your CORINTHIA CORINTHIA HOTEL BUDAPEST corinthia.com INTRO
INTERVIEW
PROGRAMS
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awards we are proud of, a photo what we love and a prominent guest whom we have hosted recently.
Interview with mónika Fülöp executive Receptionist on her duties and favorite passtime.
Plan your programs with us! we have listed a great number of events for you to enjoy. also, we celebrate our 10th anniversary!
Corinthia hotel Budapest sets example by supporting ill children in cooperation with the magic lamp Foundation.
welcome FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER > June is the forerunner of summer, the time of rest and relaxation. In addition to the many Budapest open-air festivals, I can recommend programs with an interesting culinary twist as well as suggestions for leisure time. Throughout June we continue our themed sunday brunch series as we celebrate the start of the summer break that is of such importance for children, while we have also given thought to fathers and those who love lake Balaton. In June, the spotlight is on light, grilled dishes, salads and a variety of cocktails. however, the month also provides the opportunity to sample the fine wines of the Károly áts cellar, Tokaj, winemaker of the year, for which our executive Chef has created a complimentary five-course meal to make it a truly well rounded, exceptional gastronomic experience. Throughout the month, the Royal spa suggests a special form of relaxation that does not promise spectacular transformation after just one occasion, but that does endeavour to fill one with inner peace and harmony of body and soul. as well as the various programs available in Budapest, I would like to draw your attention to our historical exhibition on the lower lobby level, which spans the more than 100 year history of our hotel. I sincerely hope that the June edition of our newsletter sparks your imagination, and that you find programs that meet your needs and spark your interests.
Thomas m. Fischer | geneRal manageR
guestBook The ITalIan aCToR FRanCo neRo
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
> The more than 120 year old, beautiful Royal spa.
CoRInThIa hoTel BudaPesT ReCeIVed awaRd FRom gogoBoT > Corinthia hotel Budapest was named one of the Best hotels in europe in the 2012 gogobot Travelers’ Favorite awards. The best hotels are chosen based on the opinions of 2.5 million members worldwide. Corinthia hotel Budapest has been selected out of thousands of hotels as one of the top 25 hotels in europe. gogobot is a travel planning site sourcing recommendations from its members’ social networks. unlike other travel sites, members can verify people's identities and plan their trips based on their friends’ reviews. “It is our great pleasure to accept this award from a new generation social travel company, which means we have earned the esteem and recommendation of travelers around the world,” said Thomas m Fischer, general manager of Corinthia hotel Budapest.
aBouT CoRInThIa hoTel BudaPesT > Corinthia hotel Budapest is an award-
winning member of the Corinthia hotels brand. The hotel originally opened as the grand hotel Royal in 1896 and was entirely renovated and, in parts, rebuilt in 2003, following its acquisition by Corinthia hotels. among its many attributes, the hotel features a majestic grand Ballroom and the ‘Royal spa’- itself an extensive renovation of an original 19th century spa which adjoined the original hotel - that has once again regained its rightful place as Budapest’s most luxurious spa..
