The impeccable Corinthia embodies true Old World opulence. When the hotel opened on the heavily trafficked Erzsébet boulevard in 1896 it was the city's most luxurious place to stay, its guests often celebrities and royalty. However, it suffered from decades of neglect and misuse until a beautiful restoration in 2003. (Though the facade is original, most of the old fittings did not survive, and the interior is a faithful reproduction.) There are inner courtyards with natural light streaming in from glass and wrought-iron ceilings, creating an impression of infinite space. The elegant colonnaded lobby has plenty of plush couches for resting your feet. Its guest rooms, which have marble bathrooms, are also a welcome refuge, and they are packed with amenities. The breakfast buffet here is fabulous, and the attached Bock Bisztró is one of the city's best restaurants. Budapest is a city full of fabulous spas, and the Corinthia holds one of them. The attached Royal Spa—which has a 15-meter pool and several saunas and steam rooms—dates to 1886 and was on the brink of being turned into a parking garage a few years ago before being rediscovered and refurbished.