Festetics Palace in Budapest hosts conferences, workshops, gala dinners, receptions and weddings in four ceremonial halls, a courtyard and a staircase hall. The largest space, the cobbled courtyard, takes up to 250 guests standing. The palace stands in the Palace Quarter of the Hungarian capital, close to the National Museum.
Seminars and company events
The palace sells conferences, workshops, trainings and gala dinners. The official site says that its four halls of different sizes allow larger conferences to be run in full. The Mirror Hall is the main room for a plenary session or a seated dinner, while the Marble Hall and the Festetics Hall suit breakout rooms, welcome drinks and coffee breaks. Events can also take in the courtyard, for example for an evening reception after a day of sessions.
Weddings and receptions
Couples can hold the civil ceremony in one of the smaller rooms and move to the Mirror Hall for the reception. The Festetics Hall is described as a room for standing receptions. A 24-hour reception service lets guests use the banquet halls without a fixed end time. The site also lists classical concerts, photo shoots and filming among the uses of the building.
Rooms and capacities
The Mirror Hall covers 150 square meters. It takes 150 people at a standing reception, 160 in rows of chairs and 120 at round tables. The Marble Hall covers 47 square meters and takes 30 people standing or 20 at round tables. It opens directly onto the Mirror Hall. The Festetics Hall covers 64 square meters and takes 50 people standing, 40 in rows or 40 at round tables. It can be rented alone but is usually combined with another room. The courtyard covers 270 square meters and takes 250 people standing. The Andrássy Hall, a former music salon, and the staircase hall, in an ornate French baroque style, complete the list. The site gives no capacity figures for these two.
Catering
The organiser chooses the caterer freely. The palace does not impose an in-house kitchen, so the menu, service style and budget stay in the hands of the client. Chair rental is offered as a separate service, which helps when a seated plenary needs more places than the room provides.
History and setting
The building was designed by Miklós Ybl and carries the name of the Festetics family. After a detailed renovation it opened to the public in fall 2003. It has two functions today. The restored historic halls and the courtyard work as event spaces, and modern teaching rooms in the loft house the Andrássy Gyula German Speaking University of Budapest. The halls reflect Romantic architecture.
Getting there
The palace is at Pollack Mihály tér 3, in central Budapest, in the district formerly known as the magnate quarter. Its neighbors include the National Museum, the Szabó Ervin Library and the Italian Cultural Institute. The site mentions convenient parking. Requests go through the quote form on the official site, and a named events contact answers on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
