Some favorite Budapest hotels of RS visitors and a few others along or near Andrassy ut.

Budapest, eh? Hmmm. I would think it would be cheaper. Typically for us we try for a hotel under 100 euros in all of Europe. Your numbers are interesting in that it would seem per the thread title, that RS people exceed my desired price point.
We have paid more than 100 many times per night, but try to average it down over 3-4 weeks, our usual timeframe.

Unlike where you go Inflation finally caught up. Getting difficult to find a 4 star luxury hotel in the heart of the historic area with breakfast and free cancelation for under $100 during peak tourism dates.

Booked this on 9/29:

K+K Opera - 5 nights - Dec. 4 - 9

HUF 271,720
EUR 666.18
USD (approx) $730.87 @ 1.10 $146 per night

Note that this is a Book early and save 20% offer with breakfast - and Prepaid
Spacious Urban room

Normally I would have gone a bit farther afield for something a bit cheaper, but decided to use location as the primary criterion, per Mr. E's recommendation & travel forum opinions. Less walking was appealing considering the colder weather.

You did good. My list at best maybe gives a rough idea for comparison. Too many variables to be accurate beyond that.

O love the location.

Good to hear that the K+K is in a good location. The tour (not RS) I am on is staying there 3 nights starting 16 October.

Bob, anyplace along Andrassy ut is very good. One, its more beautiful than Paris' Champs de Elysee. Second, the area has a large number of nice restaurants and wine bars. Third, its in the heart of the theater district, and seeing a show is essential when you are in town (or at least the Opera tour). Fourth its on the M1 metro which connects the crossroads to every part of Pest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Line_M1_(Budapest_Metro)

And I just checked a couple of short term rentals in the same good locations and they would run $75-$85/night, like Mr. É said. Trade-offs: more space but no breakfast.

Thank you for taking the time to make this comparison.
I ran the numbers for my time frame and luckily I booked the Hotel Moments early (before it was taken over by the Continental group) so I was able to get a price comparable to to the UP’s current price for the Moments “Signature room”. It’s always nice when the price works to your advantage in travel planning.
In my heart though I believe I should be at the W!
But my budget says NO.

You’ve overlooked my two favorite hotels!

Casati Hotel has only full suites left for those dates at a hair under $200/night. Available dates for regular rooms around that time runs about $150/night.

Its new sister hotel, Cortile Hotel, has an outrageous rooftop infinity pool and sky bar. Its room rates for those dates are right at $200/night for a suite as regular rooms are sold out. Near those dates, the regular rooms run $180/night.

You’re right, inflation has raised hotel rates significantly. I was here a year and half ago enjoying rates at least 30% lower. Not just in Budapest but in all countries.

But if you move a bit out from the prime areas, nice 3 star hotels are still available under $100. Even then, it only adds 5 minutes on a tram to the sightseeing. Better yet, don't pay the crazy breakfast hotel prices and plan to go to a cukrászda for a croissant and coffee for $6.

The Casati is about 300 feet around the corner from my flat. There is too much construction down that street and around the hotel right now for my comfort. But a nice hotel. I visit the bar on ocassion. The Cortile I walk past from time to time, the lobby isn't impressive, but to be honest, I know little about it beyond the pool and adults only.

Quite interesting. My 3 days over the last weekend in NOV, in Paris 3rd, are booked at $300+/night. This weekend I'll be down around Frieberg and Colmar at $100/night and a large suite for $180/night (2 nights each). In DEC in Zurich the tariff is in excess of $325/night. All of these are 4 star properties. In Krakow a couple months ago I had great rooms, in season, for $105. Paris 2 weeks ago, in St Denis, was $185.

Time and location matter as much as luxury.

KGC you are correct. I stacked everything against the survey. I picked one of the busiest weeks of the year. Over a weekend when prices tend to be higher, selected 6 weeks in advance so no discounts, then stuck to arguably the best location in town for a tourist, then threw in breakfast (which is denying you the opportunity to start the day in the culture of the city). Oh, and only picked fully refundable reservations. I suspect 3 weeks earlier, during the week, without breakfast would put several more close to $100 as would a less convenient and visually beautiful location. Wasn't looking for the cheapest, just the best if budget want an issue.

