Hotels

The Hungarian capital is home to more than just thermal baths and ruin bars. Here are the best boutique hotels in Budapest for 2023.

Bold colours and metallic hues dominate this quirky hotel near the Danube. The Casati Budapest Hotel may look like many other elegant Budapest hotels – set in a beautiful 18th-century building with modern, chic design – but if you’re someone who also cares about your carbon footprint, you’ll want to book a room here. This 19th-century building opened as a hotel in 2006, but its historical character has been overwhelmed by the adventurous decor. Pest-Buda overlooks a cobbled street just minutes away from Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion on Castle Hill. Old-world elegance dances with modern style at the Prestige Hotel, where the original features complement the orange velvet couches and stylised crystal chandeliers. [traveller](https://www.independent.co.uk/travel), we recommend you make a beeline for the Castle District. Whether it’s a baroque townhouse on Castle Hill or an urban downtown sanctuary, Budapest has a range of great [boutique hotels](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/boutique-hotels). The main highlight, however, is the food and drink. The gourmet buffet breakfast is served with a mouth-watering choice of baked goods, seasonal produce, cold cuts and gluten- and lactose-free options, and is one of the main highlights. Like many Budapest boutique hotels, it occupies a former townhouse that has been revamped to mix up the building’s original features with modern design. At the Aria Hotel, music weaves itself into the concept, with themed rooms inspired by classical, jazz, modern, and opera. Basically, there’s plenty to see and do regardless of whether you’re here for a long time or a good time.

The hotels range from town centre apartments to luxurious hotel and spas, meaning there is something for everyone to enjoy.

We had a superior room in the main building which came with a freestanding bath and a huge bed. "We always have breakfast there and one dinner with a second dinner at a local restaurant to share the love. "We had a private room for dinner, and both the food and service were excellent. They said: "We stayed at the Methuen Arms to break up the trip to Taunton. The Methuen Arms in Corsham is a Georgian coaching inn that offers guests the chance to stay at one of 19 boutique rooms. As always the service and friendliness of all the staff we encountered were excellent. I was not sure about the bath in the bedroom, but the other half thought it was great and such a big room that it didn't encroach. The building is beautiful and set in lovely grounds. Julia Q123 said: "We stayed in The Lords Suite, a large room with a large, comfy bed. "I had a smaller dinner in front of the fire within one of the drawing rooms, which was absolutely delightful. Describing her time at the hotel, Gabrielle said: "A fantastic stay at Bishopstrow House and Spa. The hotel is surrounded by private gardens and is set in 30 acres of land.

Madrid is having a moment, and as your boutique hotel gurus, we've rounded up our favorite stays in the Spanish capital right here for you.

Make sure to grab dinner at the hotel’s chic sixth-floor restaurant & bar by chef Ramòn Frieza, Ático (sweeping views of Gran Via are also on the menu here). And then, Madrid’s first-ever pisco bar Oroya sits alongside the hotel’s rooftop pool, serving a Peruvian fare menu, from sea bass ceviche to fried papas rellenas croquettes. Uncluttered furnishings redolent of Picasso sculptures span throughout, with many of them assembled with upcycled aviation parts and different types of wood. A chiringuito-esque restaurant, tapas bar, co-working space, plus rooftop pool & bar looking out at the plaza prove the hotel is multi-faceted. The art here draws from around the world: eighteenth-century Chinese portraits, Hindu figurines from the epoch of yesteryear, plus totems from Papua New Guinea sprinkle the premises. As your boutique hotel gurus, we’ve rounded up our favorite stays in the Spanish capital.

"We have to deal with the rising costs of everything from food to energy to staffing, and many businesses are still paying back their bounce back loans"

“This is due to a number of factors including that overseas holidays are back to normal for those people who are not affected by the cost of living crisis. Claire Smith, president of StayBlackpool, said it was more important than ever for business owners to attend this year’s show. Hoteliers group StayBlackpool is holding its annual function on Thursday March 16, between 10am and 4pm, at Olympia in the Winter Gardens. “So what we are hoping to do with this year’s trade show is to share lots of information under one roof about how to make savings, and how to ensure guests enjoy their stay in Blackpool so they keep coming back. On top of that we have to deal with the rising costs of everything from food to energy to staffing, and many businesses are still paying back their bounce back loans. Hoteliers in Blackpool hit by rising costs ahead of a challenging season have been urged to attend a free trade show in the seaside resort.

Jerusalem is the city with the largest number of hotel rooms in Israel. Every year, hundreds of new hotels open here. By 2027, approximately 3500 new rooms ...

The number of overnight stays by foreign tourists decreased by 29% in the Jerusalem region, as tourism from Europe to Jerusalem decreased at even higher rates. Moreover, it seems that a significant part of the tourism is of relatively older populations, with Israel being less appealing to young people. A more in-depth examination of the data on tourism in Israel reveals another fact. There is also concern that it will be difficult to meet the Tourism Ministry’s goal of reaching 10 million tourists by 2030, as Israel as a tourist destination – especially for Europeans – is no longer popular. After a response in the affirmative, he explained that they were a young couple from Germany on a tight budget, and that they intended to stay at a small hotel in front of the gate. Taking into account the data from previous months, there has been an increase in tourism compared to the fallow period at the peak of the COVID crisis. The cost of living in Israel is beyond their means; they don’t even dream of staying at the prestigious hotels of the international chains,” explained a tour guide who has been working with Christian pilgrims for years. What emerges from the data is that tourists with a more modest budget stay at hotels in the Old City, and even in Bethlehem. In Safra Square, tourists can choose among a range of hotels: “The mix of rooms is balanced, including camping, hostels, hotels of various degrees and more,” said officials engaged in tourism in the city. Hotels continued to open in the city even during the COVID period – at least after the first quarantine – and continue to offer tourists a large variety of accommodation options. “In east Jerusalem, under the Wadi Joz plan (Silicon Wadi), there are 50,000 meters of hotels planned. Our city’s economy is very much built on tourism, and so hotels are the lifeblood of the industry.”