Hotel Of The Week: The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Budapest,

Gleaming marble, soft beds, plush bathrooms... A multi-million-pound refit has restored the art nouveau grandeur of Budapest's Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace to its former glory. And as for the service...

The location

On the Pest bank of the Danube. Those peacock gates open on to the foot of the stately Chain Bridge, facing the Royal Palace. If you can, get a river view - spectacular at sunset. Behind the hotel is the imposing 19th-century domed Basilica.

The comfort factor

The Four Seasons signature Sealy mattresses, Frette linen and down duvets combine to produce a bed plush and voluminous. The high-ceilinged rooms are simply furnished, with heavy silk curtains, and windows are double-layered so you can gaze out over the Danube blissfully unaware of the traffic below. Radio alarm clocks, wide-screen TVs, DVD players and high-speed internet access are provided.

The bathroom

The marble bathrooms (with under-floor heating) feature a bath and separate shower, endless mirrors, and as many L'Occitane products as you dare smuggle into your case. Two plush bathrobes are provided, as is a hairdryer and an illuminated vanity mirror.

The food and drink

The Pava restaurant focuses on well-presented and reasonably priced Italian fare, with an impressive list of Hungarian wines. Once, the Gresham Café was a focus for the intelligentsia as they talked politics over a bowl of goulash. Today it serves light interpretations of Hungarian classics, salads, sandwiches and impossibly dainty cakes. Stop by the art nouveau bar for Martinis served in vessels the size of soup bowls.

The area

You're in the fashionable Pest V district. The Gresham is a short stroll across the Danube from the Royal Palace, which houses the Budapest History Museum, the Hungarian National Gallery and many other attractions. Vaci Utca, Budapest's designer shopping street, is a short walk away.

The access

The hotel has lift access to all floors and two deluxe rooms designed for wheelchair access. Cots and babysitting for children are available.

The damage

Double rooms with a courtyard view start at €199 (£142) per night and river-view rooms from €445 (£318), including breakfast.

The address

The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, Budapest, Roosevelt ter 5-6, Budapest, Hungary (00 800 6488 6488; www.fourseasons.com).