Getting ready for its grand opening in July, we looked around at Budapest's new luxury hotel. The W Budapest Hotel is housed in the historical and breathtaking Drechsler Palace on Andrássy Avenue (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site), meaning you can spend your holiday in an actual palace from mid-summer. Minor works are still ongoing, but the building already looks fabulous. It is filled with illusions, pretty colours, and design elements drawn from chess and ballet, making us feel like walking into Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel. And did we mention it comes with rooms facing the Hungarian Opera House, which you can already book?
W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott International, opens its first hotel in Budapest in July. And it is housed in the iconic Drechsler Palace on Andrássy Avenue, where you can feel like staying in a French Renaissance palace in the Loire Valley. But in a modern, urban, and playful environment and with all the comfort of the 21st century. The 19th-century building is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but despite the title, it had been a ghost house for the past two decades (see photos here). So we are beyond delighted to see it regain its old glory.
The official opening date is July 10th, but we had the chance to peek inside the hotel before that. We entered the building through its original side door, which once gave way to horse carriages, and found ourselves in the courtyard. Looking around and up at the veil-like glass roof, we were stunned.
The design drew inspiration from the palace’s rich cultural history and multiple identities as a café, social hub and Hungarian State Ballet Academy. Walking around, you can spot many original features, such as the wrought iron bannisters of the stairwell, the flooring, cast iron columns, stained glasses, or reliefs. But all the features are presented in a playful and modern way: take the rich colour palette of green, coral and deep blues,alongside a contemporary twist on Zsolnay tiles, jewellery-inspired light fittings and decorative motifs!
The hotel offers an inviting, unexpected and sophisticated setting for the next generation of luxury travellers. It comes with 151 stylish guestrooms and suites, including an all-black (Extreme WOW - W’s take on the Presidential Suite) and an all-white (WOW suite) suite facing the Opera House and taking inspiration from the famous ballet Swan Lake. The hotel houses an intriguing speakeasy bar, a pretty restaurant with a terrace (Nightingale), a lounge (W Lounge) and a mysterious, Art Deco-inspired spa (AWAY Spa).
The hotel also pays homage to the city’s famous love of chess throughout its ‘Budapest Gambit’ inspired design. Chequered board patterns pop up unexpectedly, and guestrooms feature black and white tiled walls and recesses. That is complemented by odes to Budapest’s café culture and Houdini-inspired illusions with mirrors and water features, creating a feeling of never-ending space and serenity.
The building once was home to the State Ballet Institute and the Hungarian Dance Academy, which is also reflected in the interior: ballet is celebrated through soft pink hues, curved lines, and impressive lighting installations, and let's not forget about the Swan Lake-inspired suites.
The building has been carefully restored and transformed by interior designers Bowler James Brindley (London) and Bánáti + Hartvig (Hungary).
To book a stay, visit the hotel's website, and follow them on Instagram for updates.
