The indulgent spirit of Hungarian hospitality is rightfully legendary – many hotels here offer world-class accommodation and services with genuinely caring professionalism, often offered for remarkably friendly prices. In this instalment of our monthly Checking In series, we look around at the latest developments in Budapest’s hotel scene for the latest news, special promotions and unbelievable bargains of September 2018.
Hilton Budapest hires top Magyar chef Imre Maráczi to oversee rebirth of the Icon Restaurant
Continuing a top-to-bottom long-term renovation of the Hilton Budapest (occupying a prime Castle District location next door to historic Matthias Church), the five-star hotel’s popular Icon Restaurant is currently receiving a complete modernisation with a new bistro-and-grill concept, set to debut this autumn. To oversee the rebirth of this panoramic eatery, renowned Magyar chef Imre Maráczi will be the Hilton Budapest’s new executive chef, while also serving as Corporate Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage for the property’s parent company, Danubius Hotels Group. Chef Maráczi began his career at the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest before a series of international posts at varied upscale eateries, including Germany’s Michelin-starred Schwarzer Adler Restaurant and Hotel, Hotel Hilton and Kempinski properties in Egypt, and for InterContinental in Aruba, where he cooked for several celebrities. More recently, Maráczi was the head chef for the Budapest Marriott Hotel. To learn more about the Hilton Budapest’s elegant dining offers, see their official website.
New three-star D8 Hotel is currently under construction in the heart of downtown Pest
Budapest visitors will soon have another option when selecting a place to sleep in downtown Pest – the new D8 Hotel is currently under construction at Dorottya utca 8, a short stroll from the Chain Bridge and focal Vörösmarty tér. This youthfully stylish property is being developed by Budapest’s own Continental Group – proprietors of the recently opened Hotel Clark on the Buda riverfront, along with the Hotel Moments and Hotel Palazzo Zichy – to provide 121 modern guest rooms in two categories: standard rooms of 15 square metres and family rooms of 25 square metres that sleep four. The three-star D8 Hotel will also feature a laid-back lounge and serve breakfast with hot and cold dishes, including gluten- and lactose-free offers every morning. With guest-room interiors already completed and finishing touches currently being installed, the D8 Hotel will open for business this month – check out the D8 Hotel website to learn more.
The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest brings back business lunches at their Deák St. Kitchen restaurant
With its super-central location a few steps from the Deák Ferenc tér transport hub, the welcoming Deák St. Kitchen restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest is an extremely easy location for arranging a meeting – a particularly tempting prospect with the imminent return of their business-lunch menu. Beginning on September 17th, guests can enjoy a gourmet midday two- or three-course meal featuring local specialities (such as the Mangalica burger with wasabi sour cream or wild-mushroom risotto) available between noon and 3pm every weekday. Sweetening the deal, The Ritz-Carlton is currently participating in the You Eat We Give fundraising initiative. During all of September and October, the hotel provides a one-euro donation to charity for every single lunch or dinner ordered at the Deák St. Kitchen, supporting Hungary’s SOS Children’s Villages to help underprivileged young adults develop independent lives and careers. Log onto The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest website for more information.
Hungarian supermodel Barbara Palvin reveals her favourite Budapest hotels in an interview with Paris Vogue
In August, the Paris edition of Vogue published an interview with 24-year-old Hungarian supermodel Barbara Palvin, inquiring about the rising star’s favourite hangouts and hotspots in her native Budapest. Along with revealing her preferred bars (Ötkert, BOB and PONTOON), thermal baths (Széchenyi and Király), and eateries (Cserpes Tejivó for breakfast and Tokio for sushi), the interview kicks off with the question, “What’s your favourite hotel in Budapest?” While Palvin understandably mentions that she likes to stay in her own home when she is here, she named the New York Palace (now belonging to The Dedica Anthology collection of premier hotels), the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest and the Hotel Central Basilica as her favourite lodgings in the Magyar metropolis. To read the entire Paris Vogue article, click here.
Aquincum Hotel presents new Autumn Recreation package for stays with spa pampering
Enjoy the change of seasons in Budapest with a bargain to fall for – the new Autumn Recreation package now available at Óbuda’s Aquincum Hotel, a full-service spa resort overlooking the Danube. Pairs of visitors who take advantage of this offer by booking a minimum two-night stay between September 1st and November 24th enjoy a welcome drink after checking in, along with buffet breakfast every morning, a 20-minute conditioning massage for each guest, unlimited use of the hotel’s expansive Aronia Spa and Wellness Center (including thermal pools and saunas), unlimited use of a smartphone providing free local and international calls, and other attractive amenities, all for as little as 120 euros per night per room. Check out the Aquincum Hotel website for complete package details.
