The Podmaniczky Award
The Podmaniczky Award is presented annually to those who excel in raising awareness of, popularising and conserving Hungary’s built heritage regardless of or beyond their professional duties.
As in previous years, award was presented on the 15th of July 2010, at a solemn ceremony, by chairman of the Association of Urban and Rural Conservationists (aka Hungaria Nostra) Mihály Ráday to those found worthy by a select board of the same organisation.
Awardees included owner Mazen Al-Ramahi, architect Péter Vékony and art historian Ferenc Bor. The award went to the three in recognition of their efforts to restore the ruined street facing façade of a building that had once housed Hungária Public Baths in Dohány Street, Budapest.
Renewed and supplemented with contemporary extensions, this building now houses Continental Hotel Budapest. The renovation included the re-fitting of all exterior decorations such as reliefs, lamps and friezes. Today, this façade of over a hundred years of age accommodates the main entrance to the four-star hotel. A revolving door gives to the reception desk and a lobby with an amazing barrel vaulted glass ceiling, which used to be the swimming pool room of Hungária Public Baths before later being converted into a theatre hall.
The reconstruction of Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior, the former Hungária Bath was commissioned by the 2010 Media Architecture Award
The Media Architecture Award was commissioned by a jury - consisted of mainly journalists and the general public- out of the very best eight plans and completed buildings on November 16th, 2010. This evening the building of Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior, the former complex of Hungaria Bath and Continental Hotel gained full marks of the jury. This was a steady decision of the jury appreciating the plans of the architects, Mr. Péter Vékony and Mr. Péter Hegedűs.
The reborn after a long-lasting and painfulruination of the 180 years old former bath and hotel complex into a 272 room hotel was possible by the investment of ZeinaHotel Ltd. After the legal problems of the property ZeinaHotel Ltd. enchanted an intimate and spectacular oasis into the heart of the city in 14 months. The rembrance of Hungaria Bath – thanks to the architects – reborn in Continental Hotel Budapest.
CIJ-AWARDS Best Hotel Development of 2010
The best “hotel development of the year” recognition was given to the Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior in Budapest at the gala of CIJ Awards on December 2, 2010. The CIJ AWARDS recognises companies and personalities operating in the real estate business and awards the best improvements. It is considered as the most prestigious business award of the Central and Eastern European real estate industry.
This year’s award is of special importance during the decline of hotel investments, since the project proved that it is feasable to construct a 272-room full service hotel within 15 months. The heritage building was reborn from the ashes of the former Hungaria Baths and Continental Hotel by creating an oasis in the middle of the downtown.
Worldhotels award
The Global Best Marketing Engagement Award 2011 of the WORLDHOTELS 2011 was given to the Boutique Hotel Budapest and the Continental Hotel Budapest in the awards ceremony held in Beijing this January. During the hand-over the award, Robert M. van der Graaf marketing director, during his appreciation speech, described the extremely successful co-operation, which covers a wide spectrum of the sales and marketing domain, as an illustrative example and as a practice that has to be followed.
The merge of the Boutique Hotel Budapest and the Continental Hotel Budapest during its affiliation to the WORLDHOTELS, has integrated the standards of the WORLDHOTELS chain into its own business philosophy and operational practice in an excellent manner. The award was taken over by Árpád Kaltenecker, the director of the Boutique Hotel Budapest.
Best of Budapest awards
The Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior, and its restaurant ARAZ was given the award for the recognition of the new 4 star hotel and restaurant of the year 2010.
On the XIXth Best of Budapest awards ceremony, on 26th of March, 2011, the jewel of the downtown of Budapest, the Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior was awarded with the recognition of the new 4 star hotel. The restaurant ARAZ was awarded with a prize in the category of the best, new restaurant.
The Best of Budapest – the name related to the standard of quality covers an independent qualification system, which was established by the Budapest Week Publishing editor in 1993 for the sake of preserving quality. Our partners enlisted in our publications and on our webpage are selected from the best ones in Budapest.
The Best of Budapest name is a guarantee to ensure that those who take the particular (hotel and catering) service can experience the same quality every time they return. Quality is also important in the life of the Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior, and its restaurant ARAZ in order to provide services with high standard of quality for the guests who visit them and to make them feel satisfied upon their leaving.
