Star Palace: Four Seasons Gresham Palace Budapest Named Top Hotel

via Sarah Stierch/ Wikipedia

Now that Gresham Palace was named by Business Insider as the best – as in number one – hotel in Europe (click here for the article), it makes sense to revisit what makes this location so special. The exterior is best viewed when approaching from Budapest’s famous Chain Bridge. That way the full impact of the elegant Art Nouveau structure can be appreciated. You get a hint of it in the long shot from Buda in the opening of the promotional video below.

via wikipedia

In our own words, from a previous post, “A stunning and pristinely preserved example of pre-war Art Nouveau, the building was commissioned in 1904 by the British Gresham Life Assurance Company. Construction was completed in a relatively speedy three years. Doubling as offices and apartments for executives from the company, changing political tides found it being used as a barracks for Soviet soldiers during World War II and then public housing during the subsequent communist years. After another company was unable to cut through the red tape to open it as a hotel, Four Seasons stepped in and took over. The renovation project actually took longer than the hotel’s original construction: five years at a cost of 110 million dollars. And a meticulous job it was, restoring original details like the large central staircase, stained glass, mosaics, ironwork, and the winter garden.”

via wikipedia

In addition to being the top choice of foreign dignitaries and visiting tycoons, The Gresham Palace plays host to film stars who come to shoot in Budapest. Most recently Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stayed there while shooting Hercules. Since opening in June 2004 the hotel has slept such famous faces as Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Willis, Busta Rhymes, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Sophia Loren even held her son’s wedding there. No stranger to accolades, the hotel also appears on the Conde Nast Readers’ Choice list for best hotels. It is clear that with the world’s best hotel, Budapest has come into its own as a world-class city to live and work in.

PPM Film Services is a Budapest-based film company offering an inspiring and creative work atmosphere for its host of clients from around the world. Since our inception, our focus has been providing the best of the best in terms of local production resources, locations, cast and technical teams to ensure that whatever the production we’re charged to create, we do it with no compromise. To sign up for the PPM Hungary newsletter, have a look here.

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Budapest After Work: Costes Named 25th Best Restaurant in the World

There are two things about dining in Budapest that are becoming increasingly apparent. First, the web-site Trip Adviser is playing a large role in where people decide to eat out. Second, more importantly, the culinary scene is developing at an astounding rate, with more and more ethnic restaurants opening alongside high-end nouvelle Hungarian or Hungarian fusion establishments. The later category has been rewarded with Budapest’s three Michelin stars, one each to Costes, Onyx, and most recently, Borkonyha (Wine Kitchen). It was Costes that led the way, getting its star back in 2011. Again we see the daring French/Hungarian fusion restaurant ahead of the pack with its latest laurel: being named by Trip Advisor as one of the world’s top restaurants. Indeed, it sits nimbly at number 25 on the list.

via chew.hu

Since its inception back in 2008 on Ráday utca, a street more known for tourist fare and partiers than fine dining, Costes has always aimed high and maintained world-class standards. Its owners sent its multi-lingual staff to France for training, hired Miguel Rocha Vieira (an up-and-coming chef from Portugal), and sourced the best ingredients from Hungary and abroad. All the while they maintained a no dress-code, modern room that attracted both travelers and local food enthusiasts. The menu changes seasonally, and currently on offer (according to the restaurant’s site) they offer such dishes such as foie gras marinated in Tokaji Aszú with spiced mango and puffed rice; John Dory with kohlrabi, tapioca, and ceviche; rump of veal with multi-colored carrots, ginger, and gem lettuce; and for dessert passion fruit custard, lemon cream, with roasted pineapple sorbet. All courses are ideally paired with exacting choices from a wine cellar stocked with wines from the best Hungarian vineyards. You can’t say you will have to rough it when coming to Budapest.

via xpatloop.com

The Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice Awards are based on the experiences of the web-site’s users. Click through to see the entire list of 25 best restaurants in the world according to the Travellers’ Choice Awards.

PPM Film Services is a Budapest-based film company offering an inspiring and creative work atmosphere for its host of clients from around the world. Since our inception, our focus has been providing the best of the best in terms of local production resources, locations, cast and technical teams to ensure that whatever the production we’re charged to create, we do it with no compromise. To sign up for the PPM Hungary newsletter, have a look here.

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Hungarian State Opera Image Film Wins at Cannes

It is a little known fact outside the film world that in addition to the world-famous film festival, Cannes also hosts a smaller awards ceremony: one for corporate media and television, known as The Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards. Well, conveniently, we are here to tell you all about it, because the promo video for the Hungarian State Opera, entitled “Where A World Unfolds” came away a big winner: with a Silver Dolphin in the Corporate Image category and a Black Dolphin for the Best Music. Though this particular Cannes awards is just in its fifth year, it is already ultra competitive. This year’s winners were chosen from over 700 entrants from around the world. According to the festival’s site: “The Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards are honoring every year the world’s finest corporate films, on-line media and TV documentaries, in one of the most important film centers: Cannes, France. It is the only festival for corporate films taking place in Cannes, the city famously known for feature films and advertising productions.” The young Budapest-based co-directors of “Where A World Unfolds”, Tamás Gács and Danila Kostil, brought no shortage of experience to the video, having directed clips for clients such as the UN and Vodafone. Shot in Budapest, “Where A World Unfolds” highlights the magical and mysterious inner-world of classical opera. The Hungarian State Opera House is coincidentally a favorite location for film-makers. You can have look at our post about it here. But first, take a look at this award-winning clip. It deserves all that and more.

PPM Film Services is a Budapest-based film company offering an inspiring and creative work atmosphere for its host of clients from around the world. Since our inception, our focus has been providing the best of the best in terms of local production resources, locations, cast and technical teams to ensure that whatever the production we’re charged to create, we do it with no compromise. To sign up for the PPM Hungary newsletter, have a look here.

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