Hotel Gellért
Encyclopedia
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The hotel was erected on the right bank of the river Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
between 1916 and 1918 in the (Secession
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists, housed in the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This movement included painters, sculptors, and architects...
) Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style with some biomorphic
Biomorphism
Biomorphism is an art movement that began in the 20th century. It patterns artistic design elements on naturally occurring patterns or shapes reminiscent of nature. Taken to its extreme it attempts to force naturally occurring shapes onto functional devices, often with mixed results.-History:The...
elements, at the foot of Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill is a high hill overlooking the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. It is part of the 1st and 11th Districts. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the...
, next to Szabadság Bridge.
The four star Danubius Hotel Gellért, onetime Saint Gellért Hotel and Spa, was renovated in 1962 and in 1973. The spa, swimming pool and plaza built to the hotel is one of the most beautiful spas in Budapest. Hotel Gellért got the name „the first lady of Hungarian tourism”.
Gellért is one of the most famous historical hotels in Europe, which is well-known among businessmen and tourists as well, who return to Budapest over and over.
Gellért Spa
Gellért Baths
Gellért Thermal Baths and Swimming Pool, also called Gellért fürdő or Gellért Baths, are a bath complex in Budapest, Hungary, built between 1912 and 1918 in the Art Nouveau style. They were damaged during World War II, but then rebuilt. References to healing waters in this location are found from...
, connected to the hotel directly, is a special attraction and its indoor and outdoor swimming pool, wave bath, sunbathing terrace and thermal spa can be used by the hotel guests free of charge. Thermal baths is used for healing different diseases and illnesses. Jacuzzi with its glass roofs, which is opened in the summer, and the wave bath are the favourites among guests.
Hotel Gellért is famous for its thermal bath
Thermal bath
A thermal bath is a warm body of water. It is often referred to as a spa, which is traditionally used to mean a place where the water is believed to have special health-giving properties, though note that many spas offer cold water or mineral water treatments.A thermal bath may be part of a...
s, see also: Gellért Baths
Gellért Baths
Gellért Thermal Baths and Swimming Pool, also called Gellért fürdő or Gellért Baths, are a bath complex in Budapest, Hungary, built between 1912 and 1918 in the Art Nouveau style. They were damaged during World War II, but then rebuilt. References to healing waters in this location are found from...
.
Design
Inside of the hotel is built in Art NouveauArt Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style with high glass cupola and wrought iron decoration. The characteristic, oriental cone-shaped towers of the hotel and eventful frontage attract the look from long distances. Inside the hotel less, but more in the spa the original Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
furnishing stayed with artistic mosaics, colourful windows and statues. The ornament of the stairs starting from the reception in the hotel is the glass window, made on the basis of layouts of Bozó Stanisits, representing the Chase of the Miraculous Deer from the famous old Hungarian legend.
At the beginning of the 20th century the apartments of the nobles were characteristically magnificent, while the other rooms were simply furnished with carefully designed pieces. The stylish furnishing of the rooms does credit to the work carried out by artists under the direction of Ferenc Szabja. The domed hall opened to a formal courtyard which was used as a conservatory with its sliding glass roof. The semi-circular lawned courtyard was surrounded by an alcove for the orchestra and a colonnade of the pump-room. The Indian maharajahs with their numerous attendants visiting Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
frequently put up at the luxuriously comfortable Hotel Gellért.
During and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the richly coloured coffered ceiling of the galleried foyer and the domed hall reminiscent of the great halls of the Roman thermal baths suffered almost irreparable damage. At the end of the 50’s the reconstruction of the hotel was started.
Nowadays the Gellért Hotel is characterized by cosily furnished rooms in which the materials and colours of the textiles, furniture and coverings combine to radiate a sense of calm.
Location
From Budapest Ferihegy International AirportBudapest Ferihegy International Airport
Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport , formerly known as Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, is the international airport serving the Hungarian capital city of Budapest, and the largest of the country's five international airports. The airport offers international connections primarily...
(airport terminals are 16 and 22 km distant) the hotel can be reached by cab or minibus, and from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
with Hydrofoil
Hydrofoil
A hydrofoil is a foil which operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to airfoils.Hydrofoils can be artificial, such as the rudder or keel on a boat, the diving planes on a submarine, a surfboard fin, or occur naturally, as with fish fins, the flippers of aquatic mammals, the...
on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. From the riverbank the principal streets of the centre city and the nearest underground station are within 10-minute walking distance. The closest railway station is 3 km away.
Media history
- The hotel also makes an appearance in the computer video game series HitmanHitman (computer game series)Hitman is a stealth game series developed by the Danish company IO Interactive. The series is available on PC as well as several video game consoles, including the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The game series has since expanded into a novel, Hitman: Enemy Within written by...
under a changed name Hotel Gallàrd (although it is more often referred to as the "Thermal Bath Hotel").