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The grand story oF CoRInThIa hoTel BudaPesT BY TIBOR MESKÁL, MANAGER ON DUTY
The beginning - Chapter 5 > From today’s modern hospitality standards, it is very entertaining to look
back to the „good old days” of the grand hotel Royal. The clientele of the hotel was so diversified, as to include international travelers, business men. intellectuals, artists amd writers, that a permanently high occupancy was almost guaranteed. when the grand hotel Royal opened its doors in 1896, its guests enjoyed the close proximity to the neighbourhood spa facilities. But from 1902 the Boulevard spa was directly connected to the hotel. hotel guests walked straight from their rooms to the warm springs of the wave bath, enjoying the soft smell of pine needle aroma therapies, a massage after a long train ride and the treatments of the revolutionary elecrtic bath. with its own spa, the Royal became famous beyond the borders of hungary. not only did it represent the only high-class accommodation of international standards in the capital, but now it also offered the relaxing and healing powers of a spa, with all the modern facilities yesterday’s traveller could want. The hotel was always fully booked. a Viennese businessman, who wanted to attend a trade fair in Budapest in march 1897, reported back home in surprise: ’I wonder whether this is standard in this part of the empire; at the Royal in Budapest one should book well in advance to secure a room!’ what souds quite normal today was an exception in those days. hotels relied mainly on ’walk-ins’, people who arrived and ’walked into’ the hotel and negotiated their room on the spot. most travellers chose spontaneously where to stay. often the decision was influenced by a smart gang of porters, who approached travellers at the station advertising the ’best’ or ’cheapest’ accommodation in town. hotels used to announce: ’all trains are met by representatives of the hotel’ or ’ Runners meet all ships’. The Royal was also an epicentre of hungarian patriotism. Following the consent of his majesty the King, the Royal hungarian automobile Club held its inaugural meeting at the hotel on 30 november 1900. hungarian intellectuals of cultural and political influence adopted the hotel as their base. around 1902 a group of artists, musicians, actors, painters, sculptors and architects decided to establish their own artists’ association, the Fészek Club (meaning ’nest’, composed from the charadters F.É.s.z.e.K., which stand for the hungarian words Painter, architects, actors, musicians and Comedians). The first president was Béla Környei, a famous opera tenor of the time. Its venue: The Royal. Coffee house headwaiter Török had special orders to always group the most attractive young ladies around the tables of the nest club members. a good tip assured his friendly attention to the matter. artist József Rippl-Rónai complained that it was difficult to find an appropriate space to exhibit his paintings. The hotel manager, gyula Várady, swiftly came up with an offer of a free room at the Royal for the duration of his first exhibition. Today his paintings sell for tens of thousands of euros. while the Royal Café was the regular meeting place of The Royal artists’ Club, other associations like the János Vajda Club held meetings with public readings in the hotel. one day in 1908, two hungarian writers and intellectuals, ernô osvát and miksa Fenyô, sat together at the Royal Café. over a cup of coffee; they discussed the foundation of a literary and social journal. over a second cup, they decided to call it nyugat (The west). This was the start of a significant periodical in the history of hungarian literature. until 1941, the greatest writings of the first half of the 20th century first appeared in this periodical. The nyugat and the János Vajda Club organised public readings at the Royal. The Royal was a regular meeting place for Freemasons, with the symbolic grand lodge of hungary formed in 1886. at its height, hungarian Freemasonry boasted more the 7,000 memebers. The constatnt presence of foreigners and travellers from all corners of the world certainly added sex-appeal for local artists. If there was any opportunity to meet a potential investor or a maecenas of hungarian art, the grand hotel Royal was the place to go. Inparticular its coffee house was a good place to meet foreigners. at the Café all the daily papers were available, weekly magazines could be read, and you were able to sit with one single cup of coffee for one whole day, with your glass of water constantly refreshed by a waiter whose income largely depended on your tip. The Royal Café was also the home to what has been described as the tastiest dobos Torte in the world. The ‘dobos Torta’ (dobos Cake) is hungary’s answer to austria’s sacher Torte. József C. dobos invented this cake around 1885. he wanted to create a cake that lasted at least 10 days.The cake became the most famous of all internationally renown hungarian cakes. In 1895, dobos published the recipe. on good days a few hundred slices were sold at the Royal. The various theatres and variety shows, the opening of the King’s Theatre (Király színház) and the Royal orpheum (today’s madách Theatre) on elizabeth Ring, a five minute walk from the hotel, contributed to the rising number of hotel guests. The convenient location of the hotel lured an artistic community and their followers to the Royal. once the curtain had fallen at the Royal opera house, the Comedy Theatre (Vígszínház), the orpheum and the People’s Theatre, people quickly made their way to the hotel to secure one of the much sought after tables at the ’Palm Court’. This year the restored and rebuilt grand hotel Royal celebrates the 10th anniversary of its Reopening on april 30, 2003 as Corinthia hotel. several historical periods and chapters will be presented to the readers in the coming issues to commemorate this magnificent hotel. To be continued…
meeT The sTaFF INTERVIEW WITH
Mónika Fülöp, EXECUTIVE RECEPTIONIST How long have you worked at the hotel? What areas have you worked in so far, and what are you doing now? I have worked at the hotel since november 2007. I started as guest Relations officer, and then two years later I moved to executive Reception. our job in the hotel’s executive lounge is to check guests in and out, although we also fulfill Concierge duties, recommending restaurants, organizing sightseeing tours and assisting guests with virtually any kind of problem. What is your best memory since you started working here? In nearly six years I have been witness to, or been part of, very many interesting, amusing and unforgettable moments. as far as I am concerned, the grandiose events, for instance the story galas and arrival of VIPs, have been less memorable. of course, it was great meeting eros Ramazzotti recently, but I take the greatest pleasure in recalling – months or years later – those moments that really touched my heart. a few weeks ago I checked-in three elderly couples, all aged over 80. They had, long ago, been schoolmates, but life had taken them each to a different country, and they would meet up for a holiday every 2-3 years. The joy in their reunion moved me to tears, and then from one evening to another I listened, fascinated, at their individual stories.
