These are the best city meeting hotels in New Europe, according to Meetings Star, the annual ranking and award curated by the editorial board of Kongres Magazine and Conventa.
What are city meeting hotels?
City meeting hotels are characterised by their location in the broader city centre and their design that comprises smaller conference capacities or larger congress centres suitable for hosting events of different scales.
TOP 10 BEST CITY MEETING HOTELS IN 2022
10. Mama Shelter, Belgrade
Finding a better location to host an event in the heart of Belgrade would be impossible. The hotel lies in the strict centre of Belgrade on the Knez Mihajlova street. This vibrant part of Belgrade is alive day and night. Especially impressive is the possibility of enjoying nature, as the famous Kalemegdan is only a stone’s throw away. Despite the liveliness of this part of the city, the hotel is located on top of a shopping centre and enables intimacy even when organising an event. In our opinion, the location is one of Mama Shelter’s biggest advantages.
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9. Hilton, Belgrade
According to many of Belgrade’s residents, the real centre of the city is Vračar. The Church of Saint Sava is located at the highest point of the city, which is also its symbolic centre. The most intensive period of development in Vračar took place following World War I and the spirit of those times can still be felt today on the city’s streets. The once elite centre of the city is today a hot spot for new investment. Due to its excellent location, this part of the city was chosen by the investors in the new Hilton Belgrade. It is situated directly above the legend
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8. Park Hyatt, Vienna
When Anshelm von Rotschild established the CreditAnstalt bank in 1855, he probably did not think that this neo-classicist building will once be a hotel. In 1912, the biggest Austro-Hungarian bank of that time built a mighty building at this renowned location. Today, this distinctive structure has been turned into a superior hotel belonging to a legendary brand, which is located at one of the top spots of Vienna: the Golden Quarter. The hotel is surrounded by a street of prestigious stores and historical sites.
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8. Fairmont Baku Flame Flowers, Baku
Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers designed to exceed five-star standards and services, brings 299 superbly appointed guest rooms and suites, 19 serviced apartments and an array of Fairmont Gold options. The Fairmont is probably the most famous hotel in Baku, as it is located in the instantly recognisable Baku Flame Towers. The hotel offers an incredibly diverse range of services and there simply isn’t enough space to list them all.
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8. Hilton Baku Hotel, Baku
Hilton Baku is located at the heart of Baku’s business district, overlooking the Caspian Sea. Baku Boulevard is at the hotel’s doorstep, providing scenic coastline strolls past restaurants, museums, and nightlife. Enjoy a perfect family getaway, unwind at our full-service spa, or enjoy the revolving rooftop bar. The hotel also has a range of flexible event venues, including ballroom space, boardrooms, and contemporary meeting rooms.
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8. Sheraton, Salzburg
The Mirabell Garden is one of Salzburg’s symbols and the Sheraton Grand Salzburg is located right next to it. The hotel lives in symbiosis with Congress Centre Salzburg, forming the epicentre of congress activities in the city. Salzburg is a walkable city, everything is easily accessible, orderly and looks as if one had stepped out of a bandbox. The hotel’s strategic location next to a gorgeous park is certainly a big plus.
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7. Budapest Marriott Hotel, Budapest
A priceless view of Budapest’s Citadella and the captivating Danube with ravishing bridges above it opens up from the hotel rooms. Every single hotel room at Budapest Marriott Hotel offers an unforgettable vista. Hailing the location as unparalleled was already the renowned Hungarian architect Jozsef Finta, who designed the hotel, at the time named Duna, amid brutal socialism. Marriott took over the hotel in 1994, a year after the transition, and has continued the story of the legendary hotel.
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6. Fours Seasons Hotel, Baku
The beaux-arts–style Four Seasons Hotel Baku is perched along the waterfront in the heart of central Baku, with the medieval walls of the Inner City just steps away and a trio of flame-shaped, modern skyscrapers flickering nearby. It’s a contrast that perfectly sums up the evolving city: ancient, modern and a little daring, all at once. Visit the hotel for breakfast on the terrace at Zafferano, followed by a relaxing treatment in the sun-lit penthouse Spa, then come discover Baku.
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5. Hotel Corinthia, Budapest
The hotel was built in 1896 as the Grand Hotel Royal and has been the center of attention in Hungary ever since. Soon after its grand opening in the golden age of abundance, glamour and style, it became known as one of the best hotels in Europe. The hotel operated as the Grand Hotel Royal until 1991 when its initial vigour started to wane, 12 years later in 2003, it rose like a phoenix from the ashes and, with the help of a financial injection from the Corinthia Hotel Group, it transformed into what it is today.
