It is located on the west bank of the Danube, a short distance from the Buda Castle district. A 19th-century palatial mansion, restored with exquisite respect for its original character, which became the Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel in 2024. A 5-star hotel with 127 rooms and suites, it retains the typical façade of the eclectic historicist architecture of late 19th-century Budapest. A mixture of neo-Renaissance, neo-Baroque and neo-Classical styles. The hotel represents an exercise in spatial narrative, thanks to which local history, contemporary craftsmanship and somewhat visionary design engage in lively dialogue. All under the umbrella of IHG Hotels & Resorts, owner of the Kimpton brand.
A 19th-century palace converted with purpose
For Attila AE Domby, general manager of the hotel, the choice of Budapest was a natural one, as he revealed in an interview with the Budapest Business Journal: “Budapest has a vibrant energy, and it’s a destination that blends history, innovation, and creativity, qualities that align well with the Kimpton brand.” In fact, the opening of the Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel marked the brand’s entry into Eastern Europe, a challenge that Domby clearly embraces: “We’re not just opening a hotel but setting the tone for the Kimpton experience in Budapest, Hungary and Eastern Europe.”
The narrative footprint of Marcel Wanders’ interior design: folklore as raw material
In what was its first collaboration with the brand, Dutch designer Marcel Wanders’ studio was commissioned to design the interior of the Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel. Wanders approached the project as an ethnographic immersion, documenting his findings in libraries, archives and local craft workshops. ‘We wanted,’ he said in an interview with Sixtysix magazine, referring to the guests, “them to truly wake up in Hungary and Budapest, not somewhere else; to touch that fibre of a nation and culture.”
The visual language Wanders uses in the interior design reinterprets mythological characters from the founding legends of the Magyar people, such as the Turul bird and the Golden Stag. He also uses native floral motifs and a colour palette inspired by the waters of Lake Balaton and the Hungarian forests. “An interior doesn’t travel. A chair can. But a hotel must belong to its land.” the designer tells Narcisse magazine, justifying his approach to the hotel’s interior design. In any case, materiality plays an important role. Elements such as the reception desk—a piece with a ceramic mosaic in shades of green and violet—were made by local artisans.
For their part, the rooms offer rich tonal variations and textures, in a differentiation that Wander intentionally sought: “There’s a clear sense of individual identity in each space. You’ll remember exactly which room you stayed in.” Wanders takes a deliberately selective and somewhat risky stance: “The purpose of an interior is not to please everyone. We are looking for open minds.”
A luxury model with character
Domby, general manager of Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel, defines the proposal as “accessible luxury with a playful and avant-garde touch.” The hotel is aimed at a diverse audience, whether for business, leisure, or more transient purposes, such as bleisure. It also actively integrates the local community through its gastronomic offerings and events programme. Added to all this is a pet-friendly policy, which reinforces its inclusive aspirations.
The Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel is a beautiful place to stay, thanks to the exquisiteness and audacity of its interiors, as well as its location.
Sources: Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel, Sixtysix Magazine, Narcisse Magazine, Budapest Business Journal and Marcel Wanders.
Images: Kimpton BEM Budapest Hotel and Marcel Wanders.
