The best new hotels to open in Budapest

Moving into the legacy premises of a highly acclaimed boutique hotel, the Leon Hotel & Lounge opened its doors in 2026. Overlooking the Danube close to the Chain Bridge beneath Castle Hill, while sparkingly contemporary, Leon is surrounded by history. Count Béla Széchenyi, first-born son of the illustrious Count István who famously commissioned the Chain Bridge, had this property built in the 1870s. This wasn’t his aristocratic home, however, but the stables adjacent to it. Workmen hit upon the buried remains of a medieval mill, upon which they crafted Count Széchenyi’s late Renaissance-style palace, overseen by star architect Miklós Ybl of Opera House fame.

The only property in this prestigious row to survive the devastation of the Siege of Buda in World War II, Lánchíd 19 was converted into a hotel of the same name in the early 2000s. Across Chain Bridge, the Gresham Palace spearheaded a new wave of daring hotel conversions but Lánchíd 19 was no less exciting, its backlit window panes reflecting the relentless journey of Europe’s greatest river. It hosted its last guest before the pandemic.

Leon, therefore, has a lot to live up to – and the early signs are good. Forty-eight guest rooms are categorised either Riverside View or Hillside View, all equipped with Nespresso machines and displaying dreamy artwork by Hungarian AI artist, Dávid Szauder. Those facing Buda Castle are blessed with step-out balconies. Above, three Leon Top Floor Studios come with large private terraces, freestanding bathtubs and wraparound views of river and hillside.

The warm tones, natural materials and clean lines continue in the Leon Café, where breakfast and brunch are served, and cocktails mixed after dark. Note the Anjou-era portrait behind the bar, a reference to the medieval remains found by those workmen 150 years ago. The hotel also oversees the Italian kitchen at the Leon Osteria a few doors down.

Time Out tip: Direct booking might secure you a double at around €100-€110 out of season.
Neighbourhood: Víziváros
Address: Lánchíd utca 19, 1013 Budapest
Price: Average Ft 60,000 (€158)
Closest transport: Tram 19/41 or bus 16/105 to Clark Ádám tér

Unveiled in the summer of 2025 beside the Basilica, Hungary’s first Radisson Collection hotel basks in an enviable location, one of the criteria for this premium brand in the Radisson portfolio. The five-star retreat, a school from the Habsburg era painstakingly transformed to retain its neo-classical architectural detail, thus joins 40 or so prestigious stablemates in Venice, Como and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Each of the 71 guest rooms has been individually designed, the artwork displaying a distinctive Hungarian touch. Rain showers, bathrobes and slippers feature in all five types of rooms, from Collection to Collection Premium with Basilica View, and, of course, in the suites.

Common areas are equally understated yet stylish, although there’s nothing subtle about the view from the ISSEI Skybar & Restaurant, its spacious terrace within touching distance of the dome of the Basilica. The hotel’s calling-card panoramic cocktail bar and Nikkei kitchen specialises in the long-established fusion of Japanese and Peruvian gastronomic styles, which also influence the original combinations crafted by the in-house mixologists. It’s not often you see Etsu Double Yuzu gin being put to good use in Budapest. Downstairs, food is also served in stylish eatery The Arc, while hotel residents can take advantage of the 24-hour gym and work-out area.

Time Out tip: Combine a visit with a culinary adventure in the Gourmet Experience Package – overnight stay, dinner at a top-quality restaurant and breakfast.
Neighbourhood: Belváros
Address: Szent István tér 13-14, 1051 Budapest
Price: From around Ft 76,000 (€200)
Closest transport: M3 Arany János utca/M1 Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út. Also close to M1/M2/M3 Deák Ferenc tér and E100 airport bus

Opening at the end of April 2026, The St Regis Budapest will complete the twin transformation of the two heritage landmarks which elegantly guard the entrance to Elizabeth Bridge. Originally, these were, collectively, the Klotild Palaces, though the southernmost sister building became known as the Matild, the name living on into the 21st century after its own reinvention as a luxury hotel in 2020. Across the street, the Klotild had been welcoming guests almost a decade before, to the Budapest branch of the Buddha Bar chain before the current project led to its closure.

It was archduchess and Habsburg socialite Mária Klótild, wife of Archduke Joseph Karl, who had commissioned star architects Flóris Korb and Kálmán Giergl, probably impressed with their work on the New York Palace a few years earlier, to create these two buildings. The facing sites had been made available thanks to the construction of the first Elizabeth Bridge in the late 1890s, houses cleared on either side to allow in workmen and their machinery. Korb and Giergl duly delivered twin towering confections but neither survived the war intact. The bridge, meanwhile, was one of several blown up by retreating Nazi soldiers and would be the only one to be reconstructed in completely different fashion.

The Klotild Palace now looks every bit as impressive as its twin sister, both operating under the Marriott umbrella. There’s been much talk about the stand-out suites at The St Regis, the Klotild Tower and the two‑bedroom Presidential, in a city blessed with any number of absurdly luxurious suites gazing out onto prime cityscape. Here, of course, you’re right by the Danube and the graceful curves of the post-war Elizabeth Bridge.

