HotelChatter

Budapest Hotel Reviews

New York in Budapest: It Ain't All Bad

July 16, 2007 at 11:21 AM | 0 Comments

The newest luxury hotel in Budapest has a strange history. The building which now houses the New York Palace Budapest started life in 1894 as an arts center with "the most beautiful cafe in the world", became an insurance company, lost much of its beauty during the communist era and now, finally, is enjoying a new life as a small luxury hotel.

This week's NY Times write-up from Matt Gross gives a pretty balanced view on the New York Palace, which is trying to compete with other Budapest luxury spot Gresham Palace. The building itself--especially inside the lobby--is jaw-droppingly impressive, but appearance isn't everything. Matt found a few small flaws during his stay:

But the Wi-Fi was on the fritz, the climate controls failed to make the room less stuffy ... The room-service menu listed three breakfasts, but when I phoned for the Little Italy, the person who took my call seemed mystified.

So it ain't perfect, but it still looks good. For $230 a night it's a reasonable way to stay in luxury in Hungary.

[Photo: Barney50]

Related Stories:
· New York Palace Budapest [NY Times]
· Budapest: Now More Than Ever! [Jaunted]
· Hotels in Budapest [HotelChatter]