THE HOTEL
The 216-room (46 suites) Marriott Bonvoy Autograph hotel opened in November 2023, adding another boutique luxury property to a growing range of five-star hotels in the Hungarian capital.
The contemporary design was curated by renowned Italian architect and designer, Piero Lissoni, who has incorporated several elements that are a playful nod to the city’s rich history, literary and art scene.
The hotel’s interior, something of a living art gallery, displays eye-catching modern artworks, including many from Zoltán Tombor, a renowned Hungarian fashion and beauty photographer.
THE BACKGROUND
The property spreads over three separate buildings that, built in different eras, were once home to a bank, a shipping office and an insurance company.
Named after the Archduchess Dorothea, wife of Palatine Josef Anton who in the first half of the 19th Century was archduke of Austria and became known as the “Father of modern Budapest”, it is situated a block from the Danube River and within easy walking distance of the city centre.
Popular nearby points of interest include the Hungarian National Museum, Hungarian Parliament Building and Hungarian State Opera.
The city’s main pedestrian thoroughfare and its most famous street shopping street, Váci utca, starts close to the hotel and stretches all the way to the Central Market Hall at Fővám Square.
Liszt Ferenc International Airport is around 20 km, or 30 minutes in a taxi, from the hotel. The Dorothea offers a paid-for transfer service.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Visitors enter via a vestibule area that is dominated by Greek-style Doric-inspired columns.
Wall carpets in the lobby feature traditional Hungarian patterns, and framing one end of the lobby is a spectacular floor-to-ceiling four-story ceramic wall, with 5,000 custom tiles produced by Zolani, a well-known Hungarian manufacturer.
A centrepiece lobby staircase that dates to the 1860s is heritage listed.
Oversized and whimsical artwork meld the past with the present by featuring characters in historical costumes wearing sound-equalising headphones.
The reception area was staffed by four staff who were expecting my arrival, had the keys pre-cut and a mocktail ready to hand me.
All spoke excellent English.
THE ROOM
I stayed in a “Heritage” Superior room with a street view. Rooms on the other side of the property look down onto an atrium characterised by plenty of plants, ferns and other greenery (see ‘Facilities’ below).
I was told the room had been designed in “19th century Neo-Renaissance style with a modern, sophisticated flare”.
Two large windows offered views of Vörösmarty Square which, as it was early December, was staging one of several Christmas markets in the city.
My room, decorated in soft browns, beiges and greens, featured a super-comfortable canopy King-Size bed (with huge pillows), a velvet couch, a small table and oversized reproductions of famous Hungarian portraits that currently hang in the city’s National Art Gallery.
Features included a seating area, a flat-screen TV, a coffee machine, kettle and large wardrobe.
The classy and spacious bathroom was all modern marble and featured a huge walk-in rainshower. There was a large storage shelf for towels, bathrobes and slippers.
THE FACILITIES
An extensive breakfast billed with ‘farm-to-table’ ingredients is served in a spacious and bright covered courtyard area called Pavilon, that sits between the buildings’ two accommodation wings.
A striking feature as you check in is the living herb wall.
The restaurant is also open in the evening – with dishes created with products locally sourced within a 200 km radius around Budapest – and serves an extensive Sunday brunch that is popular with both tourists and locals.
Every Friday the hotel offers a “chef’s table”, a specially curated menu assembled by chefs who share the inspiration behind each dish.
A “Luxurious Afternoon Tea” features a selection of teas with pastries and salty bites served on bespoke Zsolnay porcelain.
The Anton Bar is a grab-and-go coffee shop and deli in the day that transforms into a classy and cosy speakeasy-style bar in the evening.
A rooftop bar (on the seventh floor) looks out over the Danube. With a 180-pax capacity, it is the biggest rooftop bar in the city.
A Spa has a menu of Babor treatments, a 15-metre swimming pool and a small gym.
THE VERDICT
Elegant and contemporary with classy and ironic elements throughout, the Dorothea looks set to become one of Budapest’s in-demand hotels.
I liked the numerous nods to traditional Hungarian folk elements, and the stylish juxtaposition of past and present. The hotel oozes sophistication and quality layered with a calming ambience throughout.
The location is excellent, situated close to one of Budapest’s main square and shopping street and surrounded by several cafés and restaurants.
DETAILS
Nightly room rates for a Heritage Superior Room start from around €300.