This year the hotel celebrates the 10th anniversary of its reopening. How are you involved in these events; do you have a specific task? It fills me with pride to be able to work in such a beautiful hotel with such a distinguished past. as executive Receptionist, the opportunity occasionally arises to have longer conversations with guests and establish a more personal relationship. I am always delighted to be able to tell them about the history of the hotel and I can fully recommend the exhibition set up in the corridor close to the main entrance, which not only charts the events of the past 10 years but also takes us back further, into the history of the “old Royal”. What do you enjoy in your leisure time? I ease the exertions of work through sport, running and yoga, and I always have a good book in my bag or on my bedside table. as far as I am concerned, the greatest possible way of relaxing is being with my dogs. we go out a lot, we attend a dog training school and I also help out in the local animal shelter. I round up all the stray dogs off the street, as a result of which everyone in my family has 2-3 dogs. It is my dream to open a dog home and provide every orphan with a warm and loving home.
yoga: ancient Knowledge in modern lifestyle wRITTen By dR. dIKsha shaRma > yoga comes from the sanskrit word “yuj” which means “to join” or “to unite”. The origin of yoga is rooted deeply in Indian mythology. The story goes that Patanjali, the originator of yoga, was a supernatural being who took human form in order to pass the knowledge of yoga to mortal beings. his mother was a yogini by the name of gonika, who was praying for a son while standing in the middle of the river. as she joined her hands in prayer, in her hands fell a small snake, which then took a human form. Thus he was names “Pata” meaning “Fallen”, “anjali” meaning “Blessing”. Patanjali is said to have written on three subjects – yoga, grammar, and medicine. he wrote the yoga sutras of Patanjali, which are 196 euphemisms that summarize the entire concept of yoga. yoga is a powerful tool, which if used properly, can help you in each and every aspect of your life. There is no area of your life that the practice of yoga will not touch. The benefits will be so obvious, wide-spread, and long-lasting that you will be surprised as to how you managed to work before yoga! By practicing yoga, you not only live your life, but you live your life as you were meant to – healthy, happy, and content. yoga is a practice where the proper practice with longer duration and deeper concentration is more important than flexibility. yoga is a practice of the body and the mind...the effect of doing a “simple” asana (posture) is immensely better than doing a “complicated” posture wrong. The benefits of our yoga practices are numerous. Physically, your posture becomes better, your muscles relax and the unnecessary tension present in your body is gone. your digestion becomes better, your sleep improves, and your energy level increases. mentally, you are able to cope with stress more effectively. you are better equipped to handle the current stress and have a clear mind to deal with the upcoming problems as well. your thinking becomes clearer and your concentration improves as well. emotionally, the calm and contentment that comes with the practice of yoga work to balance your emotions. you become more positive, proactive, and better at controlling your emotional responses. as you can see, no matter how old or mythical the origin of yoga may be, the effectiveness of this art and lifestyle has certainly not decreased. If anything, the importance of implementing yoga in our daily life has become even more of a necessity. FoR moRe InFoRmaTIon and yoga lesson BooKIng, Please ConTaCT
Royal spa reception on extension 7650
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Recipe of the month The CheF ReCommends
ouR oFFeRs - sunday BRunCh Brasserie & atrium Restaurant • every sunday from 12:00 until 16:00 hours CosT oF The sunday BRunCh: adulTs huF 8900 children up to the age of 14 years get 50% discount; free for children under the age of 6.