Double success: The Hotel Continental Budapest and the restaurant Araz have been recognized by Tripadvisor
The hotel and restaurant, which opened their doors almost a year ago in Dohány street in the heart of Budapest, have received another award.
In addition to the Podmaniczky Award, the Media Architecture Award, the CIJ Award for „Best Hotel Development of the year 2010”, The Global Best Marketing Engagement Award 2011 of the WORLDHOTELS, the Best of Budapest award, Tripadvisor has also awarded the establishments its „CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE” as a recognition of their outstanding performance in the month of May.
Tripadvisor, the world’s largest and most influential travel website, offers travelers the opportunity to share their opinions and experiences from their trips as well as evaluate the companies that provide services during these trips.
This certificate is awarded globally to the hotels and restaurants with the highest performance in a given month based on the evaluation of their guests. In the month of May, the Hotel Continental Budapest and the restaurant Araz received the certificate at the same time, which made the management really proud.
The success of ARAZ Restaurant's leaders
Áron Barka chef de cuisine and Ákos Kovács restaurant manager were selected as members, on the XIIIth International Meeting of Grand Chapitre, by the world organization, Chaine des Rotisseurs. This organization's main goal is to lift the standards of gastronomy and it was founded in 1248. Áron Barka received the rank of Chef Rôtisseur and Ákos Kovács received the title of Maître Restaurateur.
The Hungarian Gastronomic Club is the domestic organization of Chaine des Rotisseurs World Organization, which is working on lifting domestic gastronomic standards, along with exposing culinary culture's traditions and new tendencies in a wider range, since the January of 1990.
The members of the club, during their regular meetings, which are being organized in various places, follow the traditions of medieval roasters, relishing and appraising the prominent level of hospitality, the work of professional masters, the high level of culinary culture, the occasionally composed special menus, and wines matching the appropriate meals.
The club's next dinner will be organized in the ARAZ Restaurant on December 3rd 2011, which institution is plate-marked by the two new members' work.
Continental Hotel Budapest’s newest win
Continental Hotel Budapest for its Conference Garden and Roof Terrace has won first place in Hotels category at the KerTrend Design Award launched by Vendeg & Hotel magazin, on 11th October 2011. The Garden was designed by the firm Újirány Tájépítész Kft., contractor for the works was the firm Titina Kft., and the unique lighting solution has been created following an idea of Mr. Terebesi Tóbiás of the firm Medence csoport Bt. In memoriam of the former Baths ’Hungaria’ a glass-decorated design pool, work of Hungarian glass-sculptor Mr. Gaál Endre, had been placed in the Conference Garden.
In the Garden by night, with the help of lightings, various artificial formations and beings are given life in the animated magic woods. The idea of using customised, artistic elements combined with landscape architecture tools creating a perfect fusion between them can give a useful support for reaching such an important aim like bring us back mentally to Secession connected to Baths Hungaria
Our guests can enjoy a real oasis in the middle of the chaotic downtown while taking a bath in the outdoor pool on the Roof Terrace, fully protected from city traffic noise but with a magnificent panoramic view to Budapest’s main seesights Buda Castle or Gellert Hills.
Hungarian Real Estate Development Award to the Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior
The Hungarian Section of the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) organized the awards ceremony of the 13th Hungarian Real Estate Development Award today on 13th December 2011, where the Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior won the III prize; moreover received the Special Award of the Hungarian Hotel and Restaurant Association. The designers of the hotel are Péter Hegedűs and Péter Vékony.
The aim of the award is to present the results of the Hungarian real estate developments to the national professional and lay audiences, and to reward the outstanding works.
The 24 entries were evaluated by a 14-member jury. Apart from the architectural 
values, the key aspects of evaluation were the technical solutions of the project, the quality of the design, the economic efficiency and effectiveness of the investment, as well as the fact how much the facility contributes to the improvement of living conditions of the surrounding residents.
Furthermore, the Hungarian tender also serves the purpose of preparing and helping the successful participation of Hungarian real estate developers on the tender of the international FIABCI Award (Prix d'Excellence). The Continental Hotel Budapest****Superior is also going to take up this challenge in order to achieve international success, too.
