The 9 best hotels in Budapest

Just metres from St Stephen’s Basilica, the Aria successfully packages itself as a luxury boutique hotel with a quirky musical theme. The 49 rooms are colourful and elegantly designed, with an impressive music selection you can put on – and pipe into the bathrooms. To feel truly at home, book a treatment at the low-lit, atmospheric Harmony Spa and go for a swim in the basement pool. The Sky Note rooftop bar offers stunning views of the basilica.

I mean, just look at that pool... isn’t it spectacular? With its tiles, arches and general elegance, it’s as glam as any of Budapest’s finest bathhouses – and that’s not all that’s on offer at the Corinthia, which is on the city’s Grand Boulevard. The OG ‘Grand Budapest Hotel’ (in name as well as in spirit), the Corinthia features loads of original nineteenth-century features like its façade, spa and ballroom. Guests here can also expect top-tier dining from several restaurants, plus easy access to Buda Castle, Heroes’ Square and Széchenyi Baths.

Stepping into the Mystery Hotel can be a bit of a bewildering and surreal experience. Pitching Persian carpets and ornate columns alongside enormous modern versions of classic artworks like the ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’, the Mystery feels like the abode of a very well-travelled art collector. Just five minutes’ walk from Andrássy Avenue, it’s also got a bar, restaurant and swanky spa on-site.

The Palace District in the VIII area earns its name from the smattering of palatial buildings in its vicinity, and in Palazzo Zichy, there’s one you can stay in. This 80-room hotel offers modern, stylish comfort in the grand surrounds of a 19th-century mansion. Breakfast is included, and you can also unwind at a small on-site wellness centre. The neighbourhood’s quiet, but the lively nightlife of the VII District is just a short walk away.

This family-owned boutique in the Castle District has 11 stylish and relatively cheap rooms decked out in exquisite vintage furniture. Foodies, take note: Baltazár is renowned for its bistro, grill and bar on the ground floor. From tasty chargrilled steaks to Hungarian wine and an extensive gin selection, you won’t need to stray far to find decent food and drink.

Hostels don’t have to be ‘party hostels’ in Budapest. The laid-back Shantee House is located in a residential part of Buda, not far from trendy Bartók Béla Avenue, and is very budget-friendly. There’s a community kitchen, and if you love to sleep outdoors, you can camp in the garden or sleep in a hammock (lockers are available). And if you’d prefer not to share a dorm but still want to save money, you can even book a private ensuite room.

For the ultimate deluxe stay, book into the Four Seasons Gresham Palace. Many of the 179 rooms enjoy views over the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle, but the real draw here is the architecture. The Gresham Palace building is an art nouveau wonder, with the gorgeous arcaded lounge its glorious centrepiece. If you need to unwind, head to the rooftop spa for a swim in the infinity pool. For fine dining, you don’t need to leave the building – grab a table at the Kollázs Bistro, or indulge in one of their Herend high teas in the lounge.

Escape the city for the night at this grand, secluded hotel on Margaret Island, whose 164 classically furnished rooms overlook the surrounding wooded parkland and, on one side, the Danube. An underground corridor connects the Ensana Grand with the thermal baths and wellness centre at Health Spa Resort Margitsziget. Grab a blowout dinner on the terrace of the Széchenyi restaurant or relax in the turn-of-the-century Viktória bar.

Hotel Moments occupies a palatial building on Andrássy Avenue right by the Hungarian State Opera House. The 99 rooms in this four-star hotel are clustered around an elegant wrought-iron courtyard. Guests get free access to the breakfast buffet, complimentary coffee, and tea round the clock in the lounge bar. There’s also a small wellness centre with a gym and aromatic sauna.