Click photo for larger view. Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Budapest (edited).

Gresham Palace was born with great fanfare in 1906, lived for years at the decadent heart of Bohemian café society, suffered the indignities of war and the weight of the Iron Curtain, and was preparing for a crumbling death when Miklós Szenkirályi and his team of restoration artists came to the rescue.

Hired by the development owners and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, wrought-iron specialists, silversmiths, stained-glass makers, ceramists, mosaicists and other craftspeople came together to restore the legacy of original artists including Gyula Jungfer (peacock gates), Géza Maróti (façade), Angelo Orsoni (mosaics), Miksa Róth (glass mosaics and stained glass), Ede Telcs (who carved the bust of the building’s namesake, financier Sir Thomas Gresham) and the Zsolnay Ceramics Factory (which produced all the tile work).

Today, gracing Széchenyi István Square at the foot of the Chain Bridge, Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest is a glittering example of Art Nouveau/ Secessionist architecture and design.

In our opinion, luxury travelers are certain to enjoy the stunningly beautiful spaces created by these passionate and gifted artisans.  Plus, you’ll enjoy it all with the level of service that has made the Four Seasons brand famous around the world.

Dining at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest

Click photo for a larger view. ©2014, David A. Porter

The hotel offers three dining venues: Gresham Restaurant, The Bar and Lobby Lounge, and In-Room Dining.

Modeled on a café long frequented by Budapest’s intelligentsia from the nearby Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Gresham Restaurant is adjacent to the magnificent hotel lobby and offers both Italian and Hungarian specialties for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In keeping with the city’s coffeehouse tradition, a wonderful selection of cakes and pastries and a variety of coffees and teas can also be enjoyed.

We enjoyed breakfast and dinner for two days during our stay and absolutely loved the cuisine.

Our breakfasts included all of the usual favorites with a fabulous Hungarian twist, and the evening dining was pure joy. Pictured above is my Pike Perch entrée (Salsify Cream, Chorizo “Tarhonya” Risotto, Beetroot). But we also enjoyed Wiener Schnitzel, Goulash Soup, Oxtail Consommé, and their signature dish, Ibérico Pork.  Yum! Yum!

Herend Afternoon Tea at Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest

Note: click on photo for a larger view. ©2014, David A. Porter

Click the photograph for a larger view. ©2014, David A. Porter

One afternoon, after spending quite a few hours in the Christmas Market just down the street, Carol and I decided to warm our bones a bit at the Herend Afternoon Tea that happens each day between 3:00 to 6:00 pm.

Herend porcelains are world famous, and in our table setting (pictured above) we greatly enjoyed the hand-painted butterflies.

The Herend Afternoon Tea experience includes Hungarian desserts such as Rigó Jancsi (traditional chocolate cake), képviselo (bigne with vanilla cream, almond crispy), flódni (sweet pastry with poppy, walnut, apple cream) and plum strudel (classic strudel with plum filling). The sweet experience is enhanced with classic desserts such as the pumpkin scone, macaroon and madeleine filled with homemade jams and Devon cream. The traditional favorite pogácsa is joined together with tomato pesto, cucumber and mozzarella as well as by local cream cheese, smoked salmon and black olive tapenade topped with hearty prosciutto. YUM!

Besides a wide selection of black teas, Herend Afternoon Tea participants may choose between Japanese green, fruit and herbal teas.

Afternoon tea is a widely popular British social tradition, and because Queen Victoria and Princess Diana were collectors of Herend porcelain, we found this blend of British and Hungarian traditions to be a welcome and delightful experience.

You know, we could go on and on about our experience at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest.  While we didn’t have time to experience the beautiful spa area, what we did experience was world-class and offered us the opportunity to explore classical European luxury in what is certainly the best hotel location in all of Budapest.

We give the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest our very highest rating and highly recommend it as your home base when you visit Budapest!

Get VIP Perks at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest

When you book your stay through the Roaming Boomers Travel Services, we have complimentary perks to bring your way through our affiliation with Virtuoso®, the world’s leading international luxury travel agency network.

Plus, when you book your stay with us, you won’t pay a penny more than if you make the reservation yourself.

So here’s the $64,000 question: if you aren’t paying anything more for your stay, and we bring you our expertise and complimentary VIP amenities, why on earth would you consider trying to book this experience on your own?

Complimentary VIP Amenities

Take a peek at the complimentary VIP amenities we have for you when you book your stay with us:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Complimentary continental breakfast for up to two in-room guests daily
• $100 USD Food & Beverage credit, to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full).
• A choice of either early check-in of 10:00 am or late check-out 3:00 pm.
• If you’re visiting Budapest on a river cruise, then our guests will also enjoy a complimentary transfer to/from the pier.  Reservations must include cruise company and tour number.
• Plus, from time to time, we have further special offers.

To book your stay at the Four Season Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest, or to get your questions answered, call us at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request by clicking the red button below.

Disclosure: our stay was provided by the kind folks at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest. The Roaming Boomers maintains all publishing control and we’re happy to share our experiences with you without interference. We call ’em as we see ’em. Roaming Boomers Travel Services, is an Independent Affiliate of Hager’s Journeys, a Virtuoso® member.

If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.