Abandoned Hungarian communist-era resort to be revived

Budapest’s abandoned communist-era health resort SZOT is set to get a new lease of life.

Located atop Rózsadomb (Rose Hill) on the Buda side of the city, the former medical resort offers beautiful views across Budapest, but is something of an eyesore.

Originally built in 1971 as a retreat for those suffering from rheumatism or respiratory problems, and serving as an emblem of health and relaxation under the communist regime, the resort has been abandoned since 1989 and has fallen into disrepair. During this period, the SZOT resort’s barren shell even served as a setting for the 2001 film Utolsó vacsora az Arabs Szürkénél (The Last Supper at the Arabian Grey Horse).

After numerous failed plans to redevelop the site in the 1990s, Hungarian multimillionaire businessman György Wáberer is said to be in negotiations to purchase the ghost hotel by the end of the year, with plans to both restore the resort and make the main building taller.

Source: Hungary Today