Continental Hotel Zara
Coordinates: 47°29′48″N 19°4′0″E / 47.49667°N 19.06667°E
The Continental Hotel Zara is a hotel in Budapest, Hungary. The hotel is located on the corner of Nyár and Dohány streets, near the old Jewish quarter and the Klauzál Square market.
History
The history of Continental Hotel Zara dates to the early 20th century, when the first baths were built on site in 1827, then washed away in the Great Flood of 1838, but the building which still remains stand dates back to 1910. The current premises of the hotel used to be home of the former Hungaria Bath, one of the most important spas of Pest and later to those of Budapest, and to the contemporary Continental Hotel which was opened in the Nyár utca wing.[1] In 1970, Continental Hotel closed its doors and during the 1980s the building which served as a hotel and spa for many years in the past, became in a perilous state. Then after many years of negotiations and controversies of demolishing the building, in the summer of 2004, the National Office of Cultural Heritage ordered the interim protection of buildings at risk in the area of the former Pest Jewish ghetto, including the Hungária Bath. On February 7, 2005 the remaining section of the spa was declared a listed building. Finally, on April 7, 2009, after years of neglect, ZeinaHotel Ltd promoted a 50 million Euro construction project to revive the spirit of the traditional and historical accommodation.[2]
Location
Continental Hotel Zara is located in the heart of Budapest, near the junction of Nagykörút(Grand Boulevard) and Rákóczi út, within a walking distance from the Dohany Street Synagogue, which is the biggest in Europe. Andrássy út and the Oktogon are easily accessible on foot, while Pest’s Broadway is only a few minutes away. The hotel can be reached from Budapest Ferihegy International Airport within 40 minutes and major transportation links, such as Blaha Lujza tér from Metro Line 2 can be easily accessed within minutes, as well as Tram lines 4 and 6.
References
- New hotel for BudapestTagungsWirtshaft Online November 3, 2009.
- Work on new 4-star hotel moves aheadBudapest Times October 26, 2009 - November 1, 2009.
- HUNGARY: Continental Hotel Zara Opening June 2010I&Mi October 2009.
- Continental Hotel Zara Official Website