News

Renewing Karancs Hotel

The 8 storey high, city center Karacs Hotel of Salgótarján - that has been empty for the last 10 years - will be renewed from an approximately 2 billion Forint investment. Work is due to start next spring, and the Hotel is expected to re-open as a 4 star hotel, with 76 rooms, wellness and conference facilities. This renowation is part of the rehabilitation project of the city center of Salgótarján, that started already in 2006. Source: Turismus Panorama Bulletin

---

Must-Haves: Conference Centers Raise Tech Standards

Attendees expect state-of-the-art surroundings when they attend meetings at conference centers, so the International Association of Conference Centers has updated its minimum technology requirements for member facilities to make sure they don’t disappoint. Click here to find out how the meetings technology must-haves are changing at IACC conference centers in 2009 and the reasons behind the upgrade.

---

Extraordinary growth in the SYMA

The SYMA Sport and Event Hall had a successful 2008, and 2009 may herald a new era for the facility. This year the occupancy of the halls grew by 20% and other services by 30%. Next year SYMA will host several new events e.g. technical and environmental trade events, but further concerts and corporate events are also planned.
Assuming all the necessary permits are issued, next year will also see the start of the construction of the 5000-person congress hall with 19 section rooms, to be located adjacent to the current event hall. The opening of this new hall is expected by autumn 2010. Source:HTTH

---

Event hall to be constructed in Szeged

A HUF 2 billion investment would create the "Syma Hall of Szeged" if the planned gigantic real estate development becomes reality. The 9500-sqm arena, capable of hosting 5000 people, has already received EU funding of HUF 800 million. Construction may start in late 2009 and the facility would open in mid-2010.

---

Budapest Sport Arena in new role

Operator Trigránit Management Ltd. is planning to widen the services of Budapest Sport Arena, Hungary’s largest covered event hall capable of hosting 15,000. New entrance gates have been installed, a Cigar Room (also suitable for exclusive parties) has been opened, the VIP-floor has been renovated, new bars were opened, the parking lot was expanded and the kitchen technology has been upgraded, too.
This year the Arena has hosted 120 events, with total visitor numbers exceeding 500,000. In 2009 the management is reckoning on hosting shows featuring at least 5 global celebrities, several repeat productions and 3-4 exhibitions are planned along with matches of the Hungarian hockey team. Source:HTTH

---

Ramada Resort Budapest and Aquaworld opened

The largest hotel and covered amusement spa complex in Central and Eastern Europe, the Ramada Resort Budapest and Aquaworld Budapest, has been completed in less than two years. The site is located in Budapest’s 4th district, at the Pest side of the brand-new Megyeri Bridge.
The 4-star superior Ramada Resort Budapest offers 261 rooms and 48 apartments in a separate building. The conference centre can host up to 1000 people, the main boardroom’s capacity is 550, 15 further separate rooms can be made up, and the 8th floor has an exclusive banquet room. The spa and wellness centre offers outdoor amusement pool, saunas, beauty treatments, squash and tennis courts and cardio-machines. Catering is available through several indoor facilities ranging from a buffet restaurant to cafeteria and bar.
The Aquaworld amusement spa is Budapest’s latest attraction, where under the gigantic dome (72 meters in diameter) the design is dominated by a recreation of the temple of Angkor and its surroundings. 15 of the 17 pools operate all year round, offering amusement pools, kid’s pools, slides, wave and surf pool, plus the sauna-world and ice-cave. Source:HTTH

---

Hotel opens in Szentgotthárd

The Szentgotthárd Wellness & Conference Hotel is expected to open in Szentgotthárd (close to the Austrian border) next summer. The 4-star hotel will boast 140 rooms, a conference room for 500 and section rooms and will be connected to the local spa via an underground tunnel. Source: HTTH

---

Continental Hotel Zara**** to Open in 2010 in Budapest

The 4-Star superior hotel will offer the guests 280 rooms (double standard rooms with or without balcony; superior rooms with business services, executive- and luxury suites). All of the rooms will be air conditioned.
Besides providing accomodation, the hotel will offer several possibilities for meeting to be held here as well: the Galery Cafe & Bar (40pax), the Roof-Garden (150 pax for a reception), the Gallery Plenary Room (180+50 pax), the Board Room (24pax), the Lobby Meeting Room (60+40pax), and the places of the Business&Corporate Club. 19th November 2008., Source: Napi Turizmus

