Luxury Hotel Photography in Budapest: Al Habtoor Hotel
Starting with test-shooting
We photographed the former Ritz-Carlton hotel, which has since been transformed into the Al Habtoor Hotel following a change in ownership. The property was acquired as part of a rebranding process, with the goal of refreshing the hotel’s visual identity while preserving its high-end architectural character.
We started the collaboration with a paid test shoot, focusing on a Deluxe Room, as the client was not satisfied with the previous photography. Our goal was to build trust by demonstrating how we visually interpret hotel spaces and present them in our own style. After delivering five final images, the client was extremely happy with the results. Based on this success, we agreed on a five-day hotel photoshoot, covering the wellness area, all room categories, the lobby, lounge, and restaurant.
Three Days of Hotel Room Photography
During the first three days, we focused on photographing the guest rooms. The hotel staff was very well prepared for the photoshoot, with flowers, books, and carefully selected props placed in every room. Each room was pre-checked before shooting, with perfectly arranged, wrinkle-free bedding.
In many rooms, the view itself is a key selling point, such as the rooms overlooking the Basilica. For this reason, we usually capture two versions of the same image: one with the curtains open and one with the curtains closed. In rooms where the view is less important, we focus purely on the interior and photograph the space without highlighting the outside view.
This is why we especially appreciate it when the client is present on location — it allows us to make quick decisions together and ensure the final images fully support the hotel’s sales and marketing goals.
Shooting the wellness - Under time pressure
After the room photography, we moved on to the wellness area, working around the spa’s opening hours. All images had to be completed by 9:00 AM, which required early morning starts. Fortunately, we had beautiful morning light, which added a calm and natural atmosphere to the spaces. In the wellness areas, we often capture different visual variations: in some cases, we photograph moving water to add a sense of life and energy, while in others we focus on still, reflective pool surfaces for a more clean and tranquil look.
Depending on the space and purpose, images with or without reflections can work better — the final choice always depends on the mood the hotel wants to communicate.
Avoid the hotel guests
The lobby and restaurant areas are always challenging to photograph due to guest activity. We never want to disturb hotel guests, so we carefully schedule these shoots between check-out and check-in times, when the spaces are naturally quieter. We followed the same approach on this project as well, allowing us to capture clean, calm images of the lobby and reception without disrupting the guest experience.
Detail Shots and Exterior Photography for Hotel Marketing
Our clients are always very happy when we have time to capture extra detail shots. Because we work as a two-person team, we can efficiently manage the main shots while still having time for additional images.
These detail shots are perfect for social media content, and we also create more complex detail images that highlight special elements, such as the view from the room, adding extra value to the hotel’s visual library.
Finally, we captured exterior images of the hotel, featuring the brand-new logo on the façade, both in daylight and at night, to fully showcase the building’s presence in different lighting conditions.
Morning walks to the hotels
The shooting days were long, but luckily I live only 200 meters from the hotel in Budapest, so we didn’t charge any travel fees — we simply walked to the hotel in about five minutes every day.