In all, there are more than half as many suites (39) as rooms (63; Superior, Deluxe and Duplex, the minimum size being a generous 35sqm) so The St Regis is setting the bar high when it comes to classy hospitality. There’s even a butler service. It’s somewhat disappointing, therefore, that the in-house restaurant is a sushi bar – particularly as reliable sources of top-quality seafood are thin on the ground in landlocked Hungary. The pâtisserie, café and bar should prove popular, all the same. An indoor pool, spa and hammam are complemented by a 24/7 gym beneath a glass roof with skyline views.

Time Out tip: Even if you’re not a hotel guest, experience something of the luxury offered by The St Regis by taking Afternoon Tea in the atrium, every afternoon between 2pm and 5pm.
Neighbourhood: Belváros
Address: Váci utca 34, 1052 Budapest
Price: From April 28 From Ft 172,000 (€450)
Closest transport: M3 Ferenciek tere/tram 2 Március 15. tér

On a Europe-wide odyssey to discover the kind of unique property that would align with their vision for YOU Hotels, Esnée father and son hit upon a former chocolate factory tucked away between the Uránia cinema and the National Museum in District VIII. ‘Lifestyle’ would be a lazy, catch-all description – YOU captures the details gleaned from their travels, in-room features, entertainment in the common areas, splashes of culture, design touches, all attempting to answer the question, ‘What would you like to have on hand when you stay somewhere?’ Hence YOU.

The Esnées have been in the hospitality trade since the early days in Rouen 45 years ago. It’s Thomas, the third-generation scion of the family, who conceived of the YOU concept. As well as the classic high ceilings redolent of the Habsburg era, perhaps Esnée junior was drawn to the dynastic aspect of the original enterprise. Here, Frigyes Stühmer brought his steam-powered equipment from Dresden in 1868 to establish a cutting-edge manufactory whose branded outlets still dot Budapest today.

Under the Accor umbrella – think ibis, Novotel, Pullman – and operated by Hungarian firm Accent, this initial venture has already picked up devotees since opening in October 2025, the Esnées now spreading their wings elsewhere, setting up in Deauville and beyond.

So what does a couple get for their €85-€120? A room, Superior or Deluxe, features built-in speakers connected via Bluetooth, sought-after sports channel beIN, wide bathroom doors, room service ordered from your TV and windows that actually open. There are suites and accessible lodging, too. With the city’s party zone just across Rákóczi út, you can find any number of oversubscribed bars on your doorstep – the one here, largely ignored by Brits on the lash, is a riot of colour and mixes inventive cocktails.

Meals in the Celsius restaurant involve sharing plates of Asian and Hungarian favourites, partaken in the same funky surroundings, while other common areas display ever photogenic Budapest in all its black-and-white glory, its façades, its street scenes and its trams. Co-working areas and meeting rooms include of all things, a 20-capacity cinema available for private hire rather than public screenings, spectators lounging on recliners rather than uncomfortable chairs. Finally, there’s the fitness centre, which addresses the question, ‘What kind of equipment would you like to work out on?’, to which the answer should be, ‘Technogym’, the kind of machines George Clooney keeps in his Italian villa.

Time Out tip: Take advantage of the private inner courtyard, an oasis of peace amid city bustle beyond.
Neighbourhood: Józsefváros/District VIII
Address: Szentkirályi utca 8, 1088 Budapest
Price: Average Ft 38,000-45,000 (€100-120)
Closest transport: M2/tram 47-49 to Astoria. Note that the E100 airport bus drops off at Astoria but doesn’t pick up – head to Deák tér or Kálvin tér close by.

Opening in the late summer of 2025, Mamaison Chain Bridge has become the fourth Budapest property in the portfolio, with hotels in the other three Visegrád capitals of Prague, Warsaw and Bratislava. Operating as the Mérleg Starlight for the first decade or more of the new century, this was a bank in the pre-war era, hence the high ceilings – and hence star designer Zoltán Varró (Aria, Mystery Hotel Budapest) evoking a 1930s’ cabaret with his deep greens and abundant chandeliers.

Lodging here takes the form of 54 elegant suites named after the four main bridges of Budapest. The Elisabeth Suite includes its own kitchenette and bar, and, in certain cases, a private terrace. The larger Liberty Suite has its own kitchen, as does the even bigger Margaret Suite, the size of a small flat, with two bedrooms and a French balcony. Pride of place goes to the Chain Bridge Penthouse, its bedroom big enough to accommodate a stylish bathtub, its terrace the dimensions of the Liberty Suite.

