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| Budapest
- Hungary |
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Society -
Extraordinary
June - 2008 |
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6 Stars
& 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| “Until next month from Budapest…” I
wrote in last issue of the Seven Star Gazette and soon we were on the way to
Hungary. Budapest, the ‘Pearl of the Danube’ is without a doubt one
of the world's most beautiful cities of the world. Its smashing skylines belong
righteously on UNESCO's World Heritage list and are ‘a place, must see
before you die’. Besides, this middle European country and its friendly
people are famous for their legendary hospitality. We took off on
(European)
Business Class from Hamburg, Germany with
Malév,
a respectable airline with its home base at Budapest Ferihegy International
Airport. The official airline of Hungary connects fifty cities in almost
three-dozen countries worldwide. At Ferihegy we were welcomed by a group of
delightful hostesses in traditional Hungarian costumes enticing us to try the
'Pálinka' (a fruit brandy) and other culinary specialties. Hungarian
cuisine and music turned out to be the stuff myth and legends are made of,
besides this gesture of gracious hospitality was truly unique. But this barely
believable place is today not only home to three million people, spectacular
architecture and mind-boggling precious sights, its recorded history started
with the Roman town of Aqincum sometime around 89 AD. |
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| Kempinski
Corvinus - Arrival: Thorsten Buehrmann & Peter Knoll |
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| The latest edition of a distinctive
BMW
town car brought us within half an hour to the main entrance of the Kempinski
Budapest Hotel Corvinus. BMW and Malév Airlines where two of the
official companies that sponsored this Seven Stars and Stripes award event.
Hotel Corvinus is ideally located in the heart of all and in close walking
distance to the particularly beautiful Danube river. As we were driving through
tree-lined streets up to the hotel, I thought that ‘dashing’ might be
the word that best explains my first impression of the curved facade set atop
square stone columns of this luxurious hotel. With its contemporary edifice,
the Kempinski Budapest Hotel Corvinus resembles the face of modern Budapest.
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| Presidential
Suite - Kempinski Corvinus Hotel |
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“As we fell in love with Budapest we fell for its landmark Hotel
Kempinski Budapest Corvinus.
Our accommodations met and exceeded
expectations we have for a top property
of a world city, and this one
deserves many happy returns.” ~ TB |
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| Our accommodations were spacious, elegant and stylish
and superbly decorated. The designers choose all color-coordinated, natural
fabrics, framing the fine furniture of our residence quite eloquently. The bed
was dressed with exquisite linens; a luxurious marble bathroom, with both, tub
and shower, was inlaid with mother-of-pearl chips. The designer had indeed
performed his magic, the suite was thoughtfully appointed with all the
contemporary amenities and office tools one might need as business traveler,
besides a rather large desk, instant IT access, a dining set, a well stocked
mini-bar and a stunning view. The maid service, dry cleaning and shoe service
must also be applauded. Later in the day, we are scheduled to experience
masterfully executed massages and treatments at the Kempinski Spa. The Asian
inspired spa offers a full range of world-renowned and respected therapies in
the field of contemporary and alternative medicine. This serene place features
a larger version of an endless indoor pool overlooking the very heart of the
city, cutting edge fitness facilities, a beauty salon and a fabulous organic
juice bar. Also included are saunas, a steam bath, an invigorating ice shower
and a tanning solarium for those who need recovery after too many shots of
Pálinka. The services we received were exquisite and
in
keeping with top professional spas of the world. |
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| With regards to dining at the Hotel Corvinus
Kempinski, there are a few restaurants to choose from. The Bistro Jardin serves
time honored authentic Hungarian specialties. The circular dining Ristorante
Giardino presents North-Italian cuisine in a casual-elegant, romantically lit
dinner atmosphere. Kempi Brauhaus is a traditional wood-floored tavern, which
offers an interesting Bavarian menu and has seven different German beers on
tap. Then, there is an all day light fare and pastries available in the
frescoed Lobby Lounge, while the Corvinus Bar entices guests with an extensive
cocktail menu and live music and good company well into the wee hours.
We’d challenged the bartender to create a new but refreshing cocktail
based on Grappa. Mission accomplished, his creation of a Seven Stars and
Stripes cocktail belongs on the bar menu. The next morning the elaborate
breakfast buffet, which spreads over the dining facilities, was actually more
like a brunch and will ‘definitely to be remembered’. With entire
walls dedicated to international specialties as well as Hungarian cuisine, this
breakfast was an over the top, a decidedly delicious feast. The hot stations
included everything from freshly prepared crepes to omelets, waffles, the
highly prized Prociutto di Parma and then some. – That wonderful breakfast
experience could only be topped by the views of the historical, romantic Danube
river, anticipating an unforgettable river tour we should experience later.
Budapest is said to be the only ‘real’ Danube capital as the river
flows right through the middle of this fairytale city. A multitude of
fascinating bridges,
the
colossal Parliament and Royal Palace gave us the chills on a bright sunny
day and later once again when we got to experience
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historic Royal Castle by night on a ‘special permission permit’
tour. |
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| Budapest is a city made up of three towns, Buda, Pest
and Óbuda and is known for its old world charm and cosmopolitan way of
living since it is became evident that the historic part of the charming city
blends easily with its modern, vibrant, hip younger sister. But Budapest’s
most breathtaking views, especially arranged by our Kempinski concierge from a
helicopter, are also to be experienced from the viewing platform of St
Stephen's Basilica, in close proximity to the hotel. Also close by is the
Kunsthalle.
GM
Marcus van der Wal had chosen the
Budapest
Museum of Fine Arts, the largest of its kind in Hungary, as the place for
the official Seven Star and Stripes Award presentation and gala dinner. This
unique museum is located in Heroes' Square, facing the Kunsthalle, and was
built in an eclectic-neoclassical style in the early 20th Century. The
priceless collection is made up of circa 100,000 international art pieces, and
covers most periods of European art. The institution, which celebrated its
centenary in 2006, turned out to be a unique place for an elegant, catered
affair and a smashing Seven Stars and Stripes celebration. |
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| Budapest’s
high society and movers and shakers, besides the national press, were
invited to attend the celebration and danced to the tunes of an easy six-piece
band. Guest of Honor and Seven Stars and Stripes Lifetime Achievement Award
recipient was Eckart Witzigmann, undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the
culinary world. Witzigmann of Germany (who studied under Paul Bocuse of Lyon,
France) was named Professor of Örebro University in 2007, the only
culinary university in Europe. We are delighted and honored to welcome Mr.
Eckart Witzigmann as a new member on our Seven Star and Stripes Advisory
Board. |
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| Multi-lingual
Marcus
van der Wal joined the Kempinski group a decade ago and has previously
performed successfully in management positions at the Kempinski Hotel Airport
Munich and the Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center and most recently held
the positions of General Manager of the Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski Dar es
Salaam and Regional Director Tanzania. A native of the Netherlands, Mr. van der
Wal spent his early years in Brazil and Germany and speaks Dutch, English,
French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. |
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“GM
Marcus van der Wal and Resident Manager Peter Knoll are directing this
hotel with
deep competence,
the
entire staff performed as it is was a great concerto. Applause.” ~
TB |
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by
Edmund Buehrmann & Bernd Deyerler & Thorsten Buehrmann
Editor:
John Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
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| © 2008 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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