> Joel Khalil, executive chef of Corinthia hotel Budapest joined the
hotel having already established himself as a highly skilled professional on a number of continents. his last appointment was the position of the executive chef of sofitel macau in asia and prior to that he was working in dublin, switzerland, Tel aviv, london, Brunei and hong Kong. his international career experiences have inspired him to create some exciting, easy-to-make recipes. we invite you to cook with us and try Joel's favorites.
Joel Khalil | Executive Chef
end oF sChool BRunCh June 09. > school’s out for summer... start the long hot holiday season off with everything kids love to eat: tons of pizzas, fish and chips, pancakes and ice cream. There will be masses of helium-filled balloons, a make-your-own-shake corner and a serenade from the staff. september seems a long way off... FaTheR’s day BRunCh June 16. > dads also deserve a little care and attention, not to mention a draught beer station, man-size steaks, rich stews, darts, table-football and a comfortable place to chill out. It’s all available at the Brasserie Restaurant on Father’s day. Plus, the kids can learn how to make a personalized leather bracelet especially for you! summeR BReeze BRunCh June 23. > By the third week in June, the heat will be on in Budapest, so what could be better than a magical summer Breeze Brunch? we’ve compiled a light summer menu with grilled meats, plenty of salads, and best of all, some stunning cocktails - mojito, Pina Colada, Tequila sunrise, Peppermint limonade and sorbetto de limon – you can sip at the beach bar. Bring a business card and enter the tombola. my BalaTon BRunCh June 30. > If you can’t go to the Balaton... then the Balaton will have to come to you! get that authentic ’Balcsi feeling’ with deep fried hake, corn on the cob, fantastic hungarian ’langos’ with traditional toppings, and a wine tasting of the local reds and whites. all this happens to the harmonious tones of a live gypsy band, and there’s even a kids corner where children can make a miniature sailing boat.
PAN FRIED SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS RISOTTO
IngRedIenTs • 200gr Fresh salmon steak • 150gr green asparagus • 80gr Risotto rice • 23ml white wine • 30gr Chopped onion • 20gr Parmesan cheese finely grated • 30ml Fish or chicken stock • 20gr olive oil • 40gr Butter • salt & Pepper to taste • lemon (optional for decoration)
PRePaRaTIon | RIsoTTo • • • • • • • • • • • •
Clean and peel the green asparagus. Cut the stalks of the asparagus, keep the tips for decoration. melt the butter in a small pot, add the chopped onion and cook slowly until soft. add the cut asparagus stalks to the onion. add the rice and stir in until the rice has become a little transparent and season. deglaze the rice with half the white wine and reduce, repeat a second time. Pour a small amount of the chicken stock into the rice, cover and cook slowly. Continue to add small amounts of stock until the rice is cooked ’al dente’. Check the rice every few moments to avoid over cooking. stir continuously to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan. when the risotto is cooked, add the small cubes of butter and gently stir with the spatula until the rice is thickened. add the parmesan. stir well and serve.
PRePaRaTIon | salmon • season the salmon steak with salt and pepper. • In a hot pan pour olive oil and then add the salmon skin side down and leave to cook until skin becomes crispy. • Turn the fish and pan fry for another 3 minutes. Finish the cooking in the oven for about 4 more minutes. • Cook the asparagus tips in salted boiling water for about 2 minutes. • dress the plate with the risotto and asparagus tips with the salmon on the top.
áTs KáRoly wIne dInneR • June 28 from 6.30 pm • The áts family is a long-established name in the Tokaj wine Region of northeastern hungary. Károly has followed in his father’s footsteps, and is now rated as an important and innovative producer in the country. In 2012 he was awarded winemaker of the year” by the hungarian wine academy. This evening of wine tasting is complemented with a gourmet five course menu.
