Historic Excellence and Comfort

Originally built 120 years ago as one of the two baroque palaces acting as a gateway towards Elizabeth Bridge, the Matild Palace went through several years of renovation by the Turkish Öyzer Group before it opened this summer as ‘Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Budapest’, part of Marriott International.

As the hotel’s General Manager, Emre Pasli explains to Diplomacy&Trade, the building is owned by Melis Investment Ltd., which is a part of Turkish Özyer Group established in 1948. The founder the Group, Suleyman Özyer started the business in the jewelry sector and extended the investments into different markets, like tourism, real estate or the renewable energy sectors. The company has extensive experience in the tourism sector. Today, the Özyer Group is managing 11 hotels and resorts with different categories, with a total capacity of over 8,000 beds. “So, the company's investment in the hotel industry is not surprising… and we are very pleased to be able to bring the Luxury Collection brand to Budapest under an agreement with Marriott International, Inc.,” he says.
The owners were looking for a place, a building that has a special history and represents authentic values in Europe. “We searched for historical buildings in lots of European countries and eventually, chose this iconic building in Budapest because it has a rich cultural heritage and on the other hand, Hungary is very well located in Central Europe. Travelers can reach Budapest easily. Therefore, it was the owners’ decision to invest in this building, and they believed that this is the right time, the right place, and the right country,” he adds.
He believes that this investment is extremely important for Budapest and Hungary as an iconic building of the city was renovated and gained its full splendor back. “We have invested a lot so that this historic building is restored to its glory and that jobs are created. These days it is very important for all economies to try to recover as soon as possible after the pandemic times, especially for tourism that has been one of the most severely affected sectors.”

A royal palace experience
It is the first Luxury Collection Hotel in Hungary located in a historical building. “Matild Palace is a celebrated debut and an important milestone moment in the growth of The Luxury Collection brand and my personal opinion is that we can offer very different experiences in different forms for the Marriott clientele. Matild Palace allows our guests to realize the fantasy of living within a royal palace that was built in 1902, elevated with modern amenities and impeccable luxury services. I think that's unique experience in Budapest. I believe that The Luxury Collection brand of Marriott was the perfect match for this beautiful historical building, the Matild Palace, as it is the perfectly representation of the local culture, history and architecture, which is the main characteristic of the Luxury Collection brand; offering authentic experiences for today’s global travelers in the world’s most desirable destinations,” Emre Pasli highlights.
Marriott – the largest hotel company in the world – had already a strong representation in Budapest in the 4- and 5-star segments, with hotels and long stay apartments but until now the luxury segment was only represented by the Ritz-Carlton. “We felt that it is a good opportunity for us to strengthen the luxury hotels portfolio with the debut of The Luxury Collection in the city,” he points out.

Perfect setting
The Matild Palace provides a perfect setting for international travelers seeking authentic experiences and exceptional service in an intimate setting. The General Manager is of the opinion that the first part of the ‘perfect setting’ is the iconic palace and its remarkable history. Matild Palace was built during the Belle Époque era to serve as the social hub of the city. The historic palace was planned to serve several social functions: it was a gastronomic and social center as well as a workplace and home for many. The basement hosted a café while the first floor provided space for civil unions and clubs. In 1901, the famous Belvárosi Kávéház (‘Downtown Café’) was also opened in the building. So, it was the perfect cultural and entertainment venue of Budapest.
The second part of the ‘perfect setting’ are our services. Matild Palace is now featuring brand-new culinary concepts like Spago by Wolfgang Puck, The Duchess, a secret rooftop bar, and the soon-to-open Matild Café & Cabaret. Our gastronomic offer is very diverse, and with the opening of the café, we bring even more cultural experiences to the everyday life of the people of Budapest.”

Excellent gastronomy
The Spago restaurant presents a new era of dining in the Hungarian capital by worldwide-renowned master chef Wolfgang Puck. The General Manager stresses that “Wolfgang Puck's Spago restaurant started very strong – we have a lot of returning local guests already and foreigners often travel to Budapest just because of Spago…, which amazes me. I think it happened last month that an Austrian couple visited us just because Wolfgang Puck was in Budapest. So, yes, gastronomy plays a really big role in the experiences offered by Matild Palace. Our rooftop bar, The Duchess is also operating along with the gastronomic concept of Wolfgang Puck… It provides an amazing 360-degree panorama of the city. And there is another really special venue in the building, the historic Matild Café & Cabaret, which is the reimagination of the famous Belvárosi Kávéház. It will open in 2022 and in the daytime, it will be an easy-going café house, while at night it will transform into a different face where Hungarian and international cabaret shows are performed on a hydraulic elevated stage. So, we have a very diverse, rich offer to our guests… I am sure everyone will find something exciting at Matild Palace.”

Hungary's Leading Hotel
The Matild Palace has been announced as ‘Hungary's Leading Hotel 2021’ by World Travel Awards. As Hotel Manager Selim Ölmez notes, “this recognition has been rewarding excellence in the travel industry since 1993, inspiring those working in the sector to continually improve the quality of their services and products. We are also working on this in Budapest, and the award shows that others also recognize our efforts. It is a great honor for us, for our whole team, to have earned this prestigious award and to be ranked among the world’s best hotels by more and more international media. We believe this is just the beginning and we can draw further attention to this fantastic city that deserves recognition very much from the international press.”
Apart from this award, Matild Palace receives a lot of recognition from international media. “Great Britain's oldest and most prestigious conservative daily, The Times or The Robb Report (in the U.S.) have written about us in the past. The feedback from our guests is also very positive. There are a lot of returning guests at the Spago and the Duchess. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are fewer international hotel guests at the moment, but we were prepared for that. We believe Hungary and Budapest are upcoming and truly desirable destinations attracting more and more travelers in the long run,” the Hotel Manager concludes.