Marriott Expands to the Hungarian Countryside

In the town of Balatonfüred, on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, a hotel complex worth HUF 22.5 billion is being built in the city center, with the Le Méridien resort scheduled to open in spring 2025, project founder Richárd Szepesi said at a press conference in Balatonfüred on Friday.

He said that in addition to the 102-room five-star hotel, the BalaPort project in Balatonfüred will also include a 200-space underground car park, four restaurants and 24 luxury apartments, as well as the development of the port infrastructure.

Richárd Szepesi added that the construction of the complex is currently underway, with the exterior designed by Fazakas Architects and the interior designed by 81Font, which will evoke the glamour of the French Riviera in the 1960s. Outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a fitness room and spa, as well as a sauna park will be created on an area of around 3,000 square meters. In addition to restaurants, the hotel will have a bar and a pool bar.

Silvija Lovreta, Marriott International's director of hotel development for Southern and Eastern Europe, said that Marriott International's Hungarian portfolio so far includes six hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton Budapest, Budapest Marriott Hotel, Matild Palace, Luxury Collection Hotel Budapest.

Richárd Szepesi, the founder and owner of the project, is responsible for the development and operation of the Bambara Hotel, the Shiraz Hotel, the Minaro Hotel Tokaj and Events Center in Tokaj and the BalaLand Hotel, FamilyPark and Residence on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, among other significant tourism developments in recent years, according to a press release distributed on the site.