Budapest Hotel Choice

And you are just staying 2 nights?

We are staying 3 nights

Do you have strong feelings about one or the other? Sometimes it makes a difference to my stay if I really like my lodging.

Logically, it might sound good to you to be “close to Buda Castle area” for one day but actually you aren’t. It will take you nearly as long timewise to get up there from the Monastery Boutique Hotel as it would from the Medos. So location wise, I would say Medos wins out. But if you really like the Monastery Boutique, it’s certainly doable. If you had a top room with a nighttime view of Parliament, that might be a factor (but it doesn’t look like it).

There’s not a ton of stuff right around you - several restaurants that looked good when I walked by in the fall that are about a 10 minute walk. It looks like the sort of place I might stay for a few nights for something different, now that I have stayed in Pest a lot.

I haven’t stayed at the Medos yet but will be there in October. It doesn’t grab my attention from the outside, but I enjoy the location (I am sometimes in apartments right there). You are in easy reach of the M1 metro and the 4/6 tram, plus some good places to eat.

I don’t think you’d go home regretting either but if you are looking primarily at location, I’d say Medos. Maybe you want to read through this thread.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/rs-forum-favorite-hotels-and-their-cost

Here are some updates to the thread TexasTravelMom listed: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/hotels-in-budapest-549c0b2b-b903-4b65-88a3-003993c605b0

The Monastery Boutique hotel looks to be almost unique for Budapest. It is lovely. On your third trip back I think it would be a brilliant idea. If you look on Google Maps the Monastery Boutique hotel is under a kilometer from most of the sights in Buda. The hotel says 500 meters (maybe to the edge of the district) so that sounds good. What google maps and the hotel doesn’t show you is that the sights in Buda are on top of a hill and the hotel is at the bottom of the hill. So, yes, it’s 500 meters horizontal and about 100 meters vertical. It’s a 20 minute hard climb up hundreds of steps. Or you can walk upriver in a bit less than 10-minutes and take a 15-minute bus ride to the top of the hill (or pay $15 for the funicular).

The Buda Castle area is worth seeing, but with just 3 nights and so much else to see in Budapest, I would keep the castle district to a half day. So, you would be staying in an isolated location, be it a lovely hotel, for not so much convenience to see Buda for 4 hours. If for no other reason you will want to keep the visit to the castle district short because the castle district is under construction. It is a bit crowded tourist infested mess right now and will be for the next few years.

Pest is where the heartbeat of the city is. It is where you find the Andrassy ut (Avenue) the Champs-Élysées of Central Europe (and where the Medosz is located) lined with wonderful old buildings including the Opera House … ending at Heroes Square and City Park and one of the more beautiful bath houses. Pest is where the old Jewish district is located, and still home to several of the city’s finest synagogues. Pest is where the Parliament and the government district is located. Again, magnificent architecture. Here you find the Great Market Hall and many smaller. Here you also find the best food in Budapest and the best evening strolls through amazing neighborhoods. It’s a 3-day visit by itself.

The Medos is fine. A lot of RS return visitors stay there. But since the Monastery Boutique hotel interested you, do look at hotels like the Hotel Moments, Oktogon Hotel and Up Hotel. Yes, larger, but with some of the same old world feel as the Monastery Boutique hotel. Another, one that just opened which is interesting for location and style and is much smaller is: https://www.maison45.com/

Do keep in mind that I haven’t stayed in a hotel in Budapest in many years, so I just talk about locations. Selection is a different matter.

And, i hope you got your train tickets. :-)

From Keleti train station you can always take a taxi. Download the CityTaxi App and use that. Convenient and shows you where the car is waiting for you and the number of the car.

If you stay at the Medosz or any hotel along Andrassy ut, then from Keleti using public transportation you would go down that stairs at the front of the station (end of track 6) and buy a public transportation card from the BKK office, then take the M2 one stop to Blaha Lujza tér, then use exit E from the station to board the 4/6 tram a 3 stops to the Oktogon (Andrassy ut). Maybe 20 minutes at most and mostly above ground where you can see the city.

To the Monastery Hotel do the same but stay on the M2 until you reach Batthyány tér. Under 30 minutes but entirely underground.

This thread has some information on things to do in Buda: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/tram-tickets-to-buda-castle

I have stayed at the Medosz 3 times and twice was lucky enough to get one of the rooms with a panoramic terrace--it's not fancy, a couple of chairs and a table, but the room was enormous, pleasantly decorated and both the bedroom and bathroom were full of natural light. Being able to step outside with my coffee in the morning or a drink in the evening made me ridiculously happy. And the view is indeed panoramic--I could pick out every building from St Istvan's to Parliament and across to the Buda side, beautifully lit at night. I thought they did a nicely varied buffet breakfast, and while the lobby might be in need of renovation, this hotel really suited my needs...and was quite affordable, last stayed in May 2023 for around $115 US I liked being near the Oktagon, with the M1 and trams just under a 5 minute walk away.

Thank you for the responses, decided to stay @ Medosz. Train routed to Kelenfold station from Vienna, as Keleti will be closed when we ate there, & I was able to book tickets with seat reservations!

Excellent. Keleti closed? Hmmmm.

Okay so from Kelenfold you have three choices. Depends on you and your luggage.

1. Scenic (preferred) 49 tram to Deak Ferenc ter. Then either the M1 to the Opera and a shory walk walk or walk up Andrassy ut about 10 minutes to your hotel. Beautiful walk.
   

2 Faster but mostly underground. Take the M4 metro to Rákóczi tér and switch to the 4/6 Tram to the Oktogon. Then a short walk to the hotel.

1. Use the City Taxi app.
   

If you get nervous, call me.