Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest

To say that the Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest is one of the most opulent hotels we’ve ever seen actually risks underselling it somewhat. The Art Nouveau shopping arcade that’s been converted into its lobby looks as though it’s been dipped in gold, and the original architecture is an eclectic mix of Parisian, Gothic, and Moorish styles. It’s a member of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, which essentially means the brand’s expertise and standards are still in force, but the corporate style book is right out the window, leaving a truly unique hotel free to express its considerable aesthetic personality.

The rooms are toned down, in keeping with a contemporary preference for a soothing bit of minimalism, but along with the near-monochrome color palette and the uncluttered layouts comes a generous helping of gilt and glamour. At all levels, the rooms are lavish and well-appointed, and needless to say the suites and residences go above and beyond.

No Budapest luxury hotel would be complete without a full-service spa, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Nor do the dining venues, the Párisi Passage Café and the Párisi Passage Brasserie: the former serving coffee and cocktails in the hotel’s towering atrium, and the latter serving local and international dishes in a stylish open-kitchen space.