Construction of Marriott's first rural hotel complex in Balatonfüred begins

We recently reported in our newspaper that a new hotel complex is being built in the centre of Balatonfüred. The Le Méridien BalaPort Lake Balaton luxury hotel is part of the BalaPort project, one of the most exclusive tourist property developments on Lake Balaton. The contractor for the hotel has not yet been selected, but the general contractor's specialists are already working on the BalaPort Residence buildings to the east and west of the main hotel building, the construction company informed our newspaper.

In addition to the 102-room, five-star hotel, the project will also include the development of port infrastructure, a 200-space underground car park, 4 restaurants and 24 luxury apartments in 2 buildings.

The HUF 22.5 billion investment is the most exclusive and unique tourism development on Lake Balaton. The project is being implemented according to the professional vision of Richárd Szepesi. He and his team are known for the development and operation of the Bambara Hotel and the Shiraz Hotel in Hungary, as well as for the largest tourism developments in Tokaj (Minaro Hotel Tokaj and Event Centre) and on the south shore of Lake Balaton (BalaLand Hotel, FamilyPark and Residence) in recent years.

The development is being carried out by BalaPort Investment Kft. as investor, who have signed a contract with the Le Méridien brand of the Marriott hotel group, making it the company's first rural hotel in Hungary, expected to open in spring 2025.

The unique resort hotel will be the jewel in the crown of Lake Balaton's most exclusive and unique tourism development project, BalaPort. The BalaPort development will include a world-class harbour infrastructure, waterfront apartments and underground parking," said Richárd Szepesi, founder and owner of the project.

Inspired by the Riviera in the South of France and the Italian dolce vita, the hotel's interior design

Several nationally and internationally renowned companies are involved in the construction and design: the exterior of the future Le Méridien BalaPort Lake Balaton hotel, which evokes the spirit of seafaring, was designed by Fazakas Építésziroda, while the interior design, which evokes the atmosphere of the French Riviera and Italian Dolce Vita of the 1960s, is based on the plans of 81Font architectural and interior design office. G.A. Design International Kft. acted as interior design consultant for the project, while Dudinszky Tervezőiroda Kft. was responsible for technical design and project management. The general construction of the apartments of BalaPort Residence is being carried out by VEMÉV-SZER Kft..

Masonry work is already underway in the apartment buildings

Regarding the current progress of the project, Attila Miklós, the VEMÉV-SZER Facilities Manager, provided information in response to our request. A total of 24 apartments ranging from 1 bedroom to 3 bedrooms will be developed in the separate buildings of BalaPort Residence.

The construction of the apartments is currently underway, with the masonry work and the "transferred" reinforced concrete structures being reviewed for both buildings.

In addition to this, the masonry work has begun, followed by the thermal and waterproofing of the roof, while the electrical and mechanical trades will also be involved to carry out the basic installations. The facilities manager added: "The road and utilities work is being postponed until the autumn, as we are trying to minimise the disruption to port traffic from dust and noise, and the rest of the work is still out to tender."

The hotel's exterior is inspired by the theme of shipping

As for the construction of the hotel building, we learned that they are currently looking for a contractor to implement the project, but the façade windows are expected to be in place this year, and the temporary roof drainage will be completed in the building, which will serve both leisure and business travellers.

The exterior of the hotel will be inspired by the nautical theme, with rooms and suites offering a panoramic view of Lake Balaton.

On the upper level, facing Lake Balaton, a 2-level wellness area will be created, whose indoor and outdoor experience elements will be available at a discount to both the port and the apartment owners. On the Zákonyi Ferenc Street side of the promenade, an elegant Mediterranean-style restaurant will be built with a spacious, cosy and shaded terrace, a bar and a poolside pool bar.

The project is to be built in the immediate vicinity of a premium marina, between one of the busiest in the country and the famous Zákonyi promenade, under extreme organisational conditions.