Royal CoCKTaIl > acquaint yourself with the hotel’s very latest cocktail, into which we have poured out heart and soul. This unique creation, the nobly named Royal Cocktail, is being served in le Bar. The recipe is attached to this unique drink and you can try making your own Royal at home!
CoRInThIa hoTel BudaPesT Is The oFFICIal sPonsoR oF The 9Th manageR oPen TennIs ChamPIonshIP > The idea of organizing an open Tennis Championship for managers was raised by Tamás hámori, economist, former top sportsman and tennis coach, in the summer of 2005 at a conference on preserving the health of managers. he proposed an annual tennis competition designed to get managers exercising and competing on a regular basis. since then, the championship has gradually expanded with the inclusion of additional provincial rounds each year, and besides the traditional autumn matches there have, for many years, also been local and regional heats in may, June and from the second half of august where the top four pairs go through to the championship round. This year, in a record-breaking season, 11 rounds are being organized. The organizers are trying to make sure that local tournaments become an important event for the host city. Corinthia hotel Budapest is one of the main sponsors of this year’s series, and our colleagues are preparing for the championship at full speed.
WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THE DREAMS OF SICK CHILDREN COME TRUE
suPPoRTIng ChIldRen > Corinthia hotel Budapest believes that as well as guaranteeing maximum guest satisfaction, it is equally important to act as a role model in the area of corporate social responsibility. at the end of 2012 we finalized a strategic cooperation agreement with the Csodalámpa (magic lamp) wish Fulfilling Foundation, now in its 10th year of operation. we have a common purpose: to help people in need. The magic lamp wish Fulfilling Foundation makes the wishes and hopes of children who suffer from life-threatening diseases come true, giving them unforgettable experiences and breaking the dull routine of hospital treatment. The foundation – acting together with generous, supportive individuals and companies – has been fulfilling wishes since november 2003, in which time it has made the dreams of around 2,000 seriously ill children come true. It is our intention to contribute to this worthy cause and brighten up the lives of needy children in 2013.
TaBle ReseRVaTIon and FuRTheR InFoRmaTIon: +36 1 479-4800 or cuisine.budapest@corinthia.com facebook.com/corinthiahotelbudapest
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The Royal FloweR
PRogRams In June
home & InTeRIoR > Recently reopened, ‘The Royal Flower’ outlet is located next to the main entrance. Just as there are no two people alike, so no two flowers are the same. we are pleased to meet your particular requirements and design concepts, whether it’s for a simple bouquet of flowers, decorative elements for a conference or banquet, or that very special wedding.
RECOMMENDED BY THE
CoRInThIa hoTel BudaPesT CONCIERGE TEAM The FIRsT monTh oF summeR Is all aBouT ouTdooR FesTIVals… Tamás ungár Chief Concierge
For further information and reservations, please contact the Concierge.
wedding consultancy | Flower delivery | event decoration Corinthia hotel Budapest, erzsébet körút 43-49, 1073 Budapest, next to the main entrance +36 20 923 1965 | +36 20 499 5353 | royal@theroyalflower.com | andifiore.hu
FesTIVal > BelVáRosI FesTIVal is a free music feast that takes place on June 7-9 in the city center of Budapest, along zrínyi street from erzsébet square to szabadság square. Visitors can enjoy live jazz, rock, pop and folk concerts on three different stages. Kid's programs, fashion shows, film screenings and dance shows are also part of the festival. Budapest hosts a number of lively summer festivals and the Belvárosi Fesztivál promises to be a great party to warm-up for the summer season. > CenTRal euRoPean FashIon days will be held at the millenáris Park on June 8. This unique festival serves as a closing event of the ‘gombold újra!’ Central european fashion competition; it is a platform for emerging Central european designers to introduce themselves, while promoting active cooperation between the region's creative industries. Besides the fashion shows of the rising talents, exhibitions and fair, the program includes the sTylewalKeR sPeCIal edITIon, a design walk in the 5th district, organized by several shops and boutiques featuring designs by young artists. Participating stores welcome shoppers until midnight. > The PalaCe oF aRTs presents the 8th ‘wagneR In BudaPesT oPeRa FesTIVal’ on June 8-23. The event welcomes famous wagnerian singers to the stage, accompanied by the mR symphonics and the orchestra of the hungarian state opera house, conducted by artistic director ádám Fischer and gergely Vajda. The program includes seven opera performances and three wagner documentaries by the Palace of arts’ studio. The festival begins June 8 with a première of the opera ‘die meistersinger von nürnberg’, followed by a production of lohengrin, as well as the always popular Parsifal. an unusual splash of colour at this year’s festival is provided by the ‘evening of songs’ on June 2, where the composer’s complete songs will be performed.
