Hungary’s most famous abbey to be expanded with a 4-star hotel

Pannonhalma, 2017. december 13. A Pannonhalmi Fõapátság által 2017. december 13-án közreadott látványterven a szállodává átalakított apátsági major épületegyüttese látható. A Marriott szállodalánccal együttmûködve szállodává bõvítik a Pannonhalmi Fõapátság apátsági major épületegyüttesét. MTI Fotó: Krizsán Csaba

A 300-year-old building complex of the archabbey manor of Pannonhalma in western Hungary will be expanded into a four-star hotel through a 5 billion forint (EUR 15.9m) investment.

The government will support the project with a 2.95 billion forint grant.

Archabbot Asztrik Várszegi and director of European hotel development of the Marriott hotel chain Paul Rosenberg signed a twenty-year agreement on the hotel brand on Wednesday.

Photo: MTI

The development is due to start in March next year and the hotel is scheduled to open at Easter 2020.

The marketing director of the abbey, László Vieland. said that their aim was to extend the April-October touristic period, and also attract guests from Austria, South Germany and Slovakia. Special attention will be paid to conference tourism.

According to hvg.hu, the expansion of the building complex includes 99 new rooms, conference halls, restaurant, an open beer house and a wellness section based on the herbal culture of the abbey. Moreover, the investment includes the installation of a geothermal heating system and solar collectors, while the water supply will be partly ensured by the wells found in the yard.

“The building complex, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage, will harmoniously unite the 12th and 21th century. Besides millenial consistency, Pannonhalma is about finding the right path.”