Drechsler Palace in all its glory, a 140-year-old Neo-Renaissance building located in the center of Budapest on Andrassy Avenue, has been given a new breath of life – it was transformed into the luxurious W Hotel with 151 rooms and suites, as well as a restaurant, lounge, a spa, and a speakeasy.

Right across the street from the State Opera (where Angelina Jolie was recently seen filming the Maria Callas biopic), this palace, originally designed by architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos, was previously a great cafe, as well as the headquarters for the Hungarian Ballet Institute. After an extensive renovation, interior design studios Bowler James Brindley and Bánáti + Hartvig have now transformed the property into a delightful experience for the 21st century traveller.

Photos Courtesy of W Budapest