The 17 Best Luxury Hotels in Budapest

In the city of thermal baths it is hardly a surprise: eight of the 17 hotels have a pool of their own, all of them indoors in the spa. If you choose your 5-star hotel in Budapest by the water, you are choosing between laps, a historic bathhouse and a relaxation pool.Kozmo Hotel Budapest · CsarnoknegyedFor swimming laps: At Kozmo Hotel Budapest a heated 17-metre pool lies in the basement, with a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room right next to it. Corinthia Hotel Budapest has its pool in the Royal Spa of 1886, a restored 19th-century bathhouse with a 15-metre pool. The heated relaxation pool in the Anantara Spa at Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel also measures 15 metres.

Right in the centre: At Al Habtoor Palace Budapest you swim in the Silk Spa, in a heated pool that gets natural daylight. Aria Hotel Budapest, next to the Basilica, has a heated pool with a jacuzzi in its Harmony Spa, free of charge for hotel guests. At Kempinski Corvinus Budapest the pool is small, but it comes with counter-current swimming and a neck massage jet.

Budapest has been bathing for centuries, and several hotel spas pick up this tradition. Hungarian bathing culture: The Ocean Spa at Matild Palace Budapest combines Hungarian-inspired baths and thermal therapy with hammam rituals, a salt room and a snow fountain; entry from age 16. At Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel the signature treatments are inspired by Hungary’s thermal waters, and couples can book a room with its own jacuzzi. Corinthia Hotel Budapest has restored the historic Royal Spa of 1886: more than 1,000 m² with a pool, salt sauna and hammam.Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel · VII. kerületRoom to breathe: If you are looking for a luxury hotel in Budapest with a spa, there are generous facilities to choose from. The spa at Kozmo Hotel Budapest covers 400 m² in the basement, with three treatment cabins and products by Valmont and Adrielle Feller. Kempinski The Spa at Kempinski Corvinus Budapest covers more than 525 m², with a Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam room and tepidarium. At Dorothea Hotel Budapest the spa spans 650 m² with a pool, sauna and steam room; treatments use Babor, including in a couples’ room.

Small and personal: At Kimpton Bem Budapest the wellness area sits in the basement, with a large hot tub, steam room and a sauna with an ice shower; massages are also available in your room. At BoHo Hotel Budapest a jacuzzi and a Finnish sauna make up the small spa. Verno House Budapest has a Turkish steam bath, a Finnish sauna and a whirlpool, and at Mystery Hotel Budapest the Secret Garden Day Spa lies in the courtyard among fountains and palm trees.

Prices start at 150 € at Basilica Budapest Radisson Collection by the Basilica and go up to 427 € at The St. Regis Budapest; nine of the 17 hotels cost no more than 216 € a night. The table shows all 17 luxury hotels in Budapest, sorted by district. You will also find every hotel with its current price and availability in the hotel list below.

What is always included: daily breakfast for two, at Dorothea Hotel Budapest as a continental breakfast. At 15 of the 17 hotels the benefits apply from the first night, at Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest and BoHo Hotel Budapest from two nights. An upgrade is available everywhere subject to availability, usually on arrival; at Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest it is confirmed at booking, though not from a room to a suite. Early check-in and late check-out are possible everywhere subject to availability.

With the hotel credit it pays to look closely. Eleven hotels add 100 US dollars, Aria Hotel Budapest 80, BoHo Hotel Budapest 50 and Basilica Budapest Radisson Collection 50 from the Premium room upwards. At Kempinski Corvinus Budapest another 100 US dollars are added from the Executive Suite (from two nights); there the credit cannot be used at Nobu or for room service.Basilica Budapest Radisson Collection · District V.At Corinthia Hotel Budapest the credit does not apply at Caviar & Bull, Uncensored or Orfeum, and at Dorothea Hotel Budapest it is valid in the bar and for room service, excluding alcoholic drinks. Special extras: At Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel lunch or dinner for two is included, at Corinthia Hotel Budapest from the Junior Suite (from two nights). Aria Hotel Budapest picks up guests in the Opera and La Traviata suites from the airport free of charge for stays of two nights or more.

Points and status: 15 of the 17 hotels belong to a loyalty programme. Marriott Bonvoy applies at five hotels, including Matild Palace Budapest and W Budapest; then come GHA Discovery, I Prefer, IHG One Rewards and the Leaders Club with two hotels each, plus World of Hyatt and Radisson Rewards. At Kozmo Hotel Budapest you earn points if you give your Leaders Club number when booking.

Budapest through the year: Budapest has its own appeal in every season. In summer the evenings belong to the rooftop bars, such as the High Note SkyBar at Aria Hotel Budapest; in winter you sit in the igloos of the feNNen Skybar at Kimpton Bem Budapest, and on cold days the spas, hotel pools and the steaming outdoor pools of the thermal baths beckon.

How long to stay: For the Castle District and Parliament, an afternoon in a thermal bath, an evening at the opera and a trip on the Danube, we recommend three to four nights at your 5-star hotel in Budapest.