Finding a room in Budapest/Mom and two daughters August 2026

I can't help but just want to say you came to right place. I used to be a Tripadvisor user for 20 years, but it has really gone downhill.
I found comments, if any, to be mean and not helpful as I was planning my trips last year and this year.
Even though I don't travel with RS tours, I found this forum to be the best and my go-to when planning a trip now.

I'll be arriving in Budapest (first time) when you are leaving, and this group helped me narrow down my hotel choices and itinerary, among other helpful tips.

We didn't stay at any of the hotels on your list. But thought I would recommend Queen's Court Hotel, which we loved. It's in the Jewish Quarter; our room was clean and lovely and spacious for 2 people. The included breakfast was one of the best breakfast buffets we have had anywhere. And you can also order egg dishes & pancakes off the menu. And your choice of freshly made coffee. Not from a machine.
https://queenscourthotelbudapest.com/

Also want to add that I, too, am very disappointed in Trip Advisor. I received some very rude comments when I was planning our upcoming trip to Ireland, such as "if you are worried about rain, don't come to Ireland."

Yes, I found the TA forum kind of divisive lately. I love posting help in my own area and I found it really great for trips to Stockholm and France in the last couple years as well as NYC. But not really Hungary thus far.

We blow TA away. We could use new blood so send your TA friends this way.

The Basiliq Hotel and the Mamaison Residence Izabella are in fairly good locations. I would take a pass on the other two. The Mamaison is ideally located. The Basiliq a bit to close to the crowds for my taste, but not terrible. The last time I had a child here I put him up at the K46 but its out of your price range in August.

• Mamaison Residence Izabella has a suite in your price range and the location isn’t bad at all. I just don’t know a thing about the place, but the reviews are good. A lot of historic building character but a lot of modern renovations (look at the top floors in the photo). Also on the M1 metro and Andrassy ut which is perfect.

I guess one bedroom is okay for you. Without dates I just checked 5 nights the 3rd week of August with one room 3 adults.

You might check out the hotels on this list. They all have good reviews and they are all in the right part of town. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/budapest-updated-hotel-list

From the list (and links are in the list)

• UpHotel a really nice 4 star. The cheapest is 726 euro and the nicest is 1,047 euro. That would be a great choice for quality and location and price for what you get. But not your historic building. But surrounded by them and near a market hall.
• Medos. It’s very well located 3 star. Gets good reviews from the folks here who have stayed in it. No room for 3, but two rooms will be about $1200 total. Again, not historic building but surrounded by them and near a nice park.
• Hotel Andrassy. A bit far out but on beautiful Andrassy ut and on the M1 that takes you straight to everything. A suite for about $1200. Well, not "historic" but a sweet little mid century modern building. Quiet sort of set back and private. But on the M1 metro to all the attractions.
• Collect Residence has a few in your price range, including a 2 bedroom. A bit further from Andrassy ut, but a nice area and maybe worth if for two bedrooms. The building its self is not historic but the neighborhood is nothing but and pretty sweet.

Naturally you can keep the price down with pre-payment and no cancelation. If you have travel insurance that’s not terrible. For me its not terrible anyway. Then don’t pay for breakfast either. There are too many good places in the economy nearby and you can start seeing the city with breakfast. Tell me where you are staying and I can give you some close by; maybe introduce you.

My list is all on or near the M1 Metro. You have been here before, so I am sure you were on it. Yes, it’s transportation but it’s also a tourist ride. Its not a metro with any bad or boring connotations. It’s almost fun.

UpHotel has some of those open bathrooms (yikes!) but a studio with a private potty was on a secondary list for me of places under 1200Euros.
Collect looks like a good possibility and under budget.

We do have travel insurance so once I can finalize an itinerary I will probably try to switch to a nonrefundable rate.. My daughter, away at school, is looking into some sites she wants to visit that could chip away at the final day on this leg of our trip. I do love a hotel breakfast (so long as it's a good one) and my kids seem to always squirrel away a piece of fruit for later.

Honestly, my trip in 2004 is a blur. We visited the zoo and saw hippos! A museum with vintage aircraft next to it (closed now it seems). And watching families celebrating First Communions in Castle Hill.

But being a honeymoon...

Hi, Jennifer, I also did not stay at any of your hotels. That said, I spent five nights in Budapest last year in early October and stayed at the Hotel Medos, which was in a perfect location, imo. Mr. E mentioned it above as well. Here is my review below as well as a link to my trip report if you're interested.

