectly marries classic and contemporary, situated as close to the center of the city as possible. Positioned directly across from the Hungarian State Opera House and housed in the former Dreschler Palace---a series of apartments originally built in 1896 to complement the opera house---the stately, long-abandoned building underwent a 10-year renovation to restore its former glory while ensuring its many historic features were preserved. Throughout the hotel, you’ll find the W brand’s vibrant color palettes blend seamlessly with the palace's original decorative motifs, stained glass, and iron banisters and columns. Rooms are imbued with rich pastel hues, as well as light fixtures, furniture, and other features that tread nostalgic-chic. The suites that face the Opera House honor the building’s past as a ballet institute and dance academy, designed in bold monochromes to pay tribute to Swan Lake. On the lobby level, Nightingale restaurant serves contemporary Asian Fusion cuisine and mixologist cocktails alongside stunning alfresco views of the Opera House, while basement bar Society25 harks back to the golden age of speakeasies.

Five-star luxury hotel Aria’s music theme starts at the entrance and extends past the space-age piano, to the subterranean Harmony Spa, throughout the hotel, and up to the sky bar. Rooms are named for different genres (opera, classical, jazz, contemporary), artists, and other cultural touchpoints---look for the Romeo & Juliet room in the opera wing, and the Lizst room in the classical wing. Each is playful and funky with statement light fixtures, marble, and chandeliers as well as high-tech features and luxurious in-room supplies. The top-floor sunrooms have one wall and a ceiling entirely made out of glass. Guests are treated to breakfast, daily wine and cheese, and a beautiful rooftop view.

Much about this boutique hotel is small---the sauna, the fitness room, the adjoining cocktail bar Tuk Tuk, and the hotel's carbon footprint---but it's big where it counts, on style, service, and comfort. Just off the Jewish District's most bustling streets, the Casati is still in the middle of the action but with a slightly more low-key atmosphere. A green hotel, you'll find LED lighting, eco-friendly detergents, and recycled toilet paper. Public spaces are bright and colorful while rooms are decorated in either muted, neutral schemes or richer, deeper colors.

Tucked into a calm side street in Pest's up-and-coming 9th District, this Hungarian-owned budget hotel is just a few blocks from the Museum of Applied Arts and busy Ferenc körút. The tiny rooms in the Sissi wing are a bit cheaper than the Corvin, but just as nice. Decorated in cheery blue and yellow, with Scandi-style blond-wood furniture and blue-and-white checked tiles in the bathrooms—some with shower stalls, some with tubs—everything is sparse but functional. You will have more room options in the Corvin wing. Booking a room overlooking the hotel's quieter courtyard space is recommended.

The older, much more attractive next-door neighbor of the Danubius Health Spa Resort Margit-sziget was built in 1873 by Opera House architect Miklós Ybl in neo-Renaissance style. It was here that the Hungarian writer János Arany, a regular guest in the late-19th century, composed some of his greatest novels. Ceilings are high, and rooms are decorated in Empire style, with red- or blue-upholstered antique-looking wood furnishings. Guests have free admission to the thermal's well-equipped spa facilities, directly accessed by a heated, underground walkway.

For an elegant and chic hotel stay, with flavors of old and modern Budapest, it is hard to beat this boutique conversion of the former palace of Hungarian Count Nándor Zichy. Recently taken over by the Eurostars group, there is no shortage of old-world charm to be found in the renovated 19th-century building in District 8, right down the street from some of the city's hippest new cafés. Comfortable rooms and spacious common areas characterize the Zichy. A good complimentary breakfast also gets high marks in a city where breakfast is the least fussed-over meal of the day.

A quick walk around the exterior of this hotel quickly betrays its mixed architectural origins—it was built in 1977 around the remains of a 13th-century Gothic chapel—but the modern and tasteful rooms, proximity to Matthias Church, and great views from Castle Hill will soothe the most delicate of aesthetic sensibilities. The hotel's LÁNG Bistro restaurant has gorgeous views of the Danube and Pest, while there are great drinking options both high above (the elegant White Raven Skybar, a rooftop Champagne and cocktail bar serving tasty bar snacks) and far below (the atmospheric Faust Wine Cellar, set deep in the caves below Castle Hill and offering various fun and informative wine tastings).

The leafy lanes of Budapest's embassy district are where you will find this quiet, simply furnished hotel. Majestic Heroes' Square is but a short walk away, and your transport to the center is the antique underground railway line, the Földalatti.

It won't win points for its looks (externally at least), but the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, the food in the restaurant is delicious, and the location is more convenient than it seems—just behind the hill, and close to the castle. There is a bus in front of the hotel that whisks you to Pest, too. It's the best of a string of low-priced, low-key options on this strip, which is also close to a conference center.

