Budapest

An Art Nouveau palace facing the Chain Bridge — Hungary's most celebrated hotel, with an infinity pool under the glass roof and Danube views from the front rooms.

Built into the jaw-dropping Parisian Court arcade of 1913 — mosaic domes, a champagne bar under stained glass and the Danube five minutes away.

The grande dame of the Grand Boulevard with a spectacular restored 1886 spa and pool — palace scale at prices well below the riverfront names.

A restored 19th-century townhouse on Andrássy Avenue itself — glass-roofed atrium, a legendary breakfast and the Opera House two minutes' walk away.

A minimalist design hotel overlooking University Square — loft-style rooms and a rooftop bistro with views across downtown Pest's rooftops.

Adults-only design hotel at the Buda foot of the Chain Bridge — floor-to-ceiling windows framing Parliament and a rooftop bar with the city's best sundowner view.

Eleven eclectic rooms above a much-loved grill restaurant in the quiet upper Castle District — Fisherman's Bastion is a five-minute stroll.

Cheerful, well-soundproofed rooms beside the Rumbach Street Synagogue — the ruin bars are around the corner but the nights stay quiet.

Smart compact rooms a block from the Chain Bridge — clever Scandinavian-style design squeezes real comfort into small spaces at fair rates.

Design hostel on Kazinczy Street in the middle of the ruin bar district — spotless capsule-style dorms and private rooms with hotel-grade beds.

The Vienna-born hostel chain's reliably clean Budapest outpost near Deák Ferenc Square — its own bar, big lockers and all three metro lines close by.