The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace in Budapest is a glittering treasure on the banks of the Danube and acclaimed as one of the finest examples Art Nouveau architecture in Europe, The Gresham Palace was built in the early 1900s and it was owned by the London-based Gresham Life Assurance Company. Originally, the palace served as an office building as well as a home for wealthy British aristocrats connected with the Gresham company. During World War II, Soviet soldiers took up residence in the extravagant palace and it fell into disrepair and served as an apartment building during the Communist rule of Hungary. When democracy was restored, the national government presented the palace to the city of Budapest. In 2001, it was bought by the Four Seasons hotel chain, and was opened soon after as a luxurious hotel