The best hotels in Budapest have been riding high of late thanks to a bevy of international names arriving in the capital, the latest addition being St. Regis in May 2026. Settled by Celtic tribes and developed into a flourishing city of baths and amphitheatres by the Romans, where Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote part of his Meditations, the city on the majestic Danube that eventually became Budapest (and the capital of one of Europe’s largest and most splendid empires) offers a universe of cultural flavours to charm every palate.
From Islamic shrines and Ottoman bathhouses to Art Nouveau, baroque and neo-renaissance palaces, ruin bars, and Michelin-starred restaurants, there's no shortage of things to see and do. The great European artery, the Danube, winds through the city, crossed by ornate bridges that link the genteel villas and medieval streets of the Buda hills with the elegant boulevards of Pest. Compact and eminently walkable, Budapest has world-class museums, galleries, architecture and music venues, and a burgeoning food scene from contemporary street food to destination restaurants, while hidden courtyards reveal artisan bakeries and coffee shops, boutiques of traditional crafts and innovative fashion. And with some of Europe’s most elegant and distinctive luxury hotels, you may want to stay for longer than just the weekend. This is our pick of the best hotels in Budapest.
In this article
Editor's picks of the best hotels in Budapest
- For couples: The St. Regis Budapest
- For families: Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace
- For Christmas markets: W Budapest
The St. Regis Budapest
Matt Charlton
Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel
Matt Charlton
St. Regis Budapest
The St. Regis Budapest
The St. Regis Budapest opened in May 2026 in the historic Klotild Palace. One of the city's most iconic architectural landmarks was commissioned by Archduchess Maria Clotild of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha at the turn of the 20th century, the twin Klotild and Matild Palaces envisioned as a magnificent gateway to Budapest — framing the newly built Elisabeth Bridge and welcoming travellers into the heart of Pest. The location is prime, the service is top-notch, the surroundings are seamless, and relaxing. If you are an existing St. Regis devotee, you’ll get everything you’re hoping for, with an additional sprinkling of mid-European Belle Époque elegance. If you’re a first timer, you’ll certainly want to return to this one (Budapest is too much for one trip), and then try all the others. You are welcomed with ceremony, looked after with care, and waved off like an old friend. The concierge and butler service ties it all together, with considered service anticipating your needs and even thinking of things you weren’t even aware that you needed. The smooth running of such a new property is a credit to everyone involved, and they will certainly succeed in making every other luxe hotel in the city up their game. Matt Charlton
Address: Budapest, Váci u 34, 1052 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £350 per night.
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace
This is Budapest’s grandest hotel, a 1906 marvel of the Secession movement (a central European take on Art Nouveau) that’s undergone an exceptional renovation. Chandeliers and stained glass have been repaired and cleaned, mosaic tiles scrubbed, white stucco repainted. Its location couldn’t be better: on the riverfront, in the heart of buzzing Pest, looking across the Danube to hilly Buda and the medieval Old Town, and right by the famous Chain Bridge. In rooms expect parquet floors, a palette of pale greys and, as ever with Four Seasons, an excellent bed. But if you like to sleep with the window open you have to choose between a room at the front with a marvellous view – across the Danube to the hilltop Buda Castle, wonderful at night – or a quieter, duller room at the back without traffic noise. The Kollázs brasserie, with its Belle Epoque vibe, is a bustling, fun place to have breakfast, especially at a table on the street-side terrace. The hotel is also perfectly placed for exploring the city – the smart shops of Andrassy Avenue, a broad boulevard modelled on the Champs-Elysées, are nearby, as are the Franz Litszt museum, the glorious Hungarian State Opera House and the House of Terror Museum, which tells the story of the Nazi and Communist depredations in Budapest. Trams stop close to the hotel, or you can walk across the bridge to get the old funicular up to the heights of Buda. Adriaane Pilou
Address: Budapest, Széchenyi István tér 5-6, 1051 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £485 per night.
Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel
Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel
Originally opened in 1894 as the lavish European headquarters for New York Life Insurance Company (hence Lady Liberty at the apex of the café entrance), it was designed by renowned Hungarian architect Alajos Hauszmann, blending Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic, and Art Nouveau styles. Like staying inside a fancy Belle Époque cake, the luxury of one of Budapest’s most photographed addresses comes from your surroundings and the excellent spa treatments. Make sure you don’t take the backdrops for granted, and indulge in the food offerings which are all set against these glamorous, impressive spaces — whether that be the striking atrium, or the White Lounge, which is attached to the New York Cafe and its constant tourist queue. Accommodation is opulent and well-equipped, but try to plump for a room in the newer section of the hotel, even though this will mean missing out on an elevated view of the atrium every time you step out of your room. Stay here for old school glamour with just the right amount of modern convenience, placing you in the center of everything you could wish to get out of your Budapest visit. Matt Charlton
Address: Budapest, Erzsébet krt. 9, 1073 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £280 per night.