The luxury doesn’t stop there, of course. The Sunbeam Spa – sauna, steam bath, 13-metre relaxation pool, massage rooms, 24/7 gym – is also open to the public, as is the Arizona Lounge, a breakfast room and lobby bar connected to the city terrace. Despite the name, this doesn’t evoke the legendary louche cabaret of the 1930s’ Budapest, rather a staid if comfortable café in fawn and white. Breakfast, however, is top-quality, and the cocktails well-mixed. You can hold your own banquet or live-streamed presentation in the Danube Conference Room, all 110 square metres of it.

Although the name is a slight misnomer – there’s a whole Gresham Palace between you and the Chain Bridge – you are slap in the city centre, five minutes’ walk from Erzsébet tér, not even ten from the Basilica.

Time Out tip: If this is a bit too chi-chi for you, then next door’s Mamaison Vibe Downtown Budapest, done out like a fairground, might be more your style.
Neighbourhood: Belváros
Address: Mérleg utca 6, 1051 Budapest
Price: Elisabeth/Liberty Suites Ft 62,000-90,000 (€165-240)
Closest transport: M1, M2, M3 Deák Ferenc tér/tram 2 Eötvös tér. E100 airport bus a 10-15min walk

It’s getting mighty crowded around Budapest airport these days. First ibis Styles opens to cater to the (very) early-morning crowd, and now TRIBE. Occupying a sleek, lozenge-shaped building alongside it, its stablemate in the Accor chain represents one of the fastest-growing new brands in the industry. First pitching its tent beside the Ferencváros stadium on the main road to the airport, TRIBE now has a younger sister, similarly quirky by design, by the Terminal 2 itself. Though acquired by global hospitality juggernaut Accor (Novotel, Mercure, ibis) in 2019, TRIBE maintains its independent streak: the Melbourne couple who founded it still oversee operations in the Antipodes.

Conferences and presentations provide TRIBE Budapest Airport with a lot of its business – the five meeting spaces here range between 36sqm (a medium-sized hotel room) and 180sqm (huge). Sparky, colourful decor characterises the common areas, and 167 bedrooms and suites for two, three or four guests. Twins, doubles and accessible rooms all come with rain showers, Chromecast TV, espresso machines and Kevin Murphy accessories.

If you’re flying in late, you’ll find the restaurant open until 10.30pm, the Spin Bar and panoramic Horizon Skybar until midnight, all three exuding that funky TRIBE vibe – if you’re still thirsty, the bar at the adjoining ibis serves drinks until 6am. The in-house gym overlooks the airport runway, providing visual entertainment while you put in the hard yards on the treadmill. Outdoor parking is charged at Ft 19,000 (€50)/day, extra if you prefer an enclosed lot.

Time Out tip: If you’re here during the day, a short walk from the hotel, the Aeropark Aviation Museum (daily 9am-6pm) has a broader appeal than you might think. Take a trip back in time when state-run Malév flew to satellite cities around the Eastern bloc, even to other destinations within Hungary. Climb aboard a Soviet-made Tupelev Tu-134, last built in 1989, while would-be pilots can try their hand at a flight simulator.

Neighbourhood: Airport

Address: Budapest Liszt Ferenc, 1185 Budapest

Price: Ft 55,000 (€145)

Closest transport: E100 airport bus

Initially a bright lodging for young travellers on the surfing coast near Biarritz, JO&JOE has branched out to bring its hybrid hostel/budget-stay brand to Paris, Rio, Rome, Vienna and now Budapest. Affordability, flexibility and sustainability underscore the J&J concept – think beehives, green rooftops and photovoltaic panels.

But JO&JOE Budapest doesn’t go in for surfing or beekeeping. Opened in September 2025, this 91-room lodging sits at the gateway to the party quarter, location a key factor in the equation here. While staff can advise on cycle hire or the nearest spa, activities here centre on careless fun, dance nights, roller discos, board games and table football. Most of all, there’s the rooftop bar, with its own long drinks list of cocktails and mocktails, spritzers and barista coffees. You never seem to be more than 20 metres from your next drink, in fact – note the self-service beer wall. The food selection mirrors that of the restaurant downstairs, a platter of Hungarian cold cuts sharing menu space with the inevitable burgers.

Dorms come in four-, six- and eight-person varieties, with plenty of storage space, personal lockers and a bathroom for that room alone. And for those weary of hostel-hopping, the four magic words, ‘Beds Made Upon Arrival’, should ease the pain. Those staying in a private, twin or double room get their own bathroom, too. There’s also the option of what’s called ‘Atypical Accommodations’, sleeping spaces decoratively themed around something Hungarian: the Rubik’s Cube for couples or the eight-person spa-blue room with its own terrace. Omnipresent WiFi and USB sockets provide connectivity throughout. While breakfast is pretty basic, more plentiful options can be found nearby. Check-out 10am sharp.

Time Out tip: If you’re travelling with a canine companion, an extra €20 means they can stay with you in a private room.
Neighbourhood: Erzsébetváros/District VII
Address: Dohány utca 35, 1074 Budapest
Price: Dorm bed Ft 5,000-6,000 (€13-16). Private Ft 22,500 (€60)
Closest transport: M2/tram 4-6 to Blaha Lujza tér