When I heard the Hollywood rumours that the old Grand Hotel (presently the Corinthia) was the inspiration for the Oscar Nominated film: The Grand Budapest Hotel, it lured me into a stay.The Corinthia sits on Great Boulevard with an army of finely architected buildings, yet the Corinthia is the cherry on top, as it stands out as the grandest and most inviting. A former haunt of Hungarian royalty, the building has weathered fires and war before being reincarnated into its present regal form.

Doormen with top hats ushered me into the hotel through the ornate double entrance doors. The lobby deserved an impressive ..wow..giving me the feeling that I had to be an aristocrat to enter in here.The wide staircase invites you to the reception area in proximity to a bunch of sensuously smelling lilies, it looked like I was in a field of lilies. Though the original interiors were demolished long ago, much restorative care has been expended on the building to retain it regal atmosphere. A marble lobby is accented with swirling figures on the floor, an expansive atrium and wrought-iron ornamentation with countless columns adorn the lobby. Rooms circumscribe the 6 story atrium and overlook the space. A sense of space permeates the lobby via high ceilings and wide corridors, which a small marching band could prance through.

The Corinthia has a diverse room repertoire. The standard room is stylish with hard woods, jewel toned upholstery and green carpets. Beds are huge, with unusually well insulated walls that provide a solemn quiet sleep. Baths are are spacious with showers and tubs and all the luxe toiletries that one would expect of a hotel such as the Corinthia. Room upgrades provide more space and upgraded amenities as the category rises, culminating in the Presidential Suite, the largest hotel room in Budapest and favourite of former President Gorbachev.

The Corinthia has an array of in-house eating venues. The Brassiere & Bar serves Hungarian and International dishes and capitalises on the atrium for seating. I tried the meal of the season here: Dry Shredded Beef...very good. The Rickshaw restaurant is a plush eatery serving Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Indonesian dishes. The Bock Bar features a melange of Hungarian food with Spanish tapas and the Caviar & Bull is a fancy restaurant with Maltese inspired food items wrapped up in a beef and caviar menu.

The Corinthia also has several drinking options. Le Bar, with cool lighting and a resident pianist. Reputed for its custom-crafted cocktails, I was introduced to Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee here..superb...Starbucks doesn't stand a chance. The Or Feum Club is an upbeat establishment with a rowdy atmosphere generated by music and dancing.

The Royal Spa is a jewel in the crown of the Corinthia. The Art Deco centrepiece, courtyard pool is topped with a stained glass atrium and a double height ceiling with a 2 level balcony in concert with the ornamentation of the lobby. A comprehensive array of therapeutic treatments are available to rebalance and rejuvenate sore muscles associated with sightseeing activities.

Staff crushed the service angle with their penchant for attentiveness and performance. The concierge team was amped up to provide attraction guidance to ensure guests got the most out of their sightseeing endeavours.

So, if you desire a gorgeous top-notch hotel. with a spa that is utterly pampering along with numerous eating and drinking options..................try the Corinthia..........................
The Grand Budapest Hotel.

We spent 3 nights in this hotel recently on a break from an Orient Express trip and found the hotel very disappointing. The room was very large and had everything in it was was very dark and dingy not welcoming at all. We booked an evening meal in the restaurant after looking at the menu online, however when we got to the restaurant the menu was very different to online and very limited and not what we wanted. We tried to get into the other restaurant in the hotel and despite explaining what had happened they said they were full and could not help us. We ended up on the Chinese in the hotel which was awful. The bill came to over £100 euros for some thing you would pay £20 for in England and it was without alcohol. When we checked out and we were paying our bill we told them about this and their reply was will you be using our hotel again and when we said no the male receptionist just shrugged his shoulders. Not the sort of service you would expect from a supposedly 5 star hotel. They said that they pull get the online menu changed immediately - it’s still the same. We stayed in 3 different countries on our trip as well as the train and the Corinthia did not come up to scratch.

We stayed for three nights in an executive room with the additional use of the executive lounge and the spa and it was wonderful. The room itself was fabulous with everything you could wish for , nepresso coffee machine , luxury toiletries , a powerful shower and a super comfy bed ! The staff were helpful and engaging especially the staff in the executive lounge where nothing was too much trouble. We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast each morning before going out to see the sights with a great choice and eggs cooked to order , there was even champagne ! Returning after a day out was also a treat too with afternoon tea and more fizz and the evenings had canapes and a choice of spirits , hungarian wines and beers. Upgrading to the executive club also gave you unlimited access to the spa which was another wonderful experience with a lovely pool , jacuzzis , sauna and steam room with relaxing areas too. You are given towels , dressing gowns and slippers on arrival and the use of a locker , a great way to relax after a day of sightseeing. The hotel is well located and we found it easy to walk everywhere and they even do a transfer service to and from the airport for an extra charge. We could not fault the hotel and will definitely be recommending it to all our friends and family and if we are ever back in Budapest we will definitely stay here again. If you can afford it upgrade to the executive rooms you will not regret it.