W Budapest
W Budapest is an exploration of duality. Housed in the Drechsler Palace, a building designed by architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos and previously home to the headquarters of the Hungarian State Ballet Academy, this is a hotel that firmly modernises the W brand while drawing deep influence from Hungary's past. A chessboard theme runs through the interior design, a homage to the city's national pastime: black-and-white tiles decorate every bathroom and elevator, and the two most splendid suites – the all-black Black Swan suite and all-white White Swan suite – call back to both sides of the board, as well as the duelling black and white swans from Swan Lake. The Black Swan suite also houses a sculptural chessboard designed by artist Ronan Mckenzie, so you can practise your game while exploring the shops of glamorous Andrássy Avenue. Downstairs, the AWAY Spa is a veritable hall of mirrors inspired by Houdini's great illusions, and even a contortionist's sore muscles would be soothed by the clever massages. For lunch and dinner, enjoy refined dining at Le Petit Beefbar restaurant, and then sink into one of the teal velvet sofas in the stylish W Lounge bar for a cocktail served by one of the hotels inventive mixologists. Cassie Doney
Address: Budapest, Andrássy út 25, 1061 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £220 per night.
GEORGE FAKAROS VISION REQUIRED
Dorothea Hotel, Budapest, Autograph Collection
A short stroll from the Danube and just off Vörösmarty Square, the heart of central Pest, known for its grand cafés, high-end boutiques and festive markets, the Dorothea Hotel brings a regal flourish to Budapest’s downtown. It’s an homage to Archduchess Dorothea, a nineteenth-century champion of women’s rights and Hungarian culture, and it blends historical grandeur with contemporary flair. Designed by Piero Lissoni, interiors feature vaulted ceilings, carved folk-inspired motifs, and a striking blue 3-storey Zsolnay-tiled wall in the lobby. Rooms range from heritage-style with restored panelling and details from nineteenth-century Hungarian paintings, to contemporary spaces with subtle touches of Hungarian tradition in the details of the furnishings. Each is paired with a striking photographic portrait of a woman in period dress with a modern twist by celebrated Hungarian photographer Zoltán Tombor. Dining spans Pavilon’s soaring glass-roofed courtyard with seasonal Hungarian dishes and Sunday brunch, which in summer 2026 will become the first Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill in Central Europe, Alelí, a cheerful Italian osteria, and BiBo Budapest, a Michelin-recommended rooftop restaurant from Spanish chef Dani García, of three-Michelin-star fame. The calm, 650-square-metre spa includes a 15-metre pool, sauna, steam room and a great selection of treatments and massages, including signature treatments drawing on Hungarian botanicals.
Address: Budapest, Dorottya u. 2, 1051 Hungary
Price: Room from around £220 per night.
TAMAS BUJNOVSZKY
Hotel Clark Budapest
On the Danube at the foot of the Castle Hill, Hotel Clark occupies the site of a grand 19th-century bank, destroyed in World War II and later home to Budapest’s first ruin bar. Now reborn as a bold design hotel, it mixes contemporary Hungarian art, playful references to the lions of the nearby Chain Bridge, and sleek, design-forward interiors by Ákos Bara. The 79 rooms and suites, some with fabulous free-standing bathtubs, face either the river or a tranquil courtyard, while the luxurious top-floor studios have spacious private terraces with panoramic views. The mood is relaxed but curated, with a real emphasis on community and creativity. Leo Bistro downstairs serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with international and Hungarian flavours, and strong vegan and vegetarian offerings; upstairs, Leo Rooftop is a buzzy bar and small-plates spot with knockout views across the river towards the Basilica. The hotel also offers a compact gym and Finnish sauna. Look out for seasonal menus, art exhibitions and dangerously tasty signature cocktails themed around ancient Hungarian shamanic rituals.
Address: Budapest, Clark Ádám tér 1, 1013
Price: Rooms from around £214 per night.
