CNN Travel has given a respectful nod to the Four Seasons Gresham Palace today on its 20th anniversary in Budapest.
Nathan Kay writes that for most of the last century, the story of the Gresham Palace closely mirrored that of the city in which it was built.
Built at the turn of the 20th century in prosperous Budapest, it quickly became the Hungarian capital’s hottest address. After enduring two world wars, it suffered neglect under communism before rising majestically, once again, in June 2004 to become one of the city’s, perhaps even central Europe’s, grandest hotels.
This summer, the building – one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau design in Budapest – is celebrating two decades in its most recent incarnation, as the Four Seasons Gresham Palace, a luxury hotel with panoramic views of the mighty Danube river.
The anniversary marks a new milestone in the preservation of this architectural gem that was both ahead of its time when it was built and very much a celebration of the intellectual golden age in which it emerged.
Read more here.