Sherman's Travel

Expert Review

The five-star Corinthia Hotel Budapest (formerly the Grand Hotel Royal) was built in 1896 and totally – and magnificently – restored in 2002. A staircase leads from a busy street to the six-story, glass-roofed atrium lobby and the French Renaissance-style interior, which brims with Italian marble, wrought iron, mosaic floors, and columns. The 414 rooms are decorated in dark woods and rich upholstery and have spacious marble bathrooms. The tricked-out conference rooms can hold more than 2,000 and include a historic ballroom. There are three in-house restaurants, a café, and a bar. The excellent Royal Spa, which dates from the 1880s but was renovated in 2006, has Jacuzzis, saunas, a Vichy shower, and twelve treatment rooms.

Tags: luxury | smart splurge | historic