Gellert
One of the rare hotels built during World War 1, the "Great War". It was opened two month before the war ended, so it is in fact a hotel of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It quickly became a legend in the Hungarian capital and still, to this day, remains one of the most famous hotels of the continent. It has seen good days and less good ones — and this shows. A facelift would do it any harm.Google Map
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History in brief: The hotel was built during the last years of World War I (1916-1918). The new bilding was shown to the press on 18 September 1918, on 19 September the representatives of the government paid their visit and on 26 September 1918, it ws officially opend to the public. The name Gellert was originally derived from the holy Bishop Saint Gellert. In October 1918 it was taken over for military purposes and closed again for the general public, after that taken over by the Romanian army. Later it became the HQ of General Staff of National Army. Since the 1920s it was among the best hotels in the city, its name was and still is a synonym for Budapest. However, we now wait for the legendary quality to return. Contemporary sources reported about the building, completed in 1918, as follows: "... The monumental architecture, classical in its propertions but Hungarian in its design with a slight Oriental touch, of the enormous building of the Saint Gellert Spa and Spa Hotel Gellert catch the eye of the visitors." Indeed, the artistic impression of the spa, located in the heart of Budapest near the Danube, is created by the wonderful sculptures, ceramic mosaic tiles and tinted glass incorporated. This artistic effect is present not only in the interior, but characterises the open air facilities, such as the pools and the wave pool, as well. 1921: Committee decides on adding 60 rooms and a thermal pool. 1927: Artificial Wave pool, dressing cabins & lockers opened; guest rooms extended to 234 (total of 70 bathrooms). 1934: Bubble Baths opened 1938: 900th anniversary of King Stephen's death: catering to various occasions, e.g. lunch buffett for 250 persons 1940: charity Opera Ball with buffet for 1500 persons 1940-1944: various large receptions, festivities, events and food catering On December 26, 1944 the Gellert was closed 1945: Bombs on the Gellert with heavy damages.
It reopend after the war. Under the management of Dr. Andras Rubovszky it became a centre of social affairs of the Hungarian capital.
Dr Andras Rubovszky
Janos Gyurasza(2005)
Gabor Bencze (2007)
Andreas Schuster
221 rooms Rooms
13 Suites