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Places to stay in Budapest

My husband and I will be in Vienna beginning of September and want to go to Budapest for a couple of days. I'm looking for advice on where to stay. I wanted to book the Gellert Hotel but it's closed until next year. I still want to go to the Gellert baths. I'd appreciate any advice on hotels that are attractive and charming, in a good location, but not extremely expensive. Thank you all!

Posted by
17651 posts

"Attractive and Charming"
You realize the Gellert Hotel was neither thanks to 50 years of Soviet rule followed by a less than stellar economy .... but was old and historic.

I am guessing that a couple of days means 3 nights; and a primary focus of this is the Gellert Baths?

Then, picking along the 47/49 and 2 Tram lines for ease of getting to the Gellert Bath House

Not charming but modern, clean and well run and with spectacular views:
https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/gb/en/budapest/budhb/hoteldetail?cm_mmc=GoogleMaps-_-IC-_-HU-_-BUDHB

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/budhu-budapest-marriott-hotel/overview/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2&y_source=1_MzcwNzI2NC03MTUtbG9jYXRpb24ud2Vic2l0ZQ%3D%3D

A bit more attractive and charming than the Gellert
https://www.danubiushotels.com/en/our-hotels-budapest/danubius-hotel-astoria (I think RS used this hotel in the past)

Modern Boutique Hotel
https://www.hotelvision.hu/

https://hotelmemories.hu/

With two days don't even think of staying in Buda; the travel time will eat you alive especially with the Chain Bridge Closed.

At least staying along the 47/49 and 2 Tram lines you can use the day and a half that is left after the bath house with some efficiency and enjoyment (trams are fun).

Posted by
1647 posts

James E will be to the rescue here soon. He knows Budapest inside and out.

Edit: I was a minute late!!!

Posted by
5 posts

Thanks! Hotel Memories looks nice. It is on the Pest side?
I'm not sure Danubius is still open. I'll check.

Posted by
17651 posts

Danubius, is a chain, like Hilton. The Danubius Gillett closed, the Danubius Astoria open.

Hotel memories is a good choice and just a few minutes from the tram line

Enjoy your stay.

Posted by
490 posts

Loved this hotel

https://www.gerloczy.com/

We've booked this for late Aug/Sep - I had a short list of a number of places and asked my partner to chose - he chose this one - I asked why and he said because it looked like a Budapest hotel should LOL (he's never been) - I picked it because the restaraunt downstairs looks amazing - and the location is central to a lot inc some key transit routes

Posted by
82 posts

https://www.gerloczy.com/ - We've booked this for late Aug/Sep - I had a short list of a number of places and asked my partner to chose - he chose this one - I asked why and he said because it looked like a Budapest hotel should LOL (he's never been) - I picked it because the restaraunt downstairs looks amazing - and the location is central to a lot inc some key transit routes

I hope it is still as nice as I remember it from 14 years ago. I stayed there on my first trip to Europe ever before I started my first job, so we had crammed 3 people comfortably into a single bed room with an additional cot. The breakfasts were great. There is a cool spiral staircase. It was where I had run out of soap and shampoo, so I stocked up on some of their little toiletries and had the "gerloczy" scent for the rest of my trip. The bath tub was beautiful and centered in the middle of the bathroom. Most amazingly however, I had prepaid for the room months in advance and when we were checking out they handed me a fistful of cash and explained that the dollar had improved against the forint since I had paid, so they were refunding me the difference. For a while I would get e-mailed christmas cards from them, but that stopped at some point.

It is the only hotel I remember from that month long trip (for good reasons anyway, in Zagreb I was told I didn't have a reservation and after some arguing ended up sleeping in the hotel owner's son's room so I remember that as well), so if nothing else, it is memorable!

Posted by
1189 posts

Hello from Wisconsin,

The Gellert baths are a good choice. Don't ignore the Szechenyi Baths in City Park which are more Hungarian used.

Take a good look at the Danubius Astoria City Center Hotel. Rates might be $72/night. Less if you book more than one night. It is a very central location. While the rooms are modern and could be anywhere in the world, the restaurant is classic.

wayne iNWI

Posted by
362 posts

Another vote for Gerloczy. We stayed there. It was a number of years ago but has lovely restaurant downstairs with outdoor terrace in good weather. When we stayed there one evening a RS tour group dinner was all set up there! Quiet location but close to everything to walk. Good service. Pretty room. We loved it.

Posted by
5 posts

Hi All!
I just got back from Vienna/Budapest after a long stay in Croatia.
I wanted to add a few comments to this
I couldn't get a reservation at the Gerloczy and on the advise of James E I booked the Intercontinental. It was perfect. A great location and good service with a big room and a great view. Not a lot of character, but we were only there for 2 days.
We saw many of the big sights and even enjoyed the Gellert baths for a couple of hours before catching the train back to Vienna for a flight home to CA.
I want to recommend an excellent Lebanese restaurant that a friend in Budapest turned us on to called Byblos.
Safe travels!
Beth

Posted by
17651 posts

Bgoode the only bad experience I have ever had in Budapest involved the Gerloczy, which is why I get quiet when its mentioned. Glad you enjoyed the trip.