The quirkiness starts from the moment you enter the 19th-century freemasons' lodge house. This former meeting place has inspired the concept of Mystery Hotel. The receptions carpet climbing up the ceiling is reminiscent of the magic carpet of Aladdin. Paintings on the walls "come to life" as the subjects in the canvas start to move around – a clever trick using screens placed in picture frames. Are you looking to book a meeting room? Not so fast. To open the secret Pythagoras meeting room, first, you'll have to figure out how - this mysterious and magical concept is present throughout the hotel.

Mystery Hotel's grandiose attraction is Great Hall that has kept its original, richly decorated barrel-vaulted ceiling. It now serves multiple purposes as a lobby, lounge, and restaurant. The building's central courtyard is filled with crispy green leafy plants, where the Secret Garden Day Spa is located. It includes saunas, two treatment rooms, a gym, and a unique jacuzzi. Inside the whirlpool, you'll get stunning views of the palace's gorgeous eclectic facade, an array of candles, and crystal chandeliers. The Sky Garden roof terrace is open during the warmer months, with a whirlpool tub.

The rooms, studios, and suites are designed around Greek column styles: Corinth, Ion, and Doric. Our pick of the range is the Studio suite with its freestanding bathtub and a glass roof that opens up to the starry sky. Not what you would expect in the heart of Budapest! The interiors include cheeky details of modern art, like the painting of the Girl with a Pearl Earring holding a mobile in her hand.

Mystery Hotel is set in a central location, and a few minutes walk from the Western Train station and the Andrássy avenue. It's Budapest's World Heritage Site boulevard where mainland Europe's first metro line runs along the route of iconic places, including the Opera House and the Széchenyi thermal spa.