Gresham Palace stands on Széchenyi István Square, at the Pest end of the Chain Bridge, with the Danube and Buda Castle in front of it. The building was completed in 1906 for the Gresham Life Assurance Company of London, and since 2004 it has been Four Seasons Gresham Palace, one of the leading luxury hotels in Budapest.
History
The palace was built as offices and luxury apartments for a British insurance company at a time of great prosperity for Budapest. It suffered during the Second World War and the decades that followed, and was divided into flats under the communist regime. A long restoration brought back its original features before the hotel opened in 2004.
Architecture and design
The architects Zsigmond Quittner and the Vágó brothers designed one of the finest Art Nouveau buildings in Hungary. The restoration revived its wrought-iron peacock gates, its glass roof over the arcade, its mosaics and Zsolnay ceramic tiles, crafted with Hungarian techniques of the period. The hotel has a spa with an indoor pool on its top floor.
Location
The hotel looks across the Danube to Buda Castle, with the Parliament, St Stephen’s Basilica and the Váci Street shops close by on foot.
Weddings and events
The hotel’s ballroom and salons host weddings, dinners and corporate events with views of the river and the Chain Bridge.
At a glance
What sets it apart
- 01Art Nouveau landmark completed in 1906
- 02At the Pest end of the Chain Bridge, facing Buda Castle
- 03Wrought-iron peacock gates and Zsolnay ceramics
- 04Opened as a Four Seasons hotel in 2004
Chronology
Dates that matter
1904
Construction begins for the Gresham Life Assurance Company of London.
1906
The palace is completed to designs by Zsigmond Quittner and the Vágó brothers.
1945
The building is damaged during the siege of Budapest.
1999
An Irish investment group acquires the building and begins its restoration.
2004
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace opens in June.
2011
The hotel is sold to the sovereign fund of Oman.