---

New hotel brand in Budapest downtown

Irish Quinlan Private investment group is about to launch its own brand in Budapest’s 6th district. The 4-star Hotel Yasmin, located in Lázár Street, will offer 214 rooms ( 182 standard, 27 deluxe and 5 suites ) from the second quarter of 2010. The 8-storey hotel will also have a restaurant, bar and four meeting rooms, along with an underground garage. The hotel will be operated under Quinlan Private; a sister hotel recently opened in Prague.  19th November 2008, Source:HTTH

---

Hilton Budapest – Corvina Meetingrooms Reborn

The Danubius Hotel Chain is renowating its hotels step by step. Now the Coffee Shop of the Hileon Budapest, which is situated on the ground floor, and served as the main breakfast room until last spring,  reborned as a new conference room. The 350 m2 area can be separated into different sizes with mobile walls, and is equipped with brand-new sound- and light technologies. The new design of the room fits the requirements of the modern ages, yet keeping the athmosphere of this national monuments also. The consecration of the new event room was a perfect opportunity to bid farwell to the retiring hotel director, Csaba Méhesfalvi, and to introduce the new director of the establishment, Zoltán Árvay.  14th November 2008., Source: TTG Hungary

---

Velence Resort & Spa opened

The first 4-star hotel on Lake Velence officially opened on 7 November. The spa, conference and wellness hotel offers a two-storey bath with 11 pools, more than 1000-sqm water surface, 5 conference rooms and 60 rooms. In the second phase of the development, 137 rooms will be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2009, while in the second half of 2009, 93 apartments will also open. 19.th November 2008., Source:HTTH

---

New business hotel and event centre in North Budapest

AL Holding is planning a gigantic investment at the Pest foot of Árpád Bridge. The HUF 75-billion (30 million euro) project aims to construct a whole new district over 230,000 square metres, which would include a 4-star boutique hotel and integrated event hall offering multiple rooms. The project is currently in the administrative stage; the construction itself would start next year.

---

ETC comes to Hungary

Following the European Travel Commission’s general assembly in San Marino on 8-9 October, the ETC announced that its 59th board meeting and 80th general assembly will be held in Budapest, in the first semester of 2011, during the Hungarian EU-presidency. Hungary has already hosted several ETC-meetings; in June, the e-marketing seminar was also held in Budapest.

---

Kölcsey Convention Centre: cheering results

The statistical figures prove the success of the Kölcsey Convention Centre in Debrecen as well.. In 2007,195 business events (+16% compared to 2006) were organised, all in all that means 250 event days (+11% to 2006). The number of visitors were about 55.000 persons in both years. The number of the partners of the venue has grew from 90 to 115. One of the centre’s main aim is to win as many international conferences as possible. Another reassuring data is that in 2007 there were 9 international events held here, while in 2006 the number of such events was 7. Since the opening 489 business and 246 cultural events were held here. 17. Ocotber 2008., Source: Turizmus Panoráma Bulletin

---

Conference center and a Corinthia Hotel in the Buda Gate Project

In the frame of a 150 million euro project situated in north-western gate of Budapest - the Budapest Gate property investment project -,  a five-star hotel and a conference- and wellness centre is planned to be built by 2012. The conference center next to hotel will be capable to host 1600 persons, and 800 guests can get dinner at the same time. The newly built hotel will be operated by Corinthia. 17. October 2008., Source: Turizmus Panoráma Bulletin

---

Syma Event Hall: waiting for the start sign

The multifunctional Syma Congress Center, with a capacity of 4000 pax is planned to be built right next to the present Syma Event Hall. According to the latest information the contractors are waiting for the last building permits.

The congress hall is planned to be built with a fix upper and a dismountable lower auditorium. In case of an exhibition, the viewing area can be transformed into an exposition space also. The plenary room that can host 4000 guests is transformable into several section rooms, moreover, further 19 section rooms will be available in the establishment. The catering will be solved by the Hall’s own catering firm. 17. October 2008. Source: Turizmus Panoráma Bulletin

---

Successful Business Travel Show

This year, more than 2000 visitors had registered for the yearly show of the Hungarian MICE profession, and both the exhibitors and the visitors had a very positive opinion about the event. The Pavilon C of the Syma Event Hall proved to be an excellent venue for the stands of the exhibitors. Many international and local touristic companies were present on the show. The Hungarian National Tourist Office and Malév Hungarian Airlines invited foreign hosted buyers from Scandinavia, Russia, Germany and France. During the two days of the exhibition, three full-house conference were held as well. A particularly great interest among the visitors was drawn by the discussion about the planned conference centres in Budapest on Thursday. Source: 17th, October 2008, Turizmus Panoráma Bulletin

---

The Pavilon G of the Hungexpo Company Limited For Fairs and Publicity opens on the 18th October

---

2008