Matild Palace, Budapest, Hungary
When Matild Palace opened under the aegis of Her Imperial and Royal Highness Maria Klotild of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1902, it was the height of glamour in the Belle Époque era before the shadow of war fell. Now, it sparkles again, foliate wrought iron and intricate plasterwork blending with ceramic chandeliers and gleaming lifts that lead to bedrooms with helpful loos (the lids lift at your approach) and giant baths. In the lobby, above teal sofas and emerald lamps, is a filigree gold screen bearing black-and-white scenes of Budapest and a portrait of its royal founder, who would, no doubt, approve of the staff’s old-fashioned courtesy.
There is character, too: the cocktails in the secret liquor bar on the roof are
