9 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.

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.

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.

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 custom-made Art Deco 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.

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.

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.