For instance, a few weeks later, after the markets close, 4 nights during the week, no breakfast and the Oktogon hotel drops from $179 to about $100 for fully refundable.

Hi Mr E
I am considering the Oktogon hotel based on the good reviews and the look of the hotel in a period building. However its location seems farther from the other hotels like Moments and the rest.
How do you feel about its location? I prefer to walk everywhere but I have my mom w me this trip so a convenient location close to shops, restaurants and sights would be good. Would appreciate your thoughts on it.
Thank you in advance!
Best
Joanne

The hotel Moments was once a great deal, but popularity I think has caused them to become quite expensive. The advantage of the hotel was a walking advantage. By foot you were a bit closer to things. But that far end of Andrassy ut isn’t the prettiest. Oh, and right now they are renovating the building across the street and the façade is covered with scaffolding. Not noisy or anything, but a lot of the charm of the location is gone for a while. But it is a beautiful hotel inside and the classic appeal works well.

The trick is to be on Andrassy ut and the M1 metro. Having done that there is a lot to see and do in both directions on Andrassy ut and for the rest of the Pest you use the M1 or walk. The Moments is a bit closer to the Opera and there are some nice places now around the Opera. But the Oktogon is the entrance to mid and upper Andrassy ut which is the most visually beautiful and in many ways the most interesting part of the street. You will have an opportunity to escape the tourism a bit more with very, very little cost in convenience.

Also look at the Up Hotel Budapest. Sort of the antithesis of the Oktogon Hotel as the Up appears to be very modern, but in an old façade. But I love the location.

And which ever you choose, consider it without breakfast. Breakfast is a good excuse to begin your day in the culture of the city, not eat boiled eggs and salami in a hotel.

Thank you for your insights Mr E. I will stick to Oktogon if it’s a prettier part of the Andrassy. I’m traveling with my mom and would like be in a nicer bldg. The up hotel may be too modern and trendy for her.
I completely agree with you about breakfast in the hotel. I much prefer checking out nice cafes and experience more local offerings.
Do you hv any good restaurant, cafe recommendation near the Oktogon? I did take notes of resto recos you gave to others.
I will be going to Vienna for a few days and then back to Budapest for a night to catch my flight home. Maybe I will try the Up hotel.
Another hotel I am considering for my last one night is Gerloczy Boutique Hotel which sounds from reviews to be quite charming, in a good location and everyone is talking about how fab the restaurant is. Have you heard of this hotel or know of its location?
Sorry for the many questions…
Thank you for doing what you do!
Best
Joanne

I tried booking Oktogon and sadly they are full. Wish I had pulled the trigger yesterday. Just wanted to let you know Mr E, before you spend time with the resto reco near Oktogon.

Joanne, I am sorry about that.

You might look at the Eurostar Ambassador
https://www.octogon.hu/files/53/kulso8-800x.jpeg
https://www.eurostarsambassador.com/

The Hotel Moments
The Alice Hotel
Mamaison Residence Izabella Budapest

Another hotel I am considering for my last one night is Gerloczy
Boutique Hotel which sounds from reviews to be quite charming, in a
good location and everyone is talking about how fab the restaurant is.
Have you heard of this hotel or know of its location?

I know the place well. Actually too well. It is the only subject involving Budapest that I will say ABSOLUTELY NO to and then not comment further.

Mr E,
Ok no Gerloczy! I managed to book Oktogon after all. I emailed the hotel and voila they managed to get me a room even though their online reservation was full and so were booking.com and others.
Thank you so much the advice. Much appreciated. Can’t wait to get there next week!

Looks like a beautiful hotel. Enjoy your stay, and feel free to contact me if you need anything.

I have not been inside the Oktogon Hotel (and had no idea it was there) but my taxi driver 2 weeks ago said “Very nice hotel” as we drove past on the way to my apartment. I couldn’t tell if he was just pointing that out or if he was a bit worried about my choice of apartment locations. Lol.

Wait, you took a taxi?

