In recent years, the Budapest Airport has been continually upgraded to become a world-class air-traffic hub, as the primary terminal was modernized with the spacious SkyCourt complex of shops and restaurants, while taxi and minibus services were increasingly regulated to prevent unauthorized transportation providers from preying on arriving passengers with inflated fares, and the buses taking people to and from the airport were replaced with modern models that give a better impression of the city’s quality of public transportation. However, one facility that is still lacking at the Budapest Airport is its own on-site hotel.
However, within the next 18 months, this is scheduled to change – the long-planned addition of a hotel at Budapest Airport began in early September with the laying of the cornerstone in what was previously a remote area of the short-term parking lot.
Considering that Budapest has a particularly advantageous geographical location in the middle of Europe, the fact that there has not been an airport hotel here to provide easily accessible accommodations for passengers with layovers was a huge deficiency – the overdue addition of this amenity will doubtlessly have a major impact on the flight-connection routes for many airlines that operate at Budapest Airport.
The plans of the new hotel were created by László Szerdahelyi of Aspectus Architects. Previous works of the team include the Hegyvidék Center in Buda, the new building of Corvinus University (in collaboration with Antal Lázár and Zoltán Oláh), and the complex of the Átrium Park Business Center on Váci Avenue.
Last year, Budapest Airport experienced record growth – they produced a double-digit increase in their passenger traffic. Budapest has favorable qualities as a place for business, and it’s a popular venue for professional meetings – however, the city is still missing a large conference center, so this new investment also includes the development of conference rooms. The guests at these types of hotels are usually businessmen, conference participants, and airline staff.
According to airport management, the five-story Ibis Styles Budapest Airport Hotel will put an emphasis on design, comfort, and creativity. The complex will be connected to the terminals by covered corridors, meaning that it can be comfortably reached on foot from the terminal no matter what the weather brings. We look forward to seeing the new airport hotel when it is completed – although we still recommend that passengers with longer layovers should come into the city center to enjoy a few of Budapest’s charms whenever possible!