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5. Kozmo Luxury Hotel, Budapest
A timeless palace in the heart of the Jozsefvaros district was once the central telephone exchange for this part of Budapest. Today, one refers to such a building as the headquarters of a telecommunication company. The building was constructed between 1913 and 1916 in a neo-baroque style. After acquiring new owners, the palace was renovated and transformed into a timeless luxury hotel. The hotel is in the heart of the quarter that is becoming an increasingly popular residential area.
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4. Ritz Carlton, Budapest
The Ritz-Carlton Budapest, a luxury property with 171 elegant rooms and 29 suites, is located within a protected historic building, located on Elizabeth Square, with views over St Stephen’s Basilica. It has 2 restaurants, focusing on Deak Street Kitchen, a Hungarian Wine Bar & Grill serving world famous award winning wines and international comfort favourites from local ingredients with a real Budapest twist and guest can enjoy at an outside terrace overlooking vibrant Fashion Street.
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3. Parisi Udvar Hotel, Budapest
Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest has been welcoming personalities from every corner of the globe since its opening. An iconic landmark beside the Danube, this five-star hotel in Budapest is the perfect location for a romantic weekend. Furthermore, when organising prestigious events, we recommend one of the suites in the Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest, where you will find yourself amid an architectural pearl.
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3. Matild Palace, Budapest
The hotel’s heritage, spanning 120 years of rich history, was recognised by UNESCO, which placed the eminent building on its list. All of that was due to the visionary idea of her royal highness, Princess Clotilde of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She envisaged the entrance to the city via the Elisabeth Bridge as a symbolical door, ruled over by two twin palaces that were promptly named Klotild and Matild. The iconic buildings are regarded among Budapest’s most prominent symbols.
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2. Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere, Vienna
Right next to Vienna’s main train station that started operating in 2015, a vast business neighbourhood brought a breath of fresh air to the district. The exemplary urbanistic project has, as expected, become home to several hotels and other public facilities. A completely new, ultramodern, safe and alluring urban area was built, showing the future of sustainable development of cities. If world-renowned architects are involved, the result is outstanding architecture that one can do nothing but bow down to and admire.
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WINNER: 1. Anantara New York Palace, Budapest
Anantara New York Palace Budapest is possibly the most prestigious, traditional and legendary hotel in Budapest that meets high expectations. That is no easy feat when guests expect only the best of a hotel. During the latest renovation, the designers followed the concept of evolving the existing story set by the Boscolo hotel chain. Although having countless advantages, we deem the staff to be the hotel’s greatest asset. The conference centre is inspiring and modern, edging out its city competition. We have no doubt that the hotel is one of the most comfortable and sophisticated in New Europe, pushing the envelope of luxury city meeting hotels. The hotel passed the demanding challenge of transitioning from the old Boscolo Hotel to the new institution with flying colours. Even though it has a few drawbacks, the management can solve them in a blink of an eye. The excellent hotel service of this refined gem outshines the astounding architectural design. Hats off to Anantara Budapest.
Read the full Hidden Guest evaluation here.
Join the gala award ceremony and congratulate the winners
The gala ceremony for the winners will be held during Conventa, taking place between 1 and 2 February 2023 in Ljubljana. In the category of city hotels, the following certificates, divided into three sub-categories on the premise of achieved points in the hidden guest evaluation, will be announced:
30 GOLD certificates – final score from 4.81 to 5.00
37 SILVER certificates – final score from 4.61 to 4.80
20 BRONZE certificates – final score from 4.41 to 4.60
The Meetings Star Award has been awarded for the past thirteen years by the editorial board of Kongres Magazine and Conventa to the best destinations, meeting hotels, venues and meeting professionals. Since its inception, the selection has become a recognised accolade by event organisers and the industry. It is considered one of the rare awards based on comprehensive criteria and ratings by hidden congress guests, whose visits are unannounced. They are industry professionals with rich experience in event organising and extensive knowledge in the hotel business. Furthermore, the assessors have verified references in ensuring the quality of their work in the meetings industry, thus ensuring clients get objective insight and the reliability of the methodology. Our hidden guest assessors strive for objectivity and aim to be fair, meticulous, reliable, well-organised and pay attention to detail, evaluating 654 tangible criteria.
