A stunning 19th century building, reimagined into a swanky boutique hotel, with Michelin starred dining and fantastic service, all in the heart of Budapest
“Magnificent architecture and divine cuisine” are the rules the Prestige Hotel lives by. Set in a renovated 19th century apartment building on Budapest’s District 5, this small hotel features some of the most luxurious interiors in the city and Michelin-starred food to feast on. It’s a mystery of a hotel, hidden down an ally and unobtrusive from the hustle of Budapest. It’s a hotel for those seeking comfort, glamour and delicious food.
Combining a Neoclassical structure with lush Belle Époque-inspired interiors, Prestige is a welcome change from some of Europe's more classic hotels. Despite the fancy decor and Michelin-starred dining, the ambiance is relaxed and comfortable. Sharing the same address, the hotel is also home to Costes Downtown, offers dishes blending Hungarian gastronomy with international influences. The restaurant plays little sister to the original Costes in the Palace District and was awarded its own Michelin star on March 2016.
About Prestige Hotel
It would be difficult for a passerby to imagine all that is hidden behind Prestige’s unassuming façade. While the exterior is a clean and sober 100% accurate reconstruction of the building’s 19th century Neoclassic design, the interior is a modern homage to Hungary’s rich artistic heritage. Glamour and luxury are not spared – velvet, gold, marble and crystal glitter throughout a property furnished with Cavalli furniture, framed by hand-painted English silk wallpapers and embellished with Swarovski lighting.
The hotel is centered around a six-story atrium topped by a skylight from which a magnificent chandelier hangs to illuminate the velvet-upholstered indoor courtyard. Wrought iron balconies surround the atrium and contrast every-so-slightly with the background to add to the feeling of lightness while the warm lighting from the chandelier and the wall fixtures brings warmth to the space. The light walls and abundant illumination provide a clean backdrop for Prestige’s baroque accouterments and allow for an otherwise unusual combination of burnt orange velvet and black marble floors in the atrium area.
Our Suite
Soft platinum, gold and white tones offset by matte, velvet and silk textures gave our Prestige Suite an air of luxury that was downplayed to a comfortable balance by sparse furniture, clean lines, light walls and sober shapes. The setup made our room feel very spacious – almost like an apartment – and had the living room separated from our bedroom, which made catching up on work easy.
The couch was the perfect size for me to curl up in with my laptop while Chris worked at the desk. Our window looked out into the street, which was peaceful but not particularly interesting as the hotel is in a street a bit removed from main thoroughfares and places of interest. This suite is perfect, if you plan on spending some time inside and have work to do, as you have plenty of space to stretch about.
Michelin Starred Dining at Costed Downtown
Catering for Prestige –from breakfast to dinner – is entirely provided by the Costes team at the Costes Downtown restaurant. Costes Downtown offers the same high quality food as the original Costes but in a more casual atmosphere. Meals are served in a rustic-chic dining room with wooden tables and a verdant hanging garden covering one of the walls and parts of the ceiling. The breakfast buffet is a gourmet selection of classic items such as granola, cheese, fresh fruit, meats and eggs while the dinner menu changes with the seasons. The restaurant focuses on using local and seasonal ingredients and on using Hungarian gastronomy as its main source of inspiration.
Dinner at Costes Downtown was absolutely incredible and we really appreciated the relaxed atmosphere. Every dish from the tasting menu was highly creative and beautifully presented. Pairings were done with Hungarian wines that were expertly described to us by a very knowledgeable sommelier. Our night started with a dry sparkling wine from the Tokaji region paired with freshly baked bread and two different goat cheese butters. Caramelized goat cheese butter is insane! It’s sweet, creamy and caramely (is that even an actual word?) all at the same time. I’m still wondering how it will taste over popcorn…
When you’re so impressed with just the bread and butter, you know the rest is going to be amazing. Our first course was the most elegant beetroot salad I’ve ever seen. So colorful and so good – with thinly sliced beets, and pieces of goat cheese and grapes! After that, we were served a quail leg over a bed of perfectly cooked lentils encircled by a bright green spinach sauce. Third course was a melt-in-your-mouth beef shoulder served with mushrooms, parsnips and Brussels sprouts. We ended the meal with “Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate” – a ball of chocolate filled with a soft chocolate sponge cake. Definitely a must if you’re visiting Budapest!
“Dinner at Costes Downtown was absolutely incredible and we really appreciated the relaxed atmosphere. Every dish from the tasting menu was highly creative and beautifully presented.”
Things to do Around the Hotel
District 5 and the nearby District 6 form the heart of Budapest’s downtown area, filled with restaurants, shops, bars and plenty of things to see and do. The hotel is less than a block away from the Danube Promenade and the “Shoes on the Danube” monument. The Chain Bridge, which will take you in ten minutes to Fishermen’s Bastion and Buda’s Castle, is at walking distance and the Parliament Building is also close by.
If you’re feeling like a drink, hop in a cab and head to the “ruin pubs” in the Jewish district, you won’t be disappointed. All in all, Budapest is a gorgeous and extremely walkable city, so the best thing you can do is set out and get lost in it!
For more information about Prestige Hotel, visit their website: