UK visitors to Hungary

There were 238,204 visitors from the UK to Hungary in 2012, up 7.6% on 2011 and making the UK the third largest overseas market for tourism, after Germany and Austria. 2013 looks set to be a record year, with visitor figures up 22% for January to August 2013, in comparison to the same period last year.

Tourism in Hungary

According to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 6.1 million guests spent more than 16.2 million nights at Hungarian commercial accommodation from January to August 2013, representing a 5.6% rise in the number of guests and a 4.7% rise in the number of overnight stays. Revenues have risen by 10.5% for the same period. Dr.Viktória Horváth, the Deputy State Secretary for Tourism of the Ministry for National Economy believes that the peak season this year has brought the highest turnover ever in the tourism industry.

New hotels

Baltazár Hotel (www.baltazarbudapest.com)

The Baltazár Hotel opened in 2013 and is a family-run boutique hotel in the Castle District of Budapest. It is renowned as a gastronomic institution, as well as a hotel and features the Baltazár Grill, serving up gourmet street food, and the Baltazár Wine Bar featuring some of the most important wines from Central Europe. The individually designed luxurious rooms and suites are inspired by Vivienne Westwood, Keith Haring and Andy Warhol and include original vintage furniture, rain shower by Hans Grohe and in room cosmetics by L'Occitane. Rooms start from €104 per room per night.

Nemzeti Hotel (www.hotel-nemzeti-budapest.com)

The Nemzeti Hotel re-opened in December 2012, after renovation and is located on the Pest side of Budapest. The decoration is a mixture of art nouveau, the eclectic movement, also known as 'Rococo Baroque', with contemporary touches. At the start of the 20th century, the Nemzeti Hotel was a cultural hotspot, and today the suites are named after respected actors who performed at the National Theatre. The Nemzeti Hotel was originally called the 'Rémi Hotel' after its owners, the Rémi family. It first opened its doors in 1896 the year of the 1000th anniversary of the conquest of the country by the Magyars. The Rémi Hotel was a prestigious address where the Hungarian elite liked to meet. In 1929, the Rémi Hotel was sold and took on its new name of the Nemzeti Hotel. It continues to be firmly rooted in the cultural life of Budapest. Rooms start from €75 per room per night.

New galleries & attractions

The Brody Studios (www.brodyhouse.com)

The popular boutique hotel, the Brody House has been a big hit on the Budapest hotel scene since 2009, and opened its first art gallery, the Brody Studios this month, to showcase local and international artists. The Brody House was founded as a hub for creativity and innovation and has been building up its artistic credentials ever since. As well as 11 unique hotel rooms and apartments, they promote new creative talent in the music industry through Brody House Sounds, offer inspiring spaces for private hire and now feature an art gallery with artist studios and event space. The Brody House also runs a members club with affiliations around the world, including the Hospital Club and Dover Street Arts Club in London.

The revamp of the Gozsdu Courtyard

The Gozsdu Courtyard (Gozsdu udvar in Hungarian) has been revamped after being abandoned for many years. The Gozsdu udvar is named after a Romanian lawyer, Manó Gozsduwho was famous for investing his fortunes into buying real-estate. The Gozsdu udvar was designed and built by the famous architect Győző Czigler in 1902, almost 30 years after Gozsdu himself has passed away. The complex consists of 7 building and six inner courts, and these places played a very important part of the Jewish community. After the re-vamp first the GOUBA design market opened followed by many cafés, bars, restaurants, shops and clubs. Art exhibitions, fairs and gigs are also hosted here. It is situated just 5 minutes from Deák Square in the heart of the city on the Pest side. According to urban bloggers, the atmosphere is like “a small Munich, mixed with a little Lisbon".

Events

Caravagio to Canalette - The Glory of Italian Baroque and Rococo Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts - 26 October 2013 - 16 February 2014

A few years ago staff at Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts set themselves the ambitious goal of presenting Italian painting from the 15th to the 18th centuries in two consecutive exhibitions. The first exhibition, Botticelli to Titian, held in 2009–2010, was one of the museum’s most successful exhibitions in recent times. The next exhibition is equally impressive and dedicated to the period in Italian painting from Caravaggio to Canaletto – Two Centuries of Italian Masterpieces, and is the closing event of the Hungarian-Italian Cultural Season. The exhibition is of special importance both for the museum and for cultural life in Hungary as never before has such a comprehensive range of Italian painting from this period come before the Hungarian public, and even in Italy the last such exhibition was held in 1922.For more information visit www.szepmuveszeti.hu

Budapest Winter Campaign - free hotel nights November to 6th April 2014

Travellers to Budapest this winter will be able to take advantage of free hotel nights and free admission to a historic spa as the Budapest Winter Invitation campaign launches for an eight year in November. The campaign runs from November until March gives visitors either ’3 nights for 2’ or ’4 nights for 3’ at many of the city’s top hotels. Visitors also get a free ticket to visit one of three of the city’s most popular spas – the Gellért, Rudas or Lukás baths.  For more information visit www.budapestwinter.com

Budapest Christmas Market - 15 November to 30 December 2013

Traditional Christmas market in the centre of Budapest with a truly festive atmosphere including the chance to buy local handicrafts, eat traditional food such as lángos, roast meats, strudels and gingerbread, drink mulled wine and listen to a variety of musical performances. The Christmas Market takes place in Vörösmarty Square, home of the famous Café Gerbeaud, which at Xmas time turns its many windows into a giant advent calendar. More info: www.budapestinfo.hu

For more information on Hungary visit www.gotohungary.co.uk

New films

Wes Anderson’s new comedy-drama, Grand Budapest Hotel opens in cinemas in March 2014 with an all-star cast including Ralph Fiennes, Willem Defoe, Jude Law and Tilda Swinton. Grand Budapest Hotel recounts the adventures of Gustave H, played by Ralph Fiennes the legendary concierge at a famous European hotel, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his trusted friend. The film, set between World War I and World War II, involves the theft of a priceless Renaissance painting and the battle for an enormous family fortune.

According to Historic Hotels Then and Now, the Corinithia Hotel Budapest is said to be the inspiration for the movie. Formerly known as the Grand Hotel Royal, and opened in 1896, it continued through the 1900s to be a popular spot for contemporary Hungarian writers and journalists. Interestingly, the first-ever screening of a movie in Budapest took place at this hotel and later on, half the building served as a cinema.

Press Enquiries: Karin Jones, PR Manager for Hungarian Tourism (Tues & Thurs)Tel: 07908 488 492 Email: media@gotohungary.co.uk