New York Palace Budapest

Walking into the New York Palace is like stepping back in time. The palatial Italian Renaissance building has been restored to its original 19th-century splendor. Outside, the building features ornate arches, columns, and spires. Upon entering the hotel, guests are greeted by a vast marble lobby with a glass-covered courtyard at its center. The hotel's upper floors look onto a courtyard that's lined by stone archways and columns. There's frequently live piano music right off the reception area, and the baroque decor in the on-site restaurant and in the New York Cafe contribute to the New York Palace's air of glamour. The hotel attracts a mix of tourists and business people, and has multiple conference rooms outfitted with modern technology, the largest of which can accommodate up to 650 people. 

The New York Palace is located in a busy part of Budapest, sandwiched between the historic Jewish quarter and a residential neighborhood. It lies on Erzsébet körút, one of the city's main boulevards, and is surrounded by restaurants and shop. It's a 15- to 20-minute walk away from Vaci Street, the city's main shopping drag. Other landmarks, such Liberty Square, St. Stephen's Basilica, and the shores of the Danube River are a bit further away. On the bright side, there are tram, bus, and metro stops right outside the hotel's entrance, and public transportation makes getting downtown easy and quick. The airport is a 30-minute drive away. 

The New York Palace offers a wide range of room types, suites, and even apartments for longer stays. In-room amenities common to all room types include flat-screen TVs, kettles, and minibars. Overall, rooms are spacious and contemporary, with tasteful decor and a beige color scheme, though they lack the wow factor some may expect from an advertised five-star hotel. Exclusive Rooms feature pin-cushion headboards, brown leather ottomans, and sleek dark wood furniture. Bathrooms are spacious and elegant, with gray stone walls and chrome finishes, as well as separate tubs and rainfall showers. Some rooms have private balconies that look out onto the surrounding residential area. Suites are more colorful and have features such as crystal chandeliers and elegant seating areas. The apartments are located in a separate wing of the hotel and range in size from one- to three-bedrooms. Bathrooms are a bit simpler than in rooms and have a beige color scheme, but still feature tubs with rainfall showers. All apartments come with fully equipped kitchens as well as dining areas. 

The hotel's New York Cafe is every bit as, if not more, decadent as the rest of the hotel. The opulent two-story spot, where breakfast is served, was once a salon for Budapest's greatest artists. It features high ceilings covered in frescos and dazzling gold molding as well as marble columns and floors offset by dark wood panels and robin-egg blue walls. Breakfast is not included in room rates and is steep by local standards, but includes delicacies such as smoked salmon and sparkling wine. The New York Palace also has a lovely subterranean spa and wellness center, which were designed to look like an Alpine ice cave. They include a small indoor swimming pool with jets, and a steam room and spa access is included in room rates.