50 Bn Invested in Developments at Danubius Hotels

Over the past five years, Danubius Hotels Plc. has spent a total of HUF 50 billion from its own funds on refurbishing its hotels, and the renovations are far from over.

The hotel chain has 4,046 rooms across 16 hotels in Hungary; 70% of which have been completely renovated and are ready to welcome guests for the 2026 summer season, while more than a third of their common areas have already been fitted with a new, modern look. The investments will continue even after the peak season.

Danubius, a British-owned company employing more than 2,000 people in Hungary, has been particularly active over the past six months: parallel development projects worth nearly HUF 10 billion have been underway at multiple locations.

Over the course of five years, nearly 1,000 hotel rooms and suites were renovated, and lobbies, restaurants, conference facilities, as well as wellness areas were also completely modernized. “The investments were carried out entirely from our own sources and market-based financing, without state subsidies. Our goal is to build a modern, high-quality portfolio that preserves the unique character of the hotels and remains competitive in the long term,” the CEO of Danubius Hotels Plc., Balázs Kovács, said.

In all cases, the work was scheduled to match seasonal demand: construction and renovation typically took place during the winter period, ensuring that guests could enjoy uninterrupted services during the spring and summer peak season.

The developments aim to enhance aesthetics, improve technical infrastructure, and increase energy efficiency. Most of the upgrades are carried out in existing, often historic buildings, which also makes the projects technically complex. The goal is to ensure long-term, sustainable, and profitable operations.

One of the projects that stood out as a milestone was the refurbishment of Hotel Erzsébet in the city center, which the company completed in five months while the hotel remained fully closed.
In addition, following the renovation of the rooms, lobby, and wellness area in Bükfürdő, the modernization of the all-inclusive restaurant has also been completed. In Hévíz, the Ensana Thermal Aqua underwent a modernization of its rooms, followed by its medical and wellness areas, while at Hotel Annabella in Balatonfüred, all rooms and the lobby now welcome holidaymakers with a new look. In Budapest, the entire ground floor of Danubius Hotel Arena has been refurbished, while a new restaurant is set to open at the Hungaria in the coming days, marking the completion of this intensive investment period.

As a result of the modernizations, some hotels are already achieving energy savings of 25–30%. Half of their buildings now use renewable energy, supported by 1 MW-capacity solar panel systems. This process will continue: additional solar panels and heat pumps will also be installed.

Danubius Hotels is a major player in the Hungarian hotel market, accounting for 9% of room capacity in Budapest and approximately 7% nationwide. The company achieved a 2–3% increase in revenue in 2025, with a focus on stable operations and continuous service improvement.

The modernized buildings represent not only a qualitative improvement for guests, but also provide more comfortable working conditions for employees. At the same time, the continuous developments create a stable foundation for further growth for Danubius Hotels, whose management remains open to new professional partnerships and additional expansion opportunities.