Kimpton BEM Budapest / IHG / Jancsó Gergely / Greg Images
Kimpton BEM Budapest
The only full-service, 5-star hotel on the Buda side of the Danube, the Kimpton BEM occupies an elegant, white, neoclassical 19th-century building that overlooks the Danube from a small garden square. Designed by Marcel Wanders, the creator of the Mondrian South Beach, public spaces are bold, with intricate mosaics and oversized sculptures in the lobby. Bulbous tiled columns rise to the lofty ceiling of the airy AGOS restaurant, and the corridors of the guest floors have black or green and gold-walled corridors, illustrated with images of the spines of books, and fish, animals and insects. A short walk from the castle district and the leafy avenues of Margaret Island, and just across the river from downtown Pest, the hotel offers compact, comfortable rooms that combine glossy green or blue handmade tiles and coordinated carpets with furniture and fittings from Wanders’ own Moooi brand, as well as a handful of spacious, individually designed suites, of which the largest features a private roof terrace larger than the hotel’s serene rooftop cocktail bar, Fennen. On the ground floor, the AGOS restaurant serves imaginative, exquisitely prepared Mediterranean-inspired food with a Hungarian twist, and the Huso bar tempts guests with classic and signature cocktails, while in the basement spa, guests can unwind with a sauna, steam bath or jacuzzi.
Address: Budapest, Bem József tér 3, 1027 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £135 per night.
Aria Hotel Budapest
Just 100 metres from the towering cupola of St Stephen's Basilica and arranged around a glass-roofed 19th-century courtyard, the Aria Hotel is hands-down the place for music-lovers in Budapest. Placido Domingo, Lennie Kravitz and Rita Ora are amongst those who have enjoyed the hotel’s music-inspired hospitality, and the walls of the Café Liszt are covered in the signatures of other famous musical guests. The four musically themed wings contain 49 rooms, either with private terraces onto the courtyard, or views onto the elegant surrounding streets. Each room is inspired by famous composers, iconic operas and celebrated performers, decorated with fabulous original art by Czech caricaturist Josef Blecha, and has its own marble fireplace, with décor ranging from the voluptuous and extravagant purples of the opera wing to the more restrained palette and lines of the classical wing. After a day of sightseeing guests can unwind each day from 4-6pm over complimentary cheese and wine in the Music Garden courtyard, which from Thursday to Sunday is accompanied by live music from the best local performing artists.
Address: Budapest, Hercegprímás u. 5, 1051 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £300 per night.
GEORGE FAKAROS
Matild Palace
One of a matching pair of neo-baroque fin de siècle palaces built on the orders of Princess Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and protected by UNESCO, the Matild Palace, is one of only two hotels in Budapest to have been awarded two keys by the Michelin guide, and marries award-winning contemporary design with beautifully restored heritage elements. It's home to the first Spago restaurant by Wolfgang Puck in Europe, which offers one of the most spoiling Sunday brunches in Budapest. Guests at the Matild can also sip cocktails while enjoying panoramic views from the excellent Duchess rooftop bar. Rooms have soaring four-metre ceilings, herringbone parquet flooring and contemporary furnishings that combine sumptuous bursts of rich colour with high taste. For a unique experience book the extraordinary three-storey tower suite, with 360-degree views of Budapest and the Danube that will stay with you.
Address: Budapest, Váci u 36, 1056 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £390 per night.
Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest
An expression of the golden age of early-20th century Budapest in stained glass, ceramics and endlessly intricate patterns and sculptural details, the vertiginous and breath-taking atrium of the Párisi Udvar or “Parisian Court” is a masterpiece of art nouveau extravagance. It was reopened to the public as a luxury hotel in 2019 after over 85,000 hours of painstaking restoration work. Rooms are a model of restrained modern elegance mixed with classical lines, where cool colours provide respite from the riot of detail of the public areas. The vast presidential suite with its spectacular wraparound rooftop terrace is the largest in Budapest. In the evening, the ÉTOILE Champagne bar features an extensive bottle list and a generous selection available by the glass, and when you are suitably infused with bubbles, the Párisi Passage Restaurant offers delicious Hungarian and international classics with wine pairings. Or, for the more adventurous, just step outside to find yourself in the very centre of Budapest’s pedestrian central shopping and tourist district.
Address: Budapest, Petőfi Sándor u. 2-4, 1052 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £385 per night.
