A Suite at Budapest's Lavish New Hotel Pairs the Best View in the City With a Private Bartender

These days, when checking in at any luxury hotel, take a moment to look just beyond the lobby. You’ll likely spot some swanky venue on the property serving an array of high-minded tipples. Access to craft cocktails is now an expected component of the five-star experience. However, the W Budapest in the heart of the Hungarian capital is carrying this expectation one step further. It’s bringing the bar into your suite — complete with a complimentary mixologist to make all your drinkable dreams come true. Here’s what it’s like to stay in the decadent new Extreme Wow Suite.  

When entering the artfully-appointed guest quarters, there’s no shortage of design elements to catch your eye. The 2300-square-foot space is lined with bright murals inspired by scenes of ancient mythology. The living room holds a DJ booth and a floating fireplace. The balcony affords unobstructed views of the stunning Hungarian State Opera House, directly across Andrássy Avenue — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

And yet, with all these flourishes, the element you’ll notice first is a rounded, black marble wet bar. It’s kind of hard not to, as it sits right near the entryway, with three copper-clad shelves rising from its center. Each tier of that tower is crowded with bottles of expensive spirit sourced from every corner of the globe: Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Hennessy XO, Komos Anejo Cristalino, Hibiki Harmony, Glenfarclas 15yo, and Lagavulin 16 — to name but a few familiar expressions. 

It’s all yours for the drinking, as bottomless pours are included with your stay (which ranges from $10,000 per night to as little as $7,500 during the quieter winter months). Finish one bottle, and another of the same will soon arrive in its place. As will one of the property’s dedicated bartenders whenever you’re hankering for the help of a dedicated professional to shake and stir your martinis, margaritas, and Manhattans. 

In lieu of more customary presidential suites, W Hotel properties across the globe refer to their highest-level accommodation as Extreme Wow Suites. And this particular iteration certainly justifies the moniker. It exists as the crown jewel of the 151 guest rooms that opened here in July, seamlessly integrated into the historic shell of the Drechsler Palace. Originally opened in 1886, it once housed the Hungarian State Ballet Academy before falling into disuse in the earlier parts of the 21st century.

The W spent several years re-imagining the interior while faithfully preserving its Neo-Renaissance facade. Design details throughout the hotel pay homage to its heritage. There are also subtle nods to one of the country’s most iconic exports: Harry Houdini. Mirrors and lighting throughout the E-Wow Suite often embellish a hypnotic sense of being. It is, quite literally, enchanting. And the hospitality here also loves to play up these connections whenever possible.

"The EWOW suite is a ballet of extravagance, fusing Zsa Zsa Gabor glam and Houdini flair,” Igor Buercher, general manager of the property, said. “Your stay here is not just accommodation; it's a pirouette of pure pleasure, a choreography of sophistication.”

Indeed, even if you don’t have the “pure pleasure” of booking a $10,000 suite, securing an entry-level room at around $300 per night still offers you a dance with luxury. The rooms are sleek and idiosyncratic in arrangement — no two are exactly the same. Because Budapest fancies itself the Spa Capital of the World, there’s a subterranean pool grotto offering a solemn retreat from city life above. 

And all guests ought to reserve at least one meal at the hotel’s marquee restaurant, Nightingale by Beefbar. Chef Fabio Polidori specializes in Japanese-inspired small plates. The bar here flaunts a few specialties of its own, anchored by a signature Boulevardier and Budapest Calling — a gin drink leveraging Hungary’s famed penchant for dessert wine to render something equally herbal and sweet. Granted, if you’re not staying in the EWOW Suite, it won’t be crafted at your own personal, fully-stocked bar. But nobody will stop you from bringing it back to more modest quarters for a somewhat similar effect.