Three of Széchenyi’s pools are located outside (a special treat in the colder months, when you can bask in 26 – 38 degree heat while your breath plumes the cold air), and the spa facilities – including a verdant rooftop spa – offer massage and sauna, as well as beauty treatments. Indoors, the coldest pool is 18 degrees.
Luxury swimwear brand Lake Pelso had its beginnings here, when founder Attila Balint was inspired by the setting as he bathed on his doctor’s instructions following an injury; you can find items from the range sold within the complex.
And, for all of its wellness benefits, Széchenyi isn’t too unbearably wholesome. After all, this is where Sparty – a late-night electronic dance music extravaganza – takes place almost every Saturday throughout the year. And even by day, there’s food and alcohol available, to enjoy as you soak up the atmosphere – and the mineral waters. Good health really is all about balance.
Address: Széchenyi Thermal Baths, Budapest, Állatkerti krt. 9-11, 1146 Hungary
Website: szechenyibath.com
Mystery Hotel
One of the newest additions to Budapest’s hotel landscape, the Mystery Hotel takes its name from the legends and secrecy surrounding the building’s original owners: the Hungarian Freemasons. Rooms are designed with unique, quirky flourishes, and common spaces play with the senses. The ‘secret’ theme is carried through to the day spa, which uses the palace’s central garden to create a palm-spiked oasis, where guests can luxuriate in whirlpools under the light of sparkling crystal chandeliers. In addition to a Finnish sauna, steam room, and Jacuzzi, there is an extensive treatment list, which includes a Hungarian-style Tokaji massage. Tokaj is Hungary’s most celebrated wine region, and this massage combines moisturising grape-seed extract and oil, creating an antioxidant effect in a rejuvenating full body experience. The lavender fields of nearby Lake Balaton – the upmarket summer destination for locals – form the basis of another full-body massage, combining a sublime scent with stress-relieving properties. Both are available in a 60 or 90 minute duration (€90/ €115 respectively).
The Secret Garden Day Spa is open to hotel guests from 10am until 9pm, and from midday until 8pm for outside guests; reservations are essential.
Address: Mystery Hotel Budapest, Budapest, Podmaniczky u. 45, 1064 Hungary
Website: mysteryhotelbudapest.com
PesterzsebetTamás Bujnovszky
Pesterzsébet Bath
Located far from the centre of Budapest, in the 20th District, Pesterzsébet Bath is remarkable for its iodine-rich waters. It has recently reopened to the public after being closed for more than ten years and undergoing a period of renovation.
