FINE Wine & Champagne India - Winter 2018

decorated guestrooms have views of the
city’s stately boulevards or the impressive
atrium. The in-room entertainment systems
are state-of-the-art Bose and for those who
may have the time, a host of channels to
swap between. The doors are from the Czech
Republic and open up into beautiful spaces
furnished with Slovakian furniture and South
African carpets. This international selection
is framed in the expertise of Hungarian
craftsmen.
The Executive Club is a space which offers
business centre facilities and a boardroom, a
comprehensive library and the international
newspapers, a television room and a selection
of drinks (including some carefully chosen
local Hungarian wines), snacks and canapés
served throughout the day. Access to this
special area lent a feeling of space and was
very welcome.
The Royal Spa was conceived by the
architect Vilmos Freund in 1888 with steam
baths, wave and shower baths, electric baths, a
pneumatic chamber and a medical room with
cold water – all with thermal water. The hotel
got built to the spa and not the other way
round. History records the spa as operational
till 1944, when it became necessary to control
all the thermal water running on the main
streets in this part of the city because there
was a scare that this district will collapse.
The abandoned, obsolete spa survived a bid
to be converted into a parking lot and was
refurbished to blend tradition with modernity
– the 15 metre indoor pool is a highlight.
It seems that we had engaged well with
Tibor – he used a secret code to access
the kitchen. We got the mandatory white
coat and protectors. Well laid out and well
organised, the place is buzzing with activity
– breakfast had just ended and lunch was
being prepared. Tibor ended the tour, told us
that he shared with us more than he did with
other guests and hoped that we would carry
good memories.
Lovingly restored to its original glory,
Corinthia Hotel Budapest was brought to
life, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
The Corinthia mission of ‘Craftsmanship of
Care’ is an aim to create made-to-measure
experiences to make guests feel special from
the moment they arrive. >
76 FINE WINE & CHAMPAGNE INDIA