MADÁCH THEATRE
only 2 minutes walk from Corinthia
hotel Budapest
MARY POPPINS BY DISNEY AND CAMERON MACKINTOSH > The musical, which is based on P. l. Travers’ stories of the magic nanny and has received many awards since its 2004 debut, came to the stage of the madách Theatre in september 2012. The secret to its success is the inimitable charm that transforms everyday events into a world of fairy tales both for adults and children, with the help of catchy well-known tunes, superb dance numbers and, of course, innumerable special effects and meticulous stage craft.
> The Buda CasTle BeeR FesTIVal will be held on June 13-16 in the courtyards of
the Royal Castle. The 4-day beer feast brings almost 200 domestic and international beers to beer-lovers. well known hungarian breweries like Borsodi and dreher, along with lesser-known microbreweries will showcase their products, while german, Czech and Belgian beers will also be represented. Visitors will have a chance to taste beer specialties, learn about the history of beer making and learn how to draw a drought.
…and exhIBITIons and FaIRs
> The danuBe CaRnIVal presents contemporary dancers, international artists and
traditional hungarian folk dancers on June 16-23 to celebrate the joy of dance. The carnival will incorporate 15 local and international ensembles with nearly 300 artists. The main sites include Vörösmarty square, margaret Island open-air stage, danube Palace and the heritage house.
> spend one night at Budapest's museums to find out if they really come alive in the afterhours. on June 22, museums open their doors to visitors until 2:30 a.m. for the nIghT oF The museums. Participating venues include the hungarian national museum, the museum of Fine arts, the Budapest history museum, the house of Terror, the hungarian national gallery, the museum of applied arts and the hungarian natural history museum. unique museums with quirky collections are also on the list, such as the hospital in the Rock museum, the underground Railway museum, the museum of electrotechnics, the Postal museum and the museum of Transport. all locations can be visited with one single ticket, including bus transfer between the main venues. > on June 29, danuBe day will be celebrated in 14 countries that are connected
through the danube river system. several festivals on the banks of the river, public meetings and fun, educational events will be held to bring awareness and to pay tribute to the danube and its wildlife. The programs in Budapest take place on the Pest side of the Chain Bridge.
> The Körmendi-Csák Twentieth Century Photography Collection is being introduced to the public for the first time through the analogue exhibition, a selection of its artworks at the KogaRT house on andrássy avenue. Visitors will get a glimpse into twentieth-century hungarian photography through the 160 exhibited works of twenty-one photographers. The selection showcases a unique vision of the second half of the century with the help of art photos in various genres ranging from documentary to avant-garde. > gouBa is a regularly scheduled art market in the gozsdu CouRTyaRd every sunday from 10 am to 7 pm, inviting both tourists and locals for a refreshing walk in the heart of the city. gouba entertains exacting and openminded visitors with unique works by representative artists and craftsmen, designers and antiquarians, as well as valuable works of art and antiques. an even more unique ambience is created by the young musicians who play well-known and new jazz compositions to the delight of the audience.
TaBle ReseRVaTIon and FuRTheR InFoRmaTIon: +36 1 479-4800 or cuisine.budapest@corinthia.com facebook.com/corinthiahotelbudapest
photos by
outdoor ones open. BudaPesT summeR FesTIVal celebrates the 75th anniversary of the margaret Island open-air stage this year with theater performances for adults and children, musicals, dance shows and concerts from June 15 to august 31. Programs are offered at two locations - on margaret Island and in Városmajor.
Dávid Harangozó, The Danube Carnival, Kogart, Gouba Archive
> Budapest offers non-stop theatre experiences, as the indoor theatres close, the