Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace

This beautiful Art Nouveau building with an impressive stone facade has an interesting history. It was originally built as the office of a British life insurance company in 1906, and later served as communist-era housing, before opening as a hotel in 2004 after a two-year restoration. Inside, elegant touches are everywhere, from the floral arrangements in the lobby, to the mosaic tile floor underneath the glass cupola over the so-called "Peacock Passage." Pieces by 20th-century Hungarian artists are on display throughout. The overall ambience is opulent and luxurious, and the property attracts well-to-do couples and families as well as business travelers with generous expense budgets.  

The hotel is in a great location for reaching the key tourist hot spots on both sides of the Danube, including Pest sights such as St. Stephen’s Basilica (a seven-minute walk away), Parliament (10 minutes north on foot), and the State Opera House (a 15-minute walk away). Buda and the Castle District is just across the famous Chain Bridge from the hotel. It’s also very close to high-end shopping on bustling Vaci Utca (10 minutes away) and the charming -- though touristy -- Vorosmarty Square, a seven-minute walk from the hotel. There are numerous metro and tram stops within a five-minute walk from the hotel and the airport is a 25-minute drive away.

Rooms at the Gresham Palace are tastefully decorated with dark-wood Art Deco furniture complemented by beige and sea-foam green upholstery, and easy chairs with ottomans. The white walls and large windows create a light and airy ambience. Rooms start at 355 square feet (33 square meters). Comfortable king beds come with fluffy white comforters and down pillows and there is ample closet space. Some rooms also have small balconies. 

All rooms come with free Wi-Fi and bottled water, and copies of either the International edition of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal are provided each morning. Some of the less expensive rooms look directly onto the interior courtyard and street-facing rooms are well-insulated from traffic noise. Large marble bathrooms have L’Occitane en Provence toiletries as well as separate tubs and walk-in showers; toilets are located in separate privacy alcoves. 

The top floor of the hotel features a wellness area with a modern exercise room featuring weights and cardio machines, a sauna, steam rooms, a whirlpool hot tub, and an infinity lap pool. The spa has seven treatment rooms and a huge menu of treatments ranging from massages to facials. The informal brasserie offers Hungarian and Italian-influenced cuisine all day; 24-hour room service is also available. The Bar and Lobby Lounge has a piano (and frequent evening performances) and is housed in the historic Pava Udvar (Peacock Passage) under a charming glass cupola. Meeting and function rooms are available for weddings and other events.