Spa Canada Magazine

Four Seasons - Gresham Palace

Four Seasons - Gresham Palace

by James Knight

Four Seasons are the masters of hospitality, service can be measured like a fine Swiss watch, with perfect timing

Staying at Four Seasons, Gresham Palace, Budapest, Hungary, is the ultimate experience you are guaranteed, the little things are down to a professional team of staff

DNA of Four Seasons is the people. . .

Sharing experiences is one thing . . .

Enjoying  the experiences for yourself is another . . .

Share, stay and tell of Gresham Palace. . .

When you return to a hotel or resort, you always ask yourself will it be as wonderful as the first time, or will I be disappointed? I visited Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Budapest  two years ago. At that time when I wrote an article on the hotel and I regarded it as the best hotel I have ever stayed at anywhere in the world. Over the last two years, I have looked at the web, at the many reviews from guests, out of 200 excerpts recently placed on the web about the hotel, all of them gave a 90 per cent satisfaction rate in all categories, which I can say places the Gresham Palace at number one of the European table of hotels. I was really looking forward to my arrival on this very hot August afternoon; it is a hotel you can relax in. Budapest is a city that makes you feel at ease.

"INNOVATIVE HOSPITALITY"

There to greet me on my arrival at the hotel was a team of staff to make you feel like you are the only guest ever to have stayed at the hotel.

They say every Four Seasons Hotel is the same, this is not exactly true in my opinion, Gresham Palace is very extensive, it is a palace of extreme luxury. The Gresham family who owned the building, originated from London. They set-up there insurance empire in Budapest in 1930's. In London there is the world famous Gresham Street, which is named after the family and is near the Bank of England. In the building over 120 WORKS have been restored, costing over $110 million US Dollars, with 179 guests rooms and seven suites, created in the traditional style with absolute luxury.

Budapest is a city which really does have a history all of it's own, occupied by the Germans and after the Second World War by the Russians, also witnessed the 1958 uprising, it has more scares than virtually any other European city. Today, the city is visited by many Canadians and Americans, (it is a must on any European tour, might I also add that not too many English people go there.) The centre of Budapest has been modernized, with wide avenues, beautiful squares with plenty of wide walkways. London could learn a great deal about how to look after tourists, from this city. Major construction is taking place in the city, from a new Metro line to more streets being converted into traffic-free boulevards.

Artists, architects and sculptures are making the city a creative European paradise, with the Danube as a great canvass of creation.

To me it is a city to compare to an old favourite jacket you find in the wardrobe, you bring it out, shake it down and it is now back in fashion. Originally one of the most fashionable cities in Europe can compare to Vienna and Paris.

COLORFUL PEACOCK GREETS YOU

Your entrance to the hotel is through the wonderful marble reception area, above you, are the original chandeliers and the famous stained glass and Peacock Gates, even the original sculptures and the marble-style of the reception have been preserved. The hotel was re-opened in 2004.

Gresham Palace is flamboyant, it is a temple where hospitality meets painstaking architectural design, it is like staying in a museum of opulent dedicated to great designers. Wrought-iron specialists, silversmiths, stained-glass makers, ceramics, masons, the hotel represents the skills of the ancient guilds, brought to life in elaborate qualities. While walking around, you feel as though the craftsman are looking down on you for admiration of their work.

MARTA IS FOUR SEASONS, PROFESSIONAL THROUGH AND THROUGH

Training staff is a of paramount importance at any Four Seasons Hotel, Marta is a lady who can arrange tours for you in Budapest, she understands the needs of each guest and she is extremely knowledgeable about Budapest and therefore can answer questions with ease. She arranged for us to go to the Parliament Buildings, (it is a walking tour she advised us to take.) The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary. It lies close to the hotel, along the banks of the Danube. Budapest was united from three cities in 1873 and seven years later the National Assembly resolved to establish a new one, under the roof of the Parliament Building. The building is based on the British Parliament Building, from a distance looks a carbon copy, a competition was arranged, which was won by Imre Steindle, he visited London to see the Parliament Building, the plans of other two entrants were also realised, facing the Parliament, one today is the Ethnographically Museum and the other was the Ministry of Agriculture. The building was started in 1885 and finished in 1904. There were about one thousand people working on it's construction in which 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and 40kg gold were used. The building is 268m long and 123m wide. It's interior includes 10 courtyards, 123 passenger and freight elevators, 27 gates, 29 staircases and 691 rooms,  plus 200 more offices. With it's height of 96m it is one of the tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica. The number 96 refers to the national millennium, 1896, the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary in 896, more information can be found on the web or in tourist guides.

