The Best Boutique Hotels to Book in Budapest
Budapest’s boutique hotels are as characterful as they are stylish. Want to stay in a vibrant art retreat? How about an inn dating from the 1600s? Or why not a night at the hotel that inspired for Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel? You get all that and more at the best boutique hotels in the Hungarian capital.
1. Kempinski Hotel Corvinus
Hotel, Luxury
The shining modern façade of this luxurious hotel leads to a spectacular interior full of elegant details, from perfectly tended plants in the pristine spa to the cheerful red jug of fresh milk on the breakfast table. Chill in immaculately styled bedrooms; there are towelling robes and fancy toiletries in the marble bathrooms. With five on-site eateries, you hardly need to venture out, but – when you do – it’s a five-minute stroll to the Danube, where you can watch the sunset from one of the riverside restaurants.
2. Corinthia Budapest
Hotel
If you’ve ever wanted to stay at Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, this might be as close as you get. The director came here in 2012, one of many celebrity guests over the 125 years since it opened, and took notes on the hotel’s colourful style and history. It’s certainly luxurious, but don’t let the Art Deco spa, copper-toned bedrooms or on-site bars and restaurants stop you from going out. The Corinthia is well-placed for exploring the historic heart of Budapest with characterful bars just around the corner – Mazel Tov offers an all-year garden, live music, draught beers and homemade apricot brandy.
3. Stories Hotel Budapest
Boutique Hotel, Independent Hotel
Bursting with characterful design and a garden café, Stories is a boutique hotel full of surprises. From sloping aquamarine ceilings with skylights to striking mezzanine bedrooms, with retro tech for some 1970s style alongside state-of-the-art monochrome bathrooms, no two corners are identical. For groups or families, splash out on one of the colourful, three-storey Presidential suites, which come with a sauna and jacuzzi.
5. Art'Otel Budapest
Chain Hotel, Budget Hotel
Contemporary American artist Donald Sultan’s vibrant paintings, prints and sculptures provide decorative touches throughout this fancy hotel near the Danube, which also has a sauna, gym and bistro. Sultan’s 579 colourful works, showing flowers that border on abstraction, draw together the two very different halves of the building: the riverfront façade is a gleaming modern cliff of tinted glass and concrete, but go round the back and you’ll find a much older, wisteria-hung courtyard, with an ochre stone balustrade and ornate, shuttered windows.
6. Pest-Buda Hotel
Boutique Hotel
Located at the centre of the Castle District, within walking distance of the Fisherman’s Bastion, Pest-Buda is a small yet splendid boutique hotel. A melange of country-house comfort and upscale urban style, each of Pest-Buda’s 10 guest rooms features original vintage furnishings as well as handcrafted local limestone bathrooms. The building itself dates back to 1696, complete with a lovingly restored Baroque roof, and has served as an inn, tavern and restaurant. The eponymous homestyle restaurant is unmissable if hearty Hungarian cuisine is what you seek – don’t leave without trying the home-made tokaj wine sausage.
7. Baltazár Budapest Boutique Hotel
Boutique Hotel, Hotel
8. Maison Bistro and Hotel
Boutique Hotel
The history of Maison is rich – it dates to the 1700s when the current Baroque-style building served as a well-known bakery. In 1964, bread made way for beats, with a nightclub occupying the site until the 1990s. After 20 years being closed, Maison Bistro and Hotel opened in 2016. Today, you can relax and unwind while taking in the refined atmosphere from one of the 17 rooms or within the garden courtyard. The culinary offerings, whether at the quaint café or charming Moorish-style bistro, are sublime and echo the elegant hotel aesthetic. The traditional Hungarian lecsó, a paprika-tomato ragout with onion, bacon, grilled duck liver and grated egg barley pasta, is a must.
9. Hotel Rum Budapest
Boutique Hotel
Occupying a terraced townhouse in Budapest’s elegant District V – the political, financial and touristic centre of the city – the boldly designed Hotel Rum creates a sense of dynamism with a contrasting colour palette, fusing tradition with contemporary chic in the use of wood and black metal. While still retaining original characteristics such as a spiral stone staircase, Hotel Rum is unabashedly à la mode and a seductive sanctuary for the hedonistic urban traveller. Located on the seventh floor, the TOPRUM Rooftop Bar offers eclectic cocktails and panoramic city views. During the warmer months, live jazz performances by local musicians take place every Wednesday evening.
10. Casati Budapest Hotel
Boutique Hotel, Budget Hotel
11. Brody House
Boutique Hotel, Hotel
12. KViHotel Budapest
Boutique Hotel
Created for the travellers of tomorrow or the tech-savvy ones of today, KViHotel is Budapest’s first paperless hotel. Located in the vibrant District VII, the hotel offers you full control over your stay via your smartphone – whether it’s booking, checking in or checking out. This hi-tech experience means rooms are opened via your phone, while room status, including cleanliness and temperature, may be monitored at any time from anywhere with just a click of your smartphone.
Want an even more intimate experience? Check out our guide to the best Airbnbs and holiday apartments in Budapest. Alternatively, there are plenty of great bed and breakfasts in the city, and a list of the best arty hotels in Budapest, bookable with Culture Trip. On a budget? Check out our pick of the best budget-friendly hotels in Budapest, bookable on Culture Trip.
Phoebe Taplin and Alex Mackintosh contributed additional reporting to this article.
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