Exquisite luxury: the magical Gresham Palace

We’ve briefly compiled for you the story of this magnificent palace, so the spirit of this fabulous place can fully permeate you during your visit.

The predecessor of the Gresham Palace at the Pest end of the Chain Bridge was the Nákó Palace, which was built in the 1800s by an extremely wealthy Greek merchant family. This building was singled out as a rental property by the renowned Gresham Life Insurance Company from London, which took possession of it in 1880. After a few years of use, the company decided to construct its own new building in place of the Nákó Palace. And the majestic Gresham Palace was completed in 1906, following a huge investment and based on plans by renowned Hungarian architects.

The illustrious tenants of the palace, among them directors-in-chief, bankers, merchants, doctors and lawyers, were able to enjoy their almost aristocratic lifestyle within the walls of the stately building until the Great Depression, but as a result of the crisis the company withdrew from the country. After the Second World War, the fate of the Gresham Palace took a downturn: the building was nationalised, the luxurious suites were replaced by puritanical flats, and the state of the building deteriorated rapidly. The eventual fate of the palace was decided in the second half of the 1990s: the goal was for the Four Seasons hotel to move into this unique property. The extensive refurbishment works lasted until 2004, when the Four Seasons Gresham Palace Hotel opened to welcome its distinguished guests.  

When the Gresham Insurance Company decided to build its own headquarters on the banks of the Danube, the Classicist Nákó Palace was replaced by an Art Nouveau-style palace with the most outstanding artists of the age involved in its design and construction. Fabulous sculptures, stunning glass windows and mosaics, elaborate wrought-iron fixtures and beautiful glazed ceramic tiles made in the world-famous Zsolnay factory all await to delight visitors. The masterpiece thus built turned out to be one of the most impressive Art Nouveau buildings in Budapest.  

Thanks to the renovation works, the dazzling luxury hotel housed in the Gresham Palace faithfully reflects the palace’s former splendour. The hotel has 179 rooms, and in addition to the two fabulous presidential suites a 136-square-metre royal suite also awaits those who truly desire regal hospitality. The residence includes a huge balcony offering a stunning view of the Danube and the entire Buda side of the capital.

And if the aristocratic environment wasn’t temptation enough, we can reveal that the hotel also has a complete private spa area where you can choose between several pools and saunas, and various therapies.  

Did you know that... 

• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle worked for the Gresham Insurance Company, and the income he earned here helped him write and publish The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes?
• the Gresham Palace’s elegant café was the gathering place for progressive artists, art historians and art collectors between the two world wars?
• the country’s first cabaret, which was a veritable oasis for the capital’s intelligentsia, often operated in the basement of the palace?
• the renovated building was awarded the "Architectural Award for Excellence - Monument Restoration" in 2004, the year the hotel first opened?
• most celebrities, heads of state and top businessmen arriving in Hungary stay at the Gresham Palace?  

Visit this masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture – the luxurious Gresham Palace awaits you.