K&K Hotel Opera vs Intercontinental Hotel

We spent 6 nights at the K&K last April. Great in every way. So convenient for walking and public transportation. You'll love Budapest. Go to an Opera! Just follow Rick Steves' book.

We stayed 4 nights at the K and K. It does have a great location, and the staff is excellent. There are a few downsides:
1. It caters to tour groups. There were several large groups staying when we there in the late fall. That does have an impact on crowds in the breakfast room, noise in the hallways, etc.
2. The rooms are VERY hot even in the cold, rainy weather we had during our stay. We upgraded to an "executive" room which was not worth the extra money. We imagined it would equip us with extra amenities like an ironing board for our dress clothes, but that was not the case.
3. Room location is critical. We were on the third floor directly across the street from a music club. There were large crowds right below us smoking and talking until after 3:00 am every night we were there. Because of the hot room mentioned above we had to keep our window open, and even though we are not light sleepers it was tough to get good rest.

We had a friend staying in a non-executive room that faced the inner rock roof area. Her room was just as good as ours, and was quiet at night. It was however just as hot.
We might stay there again because of where it is situated, but would definitely request a different room type/location.

I was thinking of staying at the K & K as well. Is there no air-conditioning ? I am fine with staying in an inner area but a hot room really impacts my sleep.

Thanks for replies (or other suggestions for hotels). The area near the opera house eems like the most appealing area to me.

Todd, there is air conditioning. We were there in October which is late enough in the season that the hotel had shut off the AC. It was cold and rainy outside, but the rooms were VERY hot and stuffy. We were actually there with a group and every member of our group was uncomfortably warm in their room no matter where it was located. Opening a window solved that problem. Unfortunately the rooms in the front of the hotel are across the narrow street (think American alley) from a music club/bar which has very late hours. The smokers gather outside at night right under the windows of the rooms in the front of the hotel. We didn't mind the noise as much as the cigarette smoke.
Having said all that, it is still an excellent choice. The location is superb, the staff professional, the breakfast extensive (much like an American brunch), and the rooms are clean. For a first visit to Budapest I think you would be very happy there.

We stayed at The Intercontinental a few years ago. The location is wonderful, right along the Danube. We splurged for a riverside room and so glad we did- quiet and very scenic. The staff we very helpful. We mentioned in our reservation that it was a 20th anniversay trip and found a complimentary bottle of champagne in our room when we arrived!