Colorful, playful urban hotel in downtown Budapest with a grand Neo-renaissance exterior
W Hotel / Budapest / Hungary
I remember when I first stayed at a W hotel (it was the W in Barcelona). I was so impressed that a chain that size could manage to be in the forefront, pushing the design agenda but maybe even more so, the guest experience. W hotels are a place you don’t only come to stay (a lot of people didn’t actually stay at all, they only came for the vibe and party which later developed into something of a problem). There is now an ambition to re-position and rejuvenate the W brand and experience with an aim to get people to stay after the party and also to move it up a notch on the lux ladder, presenting something more thoughtful and elegant. And the hotel that is supposed to set the bar for this next chapter in the W story is this one, the W Budapest.
The W Budapest is housed in the Drechsler Palace, right on the Andrássy Avenue, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. A leafy street lined with beautiful buildings. The palace is sitting right opposite the National Opera and dates back to 1866 and used to house the Hungarian Institute of Ballet and allegedly also at one time, a brothel. The architectural style is Neo-renaissance and the exterior is a wonderful, creamy yellow with richly decorated archways.
There are 151 rooms in this hotel, which W themselves call the most impressive hotel to date. The design, created by firms Bowler James Brindley and Bánáti + Hartvig, deserves a separate blog entry. It is just so unique, giving almost an Alice in Wonderful vibe. A lot of the old Neo-renaissance features are still there but have been combined with a totally unique color mix of soft coral, deep blue, forest green and turquoise. There was so much to take in that I almost started to feel lightheaded at one point. Going from the dimly lit cave-like entrance, via the glass ceilinged courtyard and the old staircase with ornate railings and stained glass windows to the turquoise hallway with checkered marble floors before reaching my room. The first thing you see when entering the room are the checkered wooden walls leading you towards the powder blue colored room, filled with unique furniture with an Art Deco vibe and patterned carpet.
When walking around the hotel there are so many nooks and crannies to explore (and photograph) where the most fabulous is probably the public bathroom next to the bar, all in raspberry red and powdery pink. So deliciously colorful, like a bag of sweets. This is for sure one of my most photographed hotels which made it difficult to choose which photos to feature here. If you want the full experience, there is just one thing to do, book a stay and explore for yourself.
Welcomt to the W Budapest! Housed in the Drechsler Palace in the center of Budapest.
The entrance to the hotel is like stepping into a portal to some kind of magical kingdom.
All checked in and ready to go.
Heading up to my room. So great to see all the original features that have been carefully restored and are juxtaposed to the contemporary, colorful design.
My favorite part of the hotel, the majestic staircase with the ornate wrought iron banisters and stained glass windows.
Obsessed with the floors.
Entering my room. Never seen this kind of design feature before, checkered wooden wall panelling.
The design of the furniture has an element of art deco.
These little babies were waiting for me in my room.
You see a lot of checkered patterns here and there which is an homage to one of Hungary's favorite past times, playing chess.
Terrazzo is one of my favorite materials. I have never before seen a blue version like the one in my bathroom.
The corridors on the ground floor were deep blue with brass features.
The arched entrance to the bar/restaurant. The are like a modern, metal version of the archways on the exterior.
The most dramatic area is the bar/lounge area with sleek light installations and chunky velvet furniture in all kind of colors.
One thing I love to do when staying at hotels is to check out the staircase and the public bathrooms. To me they say a lot about a hotel's design ambition. If they have invested in these areas as well as the more outward facing ones, you know they take design seriously. Like this amazing looking bathroom next to the bar, all in soft pinks and vivid raspberry red.
Breakfast time! Breakfast is served as a combo of á la carte and buffet style. In many cases I tend to skip breakfast at the hotel and go out instead, but not at W. It is really delicious!
The majestic Danube river flowing through town, separating Buda and Pest.
The Hungarian Parliament is right next to the river and is a stunning white marble building.
It is a joy strolling around in Budapest taking in all the beautiful old buildings...
...before returning to one of the most beautiful ones, the one that houses the W hotel.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…like your urban hotel to stand out. If you are a fan of hotels with an old shell and a quirky, almost Alice-in-Wonderland-esque interior you are going to have fun at W Budapest.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is the design clash between the old and new. The old traditional building that has received a brand new look on the inside, which is kind of extreme but still doesn’t feel like it is disturbing the peace of the 19th century design elements.
What not to miss when staying here…
…is to bring comfy shoes. Budapest is a perfect town to explore on foot. If walking is not your thing and neither are the hop-on-hop-off tourist bus set up, just hop-on tram no. 2. It takes you along the Danube river and many of the most impressive sights the city has to offer. And it is cheap way to sightsee.
If you like this hotel you might also like…
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The Standard, Bangkok, Thailand
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