Hotel Medos (aka Hotel Medosz):
First, I really like this location. It was a quick walk from the 100E bus from the airport and was surrounded with wonderful cafes and restaurants. The staff was very friendly and I was soon ensconced in my fourth-floor room. I love that the windows open! The room and bathroom were both really large. The room had open shelves that someone else here said were a bit dormlike. 😊 I get that, but it didn't bother me. There was a double bed, a small sofa, and a large desk, and the bathroom (with a shower) was quite large, too.

That said, I wound up being in two different rooms because of a wifi issue. My first room could not access the wifi router for some reason. I tried everything, and it worked when I went down to breakfast or sat in the lobby, so I knew it wasn’t my phone. The hotel was very accommodating, however, and moved me to a different room on the seventh floor where the wifi worked fine. It had the same spaciousness; albeit a little bit different configuration but I liked it and it was closer to the elevator.

Overall, I would not hesitate to stay here again. It was in a wonderful location—only a few blocks from the opera, the Oktagon metro station, and there were loads of restaurants, wine bars, and cafes nearby. It was very quiet and the price was quite reasonable—only €93.60 per night, which included a HUGE breakfast. Seriously, their breakfast was amazing. They had two coffee machines, lots of fruit and vegetables, pastries, wonderful breads, hot food, cheeses, eggs served several ways and lots of sausage and dried meat options.

But can you get Palinka Raspberry Lemonade at the hotel for breakfast?!! But yes, hotel breakfasts are convenient.

Funny we had a thread here a few weeks ago about the high style bathrooms. Lots of folks kinda couldnt get into it. Didnt realize the UpHotel had them.

The Mamaison Residence Izabella looks promising too. I honestly don’t even remember walking past it, but maybe tomorrow I will go wander the halls, it’s not far from here.

Your first trip was in 2004, mine was in 2002. The city has changed a lot in the last 20-something years. You will be amazed.

Don’t forget your public transportation passes and that link in you Private Messages (we still have those here).

Hi jennifer. Last year I stayed at K+K Hotel Opera and was happy with it. Here's my trip report in case it's useful.

Not at all what you asked, but just wanted to throw in the idea of an apartment. You lose breakfast served, but gain a lot more space for the budget. I love the gorgeous buildings many apartments are in, but they are sometimes a little rough looking outside while gorgeously redone inside. I am staying for 6 nights in a 2 bedroom in October for @ $600. August is probably more expensive (I just checked a random 5 nights in August and it was @ $800), but still that’s a pretty big difference, if budget is primary.

Just food for thought.

Raspberry lemonade sounds intriguing (going to google it now) and i really like the idea of an aparthotel as a happy medium.
Thank you all!

As a budget traveler, I always opt out of the hotel breakfast if I can, because those things are overpriced most of the time. If I were traveling with multiple growing teenagers, I might reconsider.

I was very glad I wasn't paying for a hotel breakfast the last time I was in Budapest, because right outside the door of my hotel was the Strudel Garden Cafe and Bakery, whose specialty is what you would expect. Many different types of strudel are available every day, chosen from close to 100 varieties. The cost is under $3 US. I can't vouch for the other offerings; I just stopped in for strudel.

https://strudelgarden.hu/ - Page 1 of menu is in Hungarian; there's English on the subsequent pages.

jennifer_kratovil, you left out the word "palinka" in the Lemonade. Thats what makes it special and very Hungarian. https://maps.app.goo.gl/PNTnLJmuSvLyyQF3A

TexasTravelMom was talking AirBnb kind of a aprtment, not an apartment hotel. The Collect Residence is essentially an apartment hotel.

Acraven, I am sort of like you about the breakfast but each to their own and the hotel breakfast can be really time efficient. I know the place for strudle. A piece (whch could be larger) and an Americano runs about $7. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ynwjCpwTF6vT3ZhS8

My current favorite cheap lunch hangout: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qeFWexj8tmH5qFUPA

I have a strong memory of eating my way through Budapest fueled by (sour cherry) strudel.

I shall be looking for more/expand my palate!

Not interested in the Airbnb /vrbo but I appreciate the perspective too.

Any ice cream flavor suggestions to look for?

Im not sure of a favorite https://maps.app.goo.gl/sWgA6X2aVtaVtJD37