Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle portfolio, has recently opened Kimpton BEM Budapest on the Buda side of Hungary’s capital. This luxury boutique hotel occupies a former Grade II listed, 19^th-century mansion on the Danube River, at the back of Bem Park, where a statue of military general Józef Zachariasz Bem points into the distance with the intensity befitting a national hero.

The hotel combines Hungarian culture with creative interior design to capture the city’s aura. Take food and drink, for instance, which can make or break a trip. Kimpton BEM Budapest aims to delight its visitors with exceptional epicurean experiences at its all-day bar and restaurant, Bar Huso, whose name is inspired by the beluga sturgeon (huso huso), an inhabitant of the Danube. Meanwhile, its restaurant, Agos, mixes Mediterranean cuisine with Hungarian-flavoured twists. And its rooftop bar, Fennen, offers citywide views and bespoke cocktails in its verdant sky garden.

Then there’s the hotel’s comprehensive wellness area. Boasting a 24/7 fitness centre, hot tub and steam room, it will resonate with guests whose itineraries include immersion in Budapest’s thriving Turkish bath scene (the famous Széchenyi Baths lie on a natural thermal spring and comprise Europe’s biggest medicinal spa complex). Guests will also enjoy Kimpton Social, a social hour hosted in the evening, as well as a complimentary morning coffee and tea service (yes please!), and the self-explanatory “Forgot It? We’ve Got It!” amenity.

Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, lauded for his unfettered creative practice, added decorations throughout the building that allude to the flora and fauna, which populate Hungary’s folklore and reality. Their effect – compounded by enchanting patterns and curiosities like a golden stag in a glass atrium – is to transport guests to a fantastical world.

General manager Attila AE Domby says, ‘We are excited to invite travellers to explore the cultural marvel that is Budapest through a new, local and design-led lens, and introduce them to the wonders and legends across this still yet-to-be-discovered European destination.’

Emphasis on “local”. The hotel is a stone’s throw from Budapest’s Castle District, a Unesco World Heritage Site characterised by Art Nouveau architecture and innumerable museums and other attractions. It’s also a short walk from the 19th-century Széchenyi Chain Bridge, the oldest of the series which connects Buda and Pest. This picturesque part of the river is particularly beautiful by night when the bridge is illuminated, while the Gothic-style Hungarian Parliament Building and sprawling Buda Castle are ablaze with golden light.

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