Best Independent Style Hotels in Hungary

Just 700 metres from the UNESCO World Heritage Cella Septichora Visitor Centre, this hotel is well-placed for sightseeing. Reserved for adults, this four-star hotel has a spa and wellness centre with an indoor pool and sauna – guests can book wellness packages as part of their stay. Accommodation is available as bedrooms, or self-catering apartments with cooking facilities. And there’s an excellent daily breakfast, a coffee shop, bar and lounge. A bicycle rental service is provided for those wishing to explore nearby sights (like Pécs Cathedral, Candlemas Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Zsolnay Cultural Quarter) using pedal power. An airport shuttle service is also provided.

Tucked away in the top wine-producing region, Tokaj-Hegyalja, this spa hotel offers an opportunity to sample the famed Hungarian waters; two indoor pools with hot tubs are housed in a traditional galleried bathhouse and there’s a magical, moodily lit subterranean bathing grotto. It’s been repurposed from a grand family residence to a 41-bedroom hotel and boasts enviable gastronomy. Try some of the local wines at a tasting, followed by dinner at one of the hotel’s two restaurants. There’s also a rooftop terrace, fireside lobby bar and BBQ area. Plus, with soundproofed rooms, a playground and free babysitting services, the five-star venue is perfect for young families.

Situated in the 6th district of Budapest in an eclectic palace built by 19th century Hungarian Freemasons is the Mystery Hotel, a new luxury hotel with all major attractions just a short walk away. Themed around mystic books and movies as well as certain inspirations from the life and work of the Freemasons themselves, the 82 rooms are designed to bring that ideal comfort to your stay in Budapest. Whether you’re looking for a base for your holiday or feeling like royalty, there is something for you, with the rooms ranging from maximum comfort twin to two bedroom Da Vinci suites. At the Mystery Hotel Budapest, your experience is their priority. On top of their excellent rooms, you can find their unique Secret Garden Spa for a touch of serenity amongst busy city living, experience fine dining at their Great Hall Restaurant or enjoy a special cocktail and snack on the Sky Garden overlooking the city.

Within 15 minutes of Váci utca and in the shadow of St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Aria is a luxury hotel with an excellent location and top-notch service. You might guess from the name that there’s a music theme to this top hotel and indeed, one of its key features is the space-age piano in the gorgeous garden courtyard. The entrance and lobby has a keyboard carpet, treble clefs and violins hanging from ceilings and light fittings, and each wing is themed to a different musical genre with each room is dedicated to a different artist from Liszt to Louis Armstrong. Guests can relax in the spa with a beautiful pool, steam room, sauna, gym, and range of treatments. Dining and drinking continue the music theme with the Stradivari Restaurant, Satchmo’s Bar and Library, and the music garden. The crowning glory is undoubtedly the rooftop High Note Sky Bar with its fabulous views of Budapest.