We review Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel and discover a magical stay in the heart of Hungary’s capital

From London’s famed Savoy Hotel to the newly-opened Nobu Hotel Warsaw, we’re always on the lookout for the trendiest places to stay across the globe. And on a recent trip to Hungary’s capital, we were thrilled to experience the exquisite design and heritage of the stunning Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel.

While this stay was sponsored, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Review of Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel

Hotel snapshot

Hotel: Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel
Address: Erzsébet körút 9-11, 1073 Budapest, Hungary
Number of rooms: 185 rooms and suites
Brand: Anantara Hotels & Resorts
Year opened: 1894 (historic New York Palace building); reopened as a hotel in 2006
Style: Grand Belle Époque luxury, combining ornate historic architecture with contemporary interiors
Best for: Couples, luxury travellers, architecture lovers, foodies and special occasions
Family amenities: Family rooms and connecting rooms, babysitting services, children’s amenities and an indoor swimming pool
Wellness facilities: Anantara Spa with indoor pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, gym and treatment rooms
Prices starting from: €200 per night, depending on dates and room type.

Old world glam

Budapest is a city of breathtaking architecture, unwieldy histories, and grand thermal baths, though most visitors barely scratch the surface of this complicated city. But from its position on a prime corner of the city’s central Erzsébet Krt boulevard, just north of the city’s Jewish quarter and main districts, Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel is a good starting point for unravelling the many layers of this complex city.

In every detail, Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel captures a bygone era of its city’s past—a historic époque of opulent design and debating intellectuals. The hotel is housed in a palatial building that was built in 1894 for the New York Insurance Company. Tasked with creating a show-stopping property, Hungarian architect Alajos Hauszmann developed a visual masterpiece that blends elements of Italian Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic, and Art Nouveau architecture.

Over the years, the building has been through many iterations—including offices for many leading local newspapers—though many of its original elements have been left untouched. Before reopening under the Anantara brand in November 2021, the hotel underwent a carefully thought-out makeover. At the hands of Austrian architect Eduard Nopp and Madrid-based designers TBC Interiorismo the property now honours the building’s rich heritage while meeting the expectations of modern travellers.

For such a grand hotel, the entrance is surprisingly discreet. Pulling up on a cold November evening, I’m distracted by the façade’s sweeping columns and turrets and a crowd of coat-wearing tourists. It takes a second to find the simple glass entry doors and walk through the elegant yet small foyer, both of which belie the unfettered magnificence that awaits beyond.

Up a couple of steps, guests walk into the hotel’s incredibly grand courtyard lobby, which is rendered in black and white Italian marble floors, and sweeping columns that rise the building’s full four floors with symmetrical, whitewashed arches to a grand glass pyramid roof that floods the space with natural light during the day. In the evenings, a three-piece string trio plays jaunty classical Hungarian music that adds to the magic of the space.

Check-in desks are located in a quiet area off the lobby, and keys are handed over without fuss. The staff are efficient and friendly, and more than happy to offer recommendations and make bookings. Handy, since I’ve arrived on a spur-of-the-moment trip with no plans.

The room

Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel has 185 guestrooms and suites across its four floors. Although there are seven categories, each one is a soothing oasis of abundant space, earth-toned colours, mod cons, glamorous décor, and antique objets d’art that add a dash of vintage charm.

I’m in a Junior Suite on the fourth floor, a thoroughly sophisticated space brimming with lavish comforts. The spacious foyer has more wardrobe space than most people would ever need, and a sturdy, built-in work desk sporting a coffee and tea service.

Through an open door frame, there’s a cosy living room space with hefty, ornate furnishings, plush carpeting, and a wall decal that hints at Anantara’s Asian heritage. Even the massive Italian marble bathroom has a hint of artistry about it. The double vanity features exposed glass sinks, an oversized spa bath, Acqua di Parma amenities, and a white leather bench beneath a metal wall sculpture. Together, every element in the room creates a sense of decadent luxury inspired by Art Deco aesthetics and reimagined for the 21st century.

More than a hotel

As befitting a luxury five-star hotel, the property houses a range of top-tier facilities and experiences that are sure to delight guests. The crown jewel, though, is the world-famous New York Café, which has been a city institution since opening in the last years of the 19th century, when the city’s haute society and intellectuals flocked to debate art, politics, and more. Often called “The most beautiful café in the world”, this is an incredibly lavish space of frescoed ceilings, shimmering Venetian chandeliers, and gilded stuccos. The menu includes decadent modern Hungarian dishes by celebrity chef Andras Wolf, which are worth a try if you’re hungry. Of course, most visitors today are tourists coming to sip the famous 24-karat gold coffee, gawk at the décor, and snap a quick Instagram shot while surrounded by the ghosts of Budapest’s bygone literati. These are the people who make up the crowd I see outside the hotel, waiting for a table when I arrive.

Most dining experiences at Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel take place around the café. I have a lavish dinner of Hungarian specialities at the Atrium, which overlooks the café’s main dining room.

Morning meals are served in the Deep Water Breakfast Room, a sunken space that offers some privacy from the prying eyes in the café alongside a sumptuous buffet spread and hot dishes made to order. The Dining by Design breakfast, though, a signature private dining experience, is an utterly decadent affair. I sit on a balcony with sweeping views over the café while a dedicated server brings a dizzying array of fruits, meats, cheese, freshly-baked pastries, and hot dishes to the table—all accompanied by free-flow coffee, juice, and Prosecco. The balcony is the café’s most popular spot for photos, so throughout breakfast, the server has to tell curious visitors that it’s closed for a private event. Cue the blushes—it’s ever-so-slightly absurd to be enjoying this sumptuous experience solo.

Then there’s the elegant The Poet Bar, an intimate watering hole dressed in oak and satin that pays tribute to the writers, poets, and journalists who once gathered and worked in the building. Savvy Hungarian interpretations of classic cocktails are the signature here. Case in point? The BP2NY, a punch cocktail inspired by a Negroni but made with local ingredients including Unicum Reserba, Nogradi pretzel syrup, and Peychaud bitter, that boasts a refreshing complexity.

Tucked into the hotel’s basement is the oasis-like Anantara Spa, which sports a simpler, far calmer aesthetic than the rest of the property without being any less grand. Over two hours here, the 60-minute Absolutely Relaxation Massage and the 45-minute Goddess Moment Facial—delivered with luxurious Hungarian-made Kaviczky products—restore my winter-battered skin and travel-weary muscles with aplomb.

Frequently asked questions: Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel