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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Budapest - nice hotels?

31 replies

Nettyhugs · 13/03/2025 12:00

Can anyone recommend nice hotels for a couple’s weekend break in Budapest?

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ScouseQueen · 13/03/2025 12:06

The Gellert. Old style glamour, thermal baths, glorious cakes.

ScouseQueen · 13/03/2025 12:08

ScouseQueen · 13/03/2025 12:06

The Gellert. Old style glamour, thermal baths, glorious cakes.

Gah! Just checked and it's closed for refurb

ImWearingPantaloons · 13/03/2025 12:09

We stayed in (I think it was called) The Fashion Hotel?

was pleasant enough and in a good location

Hysterectomynext · 13/03/2025 12:10

Came here to say the Gallert as well!
I’ve stayed in several in Budapest but that’s my favourite. I’ve had a small room there and I’ve also been given the best room there. I hope they don’t refurb and lose the essence of it

Nettyhugs · 13/03/2025 14:46

Shame about the Gellert, the Fashion seems a bit modern. Any other suggestions?

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Pastelhp · 13/03/2025 14:55

We stayed at Hotel Rumor in 2023 and couldn’t recommend it more. It was more of a boutique hotel, so small and quirky - very central right by the ferris wheel. This was when it was newly opened so I remember prices being very affordable, not sure if that’s changed now. I’ll upload some pics of the room we had 🙂

Budapest - nice hotels?
Budapest - nice hotels?
Budapest - nice hotels?
EverythingIsComputer · 13/03/2025 15:28

Had the biggest ever bed in the Sofitel, plus a great view as it’s right by the Duna. Had meant to book the Anantara New York Palace but ended up just going for breakfast - spa looks incredible.

Shame about the Gellert, had a fun day swimming there. The Szechenyi baths are on my list for next time, maybe later in the day as it looked so atmospheric walking past it in the dark.

Enjoy!

Junaluma · 13/03/2025 21:49

We stayed at The Dorothea. Fabulous hotel.

Budapest - nice hotels?
Budapest - nice hotels?
Budapest - nice hotels?
Explainthe · 13/03/2025 21:50

Oh wow!

16HamstersCalledThemAllDave · 14/03/2025 18:55

Hotel Oktogon is just lovely hoteloktogon.hu/

Nettyhugs · 15/03/2025 08:05

Thanks all! I went for the Corinthia in the end. Any tips for nice things to do? I’m thinking Hungarian Parliament tour, walking tour, the Basilica, thermal baths, and would love tips on great places for food and evening cocktails!

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VenusStarr · 15/03/2025 08:12

We're going tomorrow! Going to visit the cat museum and an evening river cruise as well as the things you've mentioned.

BreakfastMeeting · 15/03/2025 08:17

Visit St Stephen’s Basilica - it made me cry.
The Ruin Bars.
Danube cruise
Market Hall - downstairs we loved as this is a working market. Upstairs more touristy but some good places to grab some food.

SingtotheCat · 15/03/2025 08:17

We’ve booked the Monastery Boutique Hotel for April.
I am excited now that I know there is a cat museum!

Nettyhugs · 15/03/2025 11:30

We arrive on Saturday at midday and leave Monday morning. How much time would you allocate to the thermal baths? I was thinking arrive at 5pm and spend a couple of hours there before dinner but not sure if we need more time!

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Darkclothes · 15/03/2025 11:47

We went in Dec. I hadn't been to Europe since covid. Many of the sights were half price for EU citizens and full price for other countries, including Brits! If you have a European passport- take it with you!

If you want to see the parliament- book it now! We went for 5 days and it was already fully booked!

We went to Gellert and spent half the day there. We'd wander between the outdoor, heated pool, then indoor ones, the steam room, sauna, then start the round again! A few hours though would be lovely too. Note, that we felt absolutely drained and knackered afterwards. Not that we did anything, other than walk from pool to pool, but I think the heat made us tired. Its only across the bridge from the food market. That was worth a quick look. Food down stairs and typical, touristy things upstairs. I ended up buying paprika elsewhere though.

The Basilica. The tickets are from a shop on the street nearby, not at the actual basilica door. 1 ticket is just inside the basilica, and a combo also includes going up to the top look out. If short of time- I'd just see inside. There were 2 lifts to the top, but one had very long queues, because the lift only held 4 people at once. We waited maybe 15mins to get up. You then still needed to climb up more stairs at the very top. Yes, the view was nice, but we spent 5 mins looking out at buildings which we had little idea what they were, then needed to queue again to get the lift down again. Yes, you can walk the entire height up and down stairs, but I had a knee injury.

Have a fabulous time.

Nettyhugs · 15/03/2025 11:56

@Darkclothes thank you for the tips! I booked the tickets for Parliament this morning so well prepared. I think we’ll go to the Szechenyi baths as they are iconic and we’re unlikely to return. 2 hours will hopefully be enough!

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Darkclothes · 15/03/2025 12:05

Sorry, me again! For the baths, you can purchase towels, flip flops etc or take your own. There is no hire option.
We took our own flip flops and bought a microfibre towel from argos Decathlon Microfibre BL Petrol Compact Towel - XL
419/2608
It folded up really small, but was very large- similar to a bath sheet size.
We also took swimming caps, but at Gellert, they were only needed in the actual pool people were swimming laps in, not the ones people were just sitting around in.

Nettyhugs · 15/03/2025 12:29

Microfibres towels are a good shout! So annoying that Brits have to pay double for everything, our fault I suppose

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FanSpamTastic · 15/03/2025 13:12

There is a good restaurant on the river called Spoon the Boat here. Was taken there for dinner by Hungarian colleagues when visiting for work. Modern European food.

If you want more traditional Hungarian then Cafe Kor near St Stephen's Basilica was good.

EverythingIsComputer · 15/03/2025 14:25

I think Gundel is the famous restaurant by the Szechenyi baths. Would recommend trying some Palinka Wink

BigDecisionWorthIt · 15/03/2025 14:38

Can't give hotel recommendations as we used Airbnb.

But food places:
. Cookie Beacon Brunch
. Freya - The Croissant Story
. Mazel Tov
. First Craft Beer and BBQ
. Madhouse Bistro and Craft Beer Bar

Bars:
. Hard Rock
. Warm Up Cocktail Bar
. Szimpla Kert Ruin Bar

I loved walking round all the places. The Castle District is beautiful.

Darkclothes · 16/03/2025 14:45

You asked about restaurant recommendations. Strangely, I took a photo outside Spoon, boat restaurant, but didn't actually eat there. It looked lovely, but we ended up doing something else that evening.

1 place we did enjoy a Hungarian meal was 'A Legvidamabb Barakk' in the Jewish quarter. Strangely, it has many poor reviews, but it was a delicious meal! Arrive early to get a seat and its cash only.

1 thing I didn't realise before going, is that traditionally, Goulash is a soup, not the thick, stew.

Budapest - nice hotels?
VenusStarr · 22/03/2025 12:00

We ate at Spoon on our first night @Darkclothes was really nice.

We had a fab time, stayed at the Continental hotel which was lovely, right in the Jewish quarter. There's so much to see and do. The second picture is the bar in our hotel.

We went to that ruin bar too @BigDecisionWorthIt it was really close to our hotel.

@SingtotheCat the cat museum was lovely.

We also booked a walking history tour which was great, got to see a lot and learnt loads.

Definitely recommend for a city break.

Budapest - nice hotels?
Budapest - nice hotels?
Budapest - nice hotels?
TizerorFizz · 23/03/2025 09:54

Hilton in the Buda Castle area. It’s swish. Need a taxi to cross the Danube though. We really liked it.