The Leon Hotel & Lounge project started with demolition work in August 2024 and continued with renovation and refurbishment in January 2025. The coordinated renovation of the old and new elements of the 48-room hotel required special attention, as the façade is a Budapest World Heritage Site and the basement level contains the remains of a former water mill, a listed ruin.

The project had very tight deadlines, a low budget and a minimal footprint. In the end, the project was delivered under these constraints, with the contractor being constructive in addressing design flaws and problems that arose. The biggest challenge in the building’s transformation was the integration of modern mechanical and electrical networks and equipment into the existing building structure.

The fact that the investor, the operator, the designer and the contractor belonged to the same interest group facilitated effective problem solving, as this was not their first joint project in this scheme. This experience and cooperation accelerated the progress and successful completion of the project.

In the last 5-6 weeks, the building has been transformed day by day into a full-fledged hotel. Our colleagues László Blaskovits, project manager, Dr. Szabolcs Páger PhD and József Soproni contributed to the project with technical supervision and advice.