Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace

Converted from a mansion built in 1820, the upscale Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace is one of the city’s many examples of renowned Hungarian architect Mihály Pollack’s neoclassical designs. The 19th-century facade gives way to sophisticated, modern interiors; a large, enclosed inner courtyard at the center of the building houses the lobby and common seating area covered by a glass ceiling. It's framed by several meeting rooms and a library, making the hotel especially suitable for business travelers. Plenty of families stay as guests as well, taking advantage of the family rooms that accommodate up to five people. While there’s sufficient space for lounging in the pleasant lobby, there’s no bar apart from the one inside the hotel’s restaurant, and some have found the overall effect of the scene slightly impersonal, albeit undoubtedly chic.

Just a block away from the river in the center of Pest, Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace is one of many hotels in and around Vörösmarty Square, home to boutiques, souvenir shops, and eateries including the historic Café Gerbeaud coffeehouse. Despite the hotel’s central location, it’s insulated on a quiet street, shielded from traffic and pedestrian noise. A three-minute walk from the hotel is famed Vaci Street, a tourist hot spot for shopping and cafes. St. Stephen’s Basilica and the Chain Bridge are both 10 minutes from the hotel on foot, while the Parliament Building and the Hungarian State Opera House are 15- to 20-minute walks away. The hotel is within a five-minute walk from at least two metro train stations, two bus stops, and a streetcar station. Sights reachable by public transit include the Budapest Academy of Music (17 minutes), Castle Hill (17 minutes), and the Museum of Fine Arts (19 minutes) in Heroes’ Square. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is a 30- to 50-minute drive away.

Drawing from the color palette of the lobby, the large, high-ceilinged rooms here straddle the line between functionality and starkness. Natural-wood headboards and desk chairs, along with wide-plank pine flooring, are tasteful touches; however, standard rooms lack comfortable seating, and save for a single black-and-white print above the bed, walls are bare. Standard-level bathrooms, with fluorescent tube lights and clean tiling, are decent in size but don’t offer much vanity space. Each features a walk-in shower with a sliding glass door, along with a hairdryer and hotel-brand toiletries. Premium-level bathrooms come with shower/tub combos. While the decor has fewer frills than might be expected of a hotel of its ranking, in-room amenities are mostly on par with four-pearl standards. All rooms have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, work desks, minibars, and laptop-compatible safes; coffee-and-tea-making facilities are limited to premium room categories but are available to all upon request. Each Family Room can sleep up to four people in two single beds pushed together plus a fold-out couch; a cot is available for a fifth person.

The best-known feature of the Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace is the Divin Porcello Ham Bar, a very popular, dimly lit and cozy space offering tapas, charcuterie platters, and an extensive wine list. QUQ restaurant, which serves traditional Hungarian cuisine as well as international dishes, is a charming blend of rustic wooden interiors and modern accents. It's also the site of the hotel’s breakfast buffet (not included in the rate), noted for its wide range of hot and cold items -- eggs to order, pancakes and French toast, cooked meats, cereals and yogurts, cold cuts and cheeses, fruits, salads, and pastries. Room service is available at no extra charge. Additional amenities include laundry and dry cleaning services and a small basement fitness center and sauna (access is free). A library and a four-computer business center are also available. Three meeting rooms accommodate 25 to 75 people and offer projectors, TVs, and additional secretarial services. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. Parking is available off-site for a fee.