HUNGARIAN HEROES

Heroes Square is a gateway to the City Park, laid out in 1896 to celebrate the country's 1,000 years of occupation of Hungary. Huge statues of tribal chieftains and rulers and an imposing 48m high column being the Archangel Gabriel dominates the Square. Take a stroll down the main shopping street, with stores including Zara, Louis Vuitton and Versace are just some of the international brands you'll find here. The city most certainly embraces the consumer luxury brand society.

A great place to relax is St. Stephen's Bascilica Square in Central Budapest. The church is most certainly a must on your visits list. Completed in 1905, it is a cathedral of splendour, open-air concerts are performed in the square and there are many coffee bars and restaurants around the side of the square. The whole area has a wonderful feel about it.

Budapest lies on the Danube, which is the second longest river in the European Community, (after the Volga.) It starts it's course in the Black Forest in Germany and travels through ten different countries to it's final destination on the Black Sea in Romania and the Ukraine. It is very wide in Budapest and it is a working river transporting goods across Central Europe.

Budapest is also a World Heritage site, this includes the Buda Castle, makes it a city which is recognized for it's beauty. It has in total 80 geothermal springs, the world's largest thermal water cave system. The city is ranked third (out of 65 cities) on the MasterCard's emerging markets in 2008. The most livable central/Eastern European City on EU's quality of life index 2009·

ROYAL VISIT AT THE DANUBE

There is a wide choice of rooms from The Danube Premier rooms to Superior Rooms, which are all luxurious. Then there is the ultimate Royal Suite fitted with Art Noveau pieces. The suites are located on the second floor. It really is the height of luxury. All the rooms are finished to the highest level, with great marble bathrooms and many with views over the Danube. It is so comfortable and pleasing that it makes you feel as though you don't want to leave the room.

Many of the rooms have great views over The Chain Bridge, which joins Buda and Pest. This is based on the same design of a bridge in Marlow in Buckinghamshire in England. At night with the lights of the city glowing, it is truly a marvelous sight!

GO BY THE FUNICULAR TO FIND FUN. . .

Go over the Danube via the Chain Bridge and it leads you to Buda the second part of the city. The easiest way to get to Buda is on the Funicular railway, which takes you up the side of the hill to the ancient city of Buda. It is like chocolate box city, with cobbled streets, souvenir shops and a outdoor market, great for exploring and purchasing your presents for the folks back home. Street Dancers, art displays are there, also little courtyards with restaurants to eat out in the glorious Hungarian sunshine.

JUST DINE WITH ME

At the Gresham Palace you can enjoy more informal dining. In the lounge, this time we decided to dine and listen to the group playing over cocktails and wines. Also, light snacks are available at the bar, after a hard day of sightseeing.

A SPA OF HUNGARIAN TRANQUILLITY

The spa is most certainly relaxing and quiet. It is located on the fifth floor. You enter through a door immediately coming out of the elevator. You feel as though you have been transported to another world. The relaxation areas and treatment rooms most certainly give you an impression of complete bliss.

Products used are the well-known international brand of Elemis, which is a excellent brand for Signature treatments.

There are a number of massage treatments including Aromatic Swedish Massage, Super Energizing Muscle Massage, Refreshing Back and Head Massage and Reflex, all delivered with great expertise by the highly-trained team to make you feel relaxed during your visit to the spa.  Another Signature treatment is the Tokaji Revitalizing Package, this includes body scrub with brown sugar and Tokaji spirit, a refreshing Vichy shower followed by a gentle Swedish massage with warm oil, wrapping Tokaji spirit around the joints areas and non facial massage.

Sugar is an excellent exfoliate and antioxidant while Tokaji spirit is a natural toner. The Vichy shower refreshes and softens the skin and the gentle heated oils moisturizes the skin and eliminates muscle tension. The wrap cloths infused in Tokaji spirit are applied to the joint areas to energize the body, enhancing the immune system. The body is rebalanced while enjoying a honey face massage. To complete this unique Hungarian experience I can recommend an optional glass of wine at the completion of your treatment.

The spa is a must during your stay, relax and try and very diverse treatments.

For a great weekend break Budapest holds a great deal, from the buildings to the sightseeing, after visiting Four Seasons Gresham Palace again, I will say it is still the best hotel I have visited.