Eric d'Herouville
Kozmo Hotel Suites & Spa
The Kozmo, housed in a striking building blending neo-baroque and Art Nouveau elements that was in the 1920s Europe’s second-largest telecommunications centre, is a hit for lovers of contemporary design. It can be found on a leafy square just outside Budapest’s Palace District and within walking distance of the Dohány Street Synagogue and Great Market Hall. Behind the hotel’s façade – with its original 1920s monumental sculptural reliefs – guests discover a contemporary haven of spacious, beautifully designed spaces. It's the tallest building in the area, and features expansive terraces furnished with sofas to sprawl on that offer panoramic views of the tiled rooftops of Budapest. In the suites, glass, black metal, off-whites, greys and pastel shades are married with warm parquet floors and cosy thick cream rugs. The stylish Golden bar is a relaxing spot for an evening cocktail before heading out to the elegant courtyard Kozmo restaurant, which provides a peaceful haven for delicious dinners.
Address: Budapest, Horváth Mihály tér 17, 1082 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £200 per night.
Kempinski Hotel Corvinus
Among the first international luxury hotels to open in Budapest, the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus has been a mainstay of the scene for the last 33 years. A testament to its appeal is the many staff members who have been there since its debut. Unlike newer hotels that have made their home in exquisitely restored period buildings, the Kempinski is purpose-built, but its curving interior shapes, filled with the hotel’s Hungarian art collection, still feel contemporary. For dining, guests can choose from the hotel’s signature ÉS Bisztró for Hungarian-Viennese classics and specialities from the grill, Asian fusion from Nobu or four more restaurants, bars, and cafes, while Budapest’s iconic shopping street, Fashion Street, is just a step away. Recently renovated rooms with cool, contemporary colours and designed with comfort in mind, look out onto the Budapest Eye Ferris wheel and, beyond it, the dome of St. Stephen’s Basilica or onto the magnificent turn-of-the-century buildings of downtown Budapest. The luxurious spa, winner of best hotel spa in Hungary at the 2025 World Spa Awards, fuses Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics, offering a heated pool with counter-current jets, bio and Finnish saunas, a steam room and tepidarium, along with a wide selection of treatments.
Price: Rooms from around £200 per night.
Address: Budapest, Erzsébet tér 7-8, 1051 Hungary
Verno House
Verno House occupies an elegant 19th century building facing the leafy avenues and grand buildings of the peaceful Liberty Square Park and is just a two-minute walk from the iconic Hungarian Parliament building and the Danube. Luxurious yet laidback, the 48 rooms and suites feature floor to ceiling windows, glass-walled bathrooms with freestanding tubs, and comfy, Nordic-flavoured contemporary furnishings against a soothing natural palette of forest greens, ochre and earth tones punctuated with contemporary photography commissioned from hot Hungarian photographer, Zoltán Tombor. In the basement a giant red-lit jacuzzi feels like the underground launch-pad in a James Bond villain’s lair, while the excellent Flava restaurant, with its greenery-filled interior and tranquil terrace bordering the park, offers an imaginative fusion menu of North African, Latin American and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, delicious cocktails and chilled, beat-driven tunes from a resident DJ at the weekends.
Address: Budapest, Október 6. u. 26, 1051 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £190 per night.
Radisson Collection Hotel, Basilica Budapest
Looking out directly onto the striking façade of St Stephen’s Basilica and right by the cafés and shops of central Pest, the Radisson Collection Basilica Budapest offers an excellent location and dependable style rather than extravagant luxury. It opened in 2025, and the five-star property is the only Radisson Collection in Hungary. 71 rooms span five floors of a converted heritage 19th-century school, but it delivers the brand’s familiar design and concierge-led service with a local touch. Dining is anchored by ISSEI, a rooftop Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant with an open sushi bar, DJ nights and a strong cocktail menu; The Arc serves breakfast and light meals downstairs. There’s a compact gym on-site, and in-room massage and facial treatments are available. For travellers seeking brand consistency, walkable convenience, and a touch of rooftop buzz, this is a smart and well-located choice.
Address: Budapest, Szent István tér 13-14, 1051 Hungary
Price: Rooms from around £170 per night.
What is the best part of Budapest to stay in?
While the Buda side of the Danube may be the smartest part of town for wealthy residents looking for peace and quiet, Pest is where the action is and is packed with historical buildings and great places to eat, drink, shop and stroll. While this edit of the best hotels in Budapest, from new openings to heritage classics, concentrates on the central Pest districts (from here, reaching the central landmarks is easy), there are also a couple of carefully selected options on the Buda side that still feel well located for a trip that encompasses all the best things to do in Budapest.
How we choose the best hotels in Budapest
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve. For more information on how we review hotels and restaurants, please look at our About Us page.