This unfortunate-looking cement-block building has a very fortunate location: a small square just off famous Andrássy út, within easy walking distance of the Opera House, Budapest's theater district, and the Millennium underground. Inside, its former Soviet-era-institutional trappings have been replaced by friendly, restrained modern furniture. The good-humored front desk service and low prices make the Medosz an attractive budget option.

Set on the lower end of fashionable main street Andrassy út, Hotel Moments blends modern comforts and design with the sophisticated interiors and classic elegance of this carefully restored 1880 building---think frescoes, grand staircases, parquet floors, and a glass-topped atrium. There are plenty of spaces to relax and soak in the classic-contemporary atmosphere, from the small wellness area and fitness room to the lively bar. Rooms are all set around the atrium and decorated in elegant and rich, darker tones and Art Deco complements to the property’s original frescoes. The Andrassy Suite has sweeping windows and a panorama view from the Liberty Statue to the Basilica. Step outside and enjoy being right in the city center, many of the city’s Pest side attractions easily accessible from this location.

Location is this hotel's main strength, as it manages to be both quiet and extremely central, though the rooms are clean and comfortable (if a little soulless) and there's a decent breakfast restaurant, as well as an on-site gym with sauna. Despite the name—Várkert means "Castle Garden"—this friendly, modern little property is actually in Tabán (although, in fairness, it is mere steps from the beautiful Várkert Bazár and the rest of the Castle District).

Just behind Szabadság tér, tucked away on Hold utca (Moon Street), the dignified Hotel President offers a central but quiet location. A four-star hotel with all the expected amenities, it also offers special perks including a wellness center and a fantastic rooftop bar and restaurant. Occupying a statuesque urban villa, its standard rooms are mostly refurbished bearing a plain, modern look and are notably small. If possible, book a double instead as they are less bland.

The moment you step inside the Kempinski, it's clear you're in one of Budapest's finest five-star hotels, as the lovely lobby area gives way to a charming promenade lined with lounge cafés, cocktail music bars, boutique flower and gift shops, takeaway delis, and even a small art gallery. Guests can also book in for a meal at the hotel's swanky Japanese-fusion restaurant Nobu. Head upstairs to find spacious, recently refurbished rooms and suites that offer modern contemporary fittings and furnishings, large smart TVs, and glistening marble bathrooms. Treat yourself to a stay in one of the five sprawling Corvinus Art Collection Suites, which come with stunning city views and fabulous artworks. The recently refurbished, second-floor spa has a swimming pool, steam bath, multiple saunas, and a well-equipped gym, and offers a host of massages and VOYA beauty treatments. Breakfast is served in the laidback ÉS Bisztró, with terrace seating out on Fashion Street; come back in the evening for a fine steak dinner.

A classic Bauhaus villa a short walk from City Park, the Mamaison Hotel offers contemporary design, an elegant restaurant, and comfortable rooms with high ceilings and large, modern bathrooms. Almost all the bathrooms include bathtubs and most rooms have a balcony facing the leafy green side street or Andrassy út, Budapest's most elegant avenue. The restaurant, Andrássy Garden, has a space overlooking the main avenue, where guests are served breakfast.

It may be one of the least attractive buildings in Pest, but the Marriott's prime Danube location makes for some breathtaking views: Gellért Hill, the Chain Bridge, and Castle Hill are all visible from every single guest room. North American–style hospitality begins with a buffet of pastries served daily in the lobby, while facilities include a fitness center with river views, a spa with Jacuzzi and sauna, and a rooftop terrace bar. There are also two restaurants, the Hungarian food-focused DNB Budapest and the charming sky lounge bar Liz and Chain, named for the bridges on either side of the hotel.

Offering all the charm of a high-ceilinged Budapest apartment, minus the vacation rental headaches, Opera Garden is set on pedestrianized Hajós utca, surrounded by quaint bars and restaurants, and just minutes from the Opera House and Basilica on either side. Despite its unassuming entrance, this is a historic apartment complex converted into a boutique hotel, complete with a gorgeous courtyard plus a rooftop terrace featuring impressive views. The rooms and apartments are spacious and tastefully decorated, with chic interiors set against classic dark-wood furniture, and many have kitchenettes for extended stays. A small on-site gym and sauna enhance its boutique allure.

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.

Brody House is a hip-as-you-like guesthouse, where each of the rooms is named after the local artist whose work adorns the walls; it also offers a few apartments. Are these artists dilettantes or geniuses? You decide. Sky-high ceilings and free-standing bathtubs make this hotel popular with the bohemian set. The historic palace that houses the guesthouse is situated in the inner Palace District of up-and-coming District VIII and provides a very central location. Brody House also serves as private arts club, so members will be coming and going in the common areas.