Budapest
Hungary


The Experience

In a town increasingly known for its historic palace hotels, the Corvinus stands out for its 10-story contemporary design both inside and out. While the hotel's aesthetic is certainly an anomaly amid Budapest's baroque splendor, it evokes an industrial kind of cool that's a welcome change from all the nearby grandeur. Located in the heart of Pest, close to the Danube and the iconic Chain Bridge and with views of both St. Stephen's Basilica and Erzebet Park, the Corvinus is where Madonna famously parked herself for months while filming Evita. The hotel, with its telltale reflective facade and circular, postmodern lobby, may now have some stiff competition from the palatial Four Seasons and the new New York Palace. But the blend of service, design and location still makes it a place the Material Girl would probably call home.

The Rooms

Like the rest of the hotel, the Corvinus' rooms feature pale, off-white walls that set the tone for cream-colored fabrics and light leather and wood furnishings. The look feels both traditional and modern, with period wall prints meeting stylish, neo-Art Deco lamps and furniture. Standard rooms, though fully equipped, are small, roughly 300 square feet. Opt instead for a Superior room; these may be just 50 square feet larger but they manage to pack in a separate bathtub and more working space. Suites come with much more space -- Junior Suites in particular are nicely sized at around 550 feet and offer park and river views.

The Service

Service is efficient and unfussy -- with reception staff offering romantic extras for honeymooners, and concierges who can help find nearby restaurants, shops and museums. Although the hotel does lure a large convention/business-meeting contingent, the staff are as adept at handling crowds as they are honeymooners or travelers on a romantic, history-filled weekend break.

The Highlights

In a city known for historic spas and spa hotels (the Gellert, for instance), the Kempinski Corvinus can confidently claim one of the best spas in town for fitness fans. Asian in style and design, the spa includes Thai, Balinese and hot-stone therapies as well as an authentic aroma-infused Finnish sauna, steam bath, bracing ice fountain, large fitness facility and huge lap pool. Gourmands are indulged at the Corvinus as well. The Bistro Jardin serves both contemporary and traditional Hungarian dishes paired with more than 40 kinds of local Tokaj wines, some nearly 50 years old. Sunday brunch is fun and family-friendly, while the wood-paneled Corvinus Bar offers adult-only pleasures such as cigars and single malts.

-- David Kaufman

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