Budapest is a pulsating and vibrant city with a rich history forged by conquering dynasties and world wars which have all left their mark on the city. It Is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe with incredible barouche, Gothic, Renaissance and art nouveau buildings, ornate monuments, and decadent artworks at every turn. The rich culture is on display with the arts culture, music and, of course, the cuisine. One experience that captures all of the beauty and culture of this beguiling city is a stay in a lavish Hungarian palace that is now the Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection.
As we know, an aria is a beautiful melody sung during an opera. Much like this much-loved piece of musical artistry is the Aria Hotel Budapest. The hotel is as much an ode to the love of music as it is to the love of utmost in creature comforts during one’s stay in Budapest.
The setting is an 18th-century palace with French balconies and elaborate barouche design located along a prominent pedestrian plaza of tony bistros and upmarket boutiques. A few steps away is one of Budapest’s more iconic landmarks, the St. Stephen's Basilica and nearby in the other direction is the Budapest Ferris Wheel, Erezsebet Square as well as the major attractions of the city along the Danube River.
Just beyond ornate façade of the building’s exterior, a parade of white and black marble floor tiles formed as the keys of a piano leads through the hall to the extravagant central courtyard of the hotel. The Music Garden Courtyard is decadent with ornate touches, plush lime green velvet and furnishings, shiny gold accent pieces and five-foot immoderate floral arrangements which fill the space.
The atrium transports guests to another time of elegance where the beau monde of the day took time for morning coffee with friends or high tea in the afternoon. In place of high tea, each day a complimentary Wine & Cheese Reception is offered to guests as their talented in-house pianist plays a range of music from Bach to Beethoven and then transitions through standards to contemporary music of Sinatra to Lionel Richie and John Legend. It is a lovely experience with the ability to sip the exceptional wines of Hungary that are becoming renown around the world. Plates of local cheeses and charcuterie add to the affair. This is one way to appreciate the love music, delight in the local wine and toast to the good life that abounds.
It is difficult to pull oneself away from this experience, yet a staunch rival awaits seven floors above. The High Note SkyBar at Aria Hotel Budapest is spectacular and unequaled. It has sweeping views of the Budapest cityscape and is literally in the shadow of one of Budapest’s most famous architectural icons, the St. Stephen's Basilica.
The views are spellbinding as a scene of Budapest’s sexy in-crowd mixes with the hotel’s guests. There are several levels and spaces to chill out with friends or tables for a romantic evening under the stars. The music set the tone with cool lounge music as bartenders create fancy concoctions and tasty elixirs for guests to enjoy. Its no wonder that the rooftop experience at the High Note SkyBar at Aria Hotel Budapest has been voted among the top 10 rooftop bars in the world by Conde Nast Traveler and a surfeit of other purveyors of upscale living.
The awards and accolades for the Aria Hotel Budapest don’t end there. The hotel is a celebration of music and fine accommodations and has received a cadre of awards from being named the #1 Top Hotel in Central Europe from Conde Nast Readers’ Choice, World’s Best by Travel and Leisure Magazine, and the #1 hotel in the world by Trip Advisor in their Travelers’ Choice Awards among many others.
When it’s time to retire, the hotel’s rooms are unique and unforgettable as well. The décor is exquisite with each room unique and inspired to pay homage to the icons and creators of music. Each of the four sides of the hotel is dedicated to a genre of music and the icon for which they are known. The styles of music and décor have been inspired by Opera, Jazz, Classical and Contemporary music with a design aesthetic oscillates between lavish, contemporary, to edgy.
Musical legends are the central part of the décor with portraits and caricatures of genre icons of Beethoven, Billie Holiday, Irving Berlin, Count Basie, Bob Dylan, Bono, and James Brown dominating the space. The Opera wing is designed with Neo-Baroque influences with 20’ ceilings detailed with elaborate corniches, plush furnishings and a cool color palette of gray and lilac. The decadence continues with Murano Venetian glass chandeliers, tufted velvet headboards and marble fireplace mantle with a 55' Flat Screen television, Onyx stone bathroom and all of the mod cons one would expect of a five-star ultra-luxury hotel accommodation.
The forty-nine guest rooms and suites range of the hotel range in size from the studio as well as one, two and three-bedroom Opera Suites with a varying range of features, views and amenities.
The dining experience does not disappoint at the Aria Hotel Budapest. Many guests will opt for a meal of decadent tapas served on the rooftop while others will opt for a more intimate setting of the Stradivari Restaurant on the ground floor. Violins dangle from the ceilings as the open kitchen smells and sounds sizzle from the open kitchen and chefs scurry about preparing each extravagant dish. The cuisine focuses on a range of haute Hungarian cuisines to international fare.
There are endless options to see and explore about vibrant Budapest from the sightseeing and taking in the historical landmarks, taking in one of Budapest’s famed thermal baths, or nearby shopping along with their version of Rodeo Drive, Andrassy Avenue. Back at the hotel, the Harmony Spa experiences feature treatments with Hungarian natural herbs, vitamin and grape seed extracts. Of course, music as part of the experience with their signature treatments is set to music playlists customized to each guest’s preferences.
Hotel guests also enjoy their 35ft heated pool, Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, steam bath, Jacuzzi, Hydro Rider aquatic exercise bicycles, cabanas, a comprehensive fitness center.
As the well-heeled traveler knows, where we stay is a much a part of the experience as the destination. For an unforgettable accommodation in an exquisite city, the Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection is the magnum opus of accommodation in one of Europe’s most treasured cities.