I checked in to the Casati today, I’m in a large room facing the inner courtyard and it’s very quiet
There is a king size bed, desk, easy chair with ottoman,TV, giant shower
There is a mini fridge as well as coffee and tea fixings
The rate for a solo with taxes and breakfast is $155
I changed dates and needed one more day and they couldn’t accommodate me, so last night I stayed at Hotel Ambra just around the corner
The rate was $112. They put me in a suite & it also included taxes and breakfast
I had dinner last night at VakVarju Restaurant on Paula’s Ute 7 the goulash was delicious
Tonight’s meal was on October 6 street
If I wrote it down correctly it’s kisharang Etkezde
A tiny spot with one cook
The stuffed peppers in paprika sauce & potatoes were wonderful
Maybe I’ll bump into Mr E at a wine bar or the Tuk Tuk
I’m pleased to finally be in Budapest

Diana, welcome to Budapest. I actually live about 300 m from your hotel. If you get bored, let me know and I will come buy you a drink. PM in your in box

I have Hyatt points I could use at the Parisi Udvar. What do you think of it's location and ambiance? Hoping for nearby good little local cafes and bakery and a market to buy milk for coffee and room snacks.

The public spaces are some of the most magnificent turn of the century spaces to be found anywhere in the world. This place for ambiance is a 10.

For those that dont know of the place ............ https://parisiudvarhotel.hu/images/article-1/normal/parisi-passage-restaurant-20th-century-atmosphere.jpg

The location, ehhhhhh .... but if you concentrate on staying away from Vaci utca and get a TravelCard for public transportation, the quality of the hotel makes it worth it. Even with points, it can't be cheap. You will just need to know how to reach the interesting parts of the city and how to avoid the tourism. I can give you some suggestions if you stay there.

You got me curious so I went looking for other Hilton properties in town.

Kozmo Hotel Suites & Spa ,,,, very nice. For a tourist the location could not be worse, but I may end up there for a staycation some day. And it illustrates how the architecture in the city just goes on and on and on and on.

BoHo Hotel. Another less than desirable location for a tourist as its a 15 to 20 minute walk to anything you go to Budapest to see. No bus or tram or metro near either. But what a wonderufl little street. And this is the building. https://www.google.com/maps/@47.4901031,19.0666602,3a,75y,356.33h,113.92t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s5vT1DAQSCcAG67EJiVHfhA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-23.919118945257267%26panoid%3D5vT1DAQSCcAG67EJiVHfhA%26yaw%3D356.3269815319358!7i13312!8i6656!5m1!1e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExOS4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D Okay, the only picture on Google Street view is 20 years old. I suspect its been renvated.

The Hampton and the Garden Inn, both well located 3 star hotels. Nothing wrong here.

Botaniq is about 5 rooms in a castle an hour out of town. Looks beautiful though.

The Budapest Hilton. Not much about the hotel or the location excites me.

Hotel interiors that are sort of nice

Parisi Udvar
https://parisiudvarhotel.hu/images/article-1/normal/parisi-passage-restaurant-20th-century-atmosphere.jpg
Matild Palace
https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/matild-cafe-cabaret-1.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill/f_webp
Four Seasons
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5956050736e5d3e59a162d74/1573670170591-YM3JLD5D2A22UJVW0PM8/Budapest-297-20160213.jpg?format=2500w
Mystery Hotel Great Hall
https://www.mysteryhotelbudapest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/mystery-hotel-budapest-eskuvok-the-great-hall.webp
Corinthia
https://www.christinascucina.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_0038-scaled.jpg
Anantara NY Palace
https://www.ghadiscovery.com/var/site/storage/images/5/3/1/7/37135-1-eng-GB/Anantara_New_York_Palace_Budapest_Hotel_Lobby.jpg
Hotel Oktogon
https://i.szalas.hu/hotels/1448173/original/37935335.webp
Hotel President
https://kep.cdn.indexvas.hu/welove-media/eb/hotel-president-budapest_hartyanyi-norbert_20160629.exact1980w.jpg

I wouldn't want to stay at the Hilton Budapest, which is stuck up on Castle Hill. However, it's worth stopping in there to see the ruins of a 13th century convent. I don't know how many guide books mention the ruins; my Buda walking-tour guide told us about them.

https://budacastlebudapest.com/dominican-cloister-ruins-in-buda-castle/

acraven, that hotel is a shame in a lot of regards. Looks terrible sitting up there and it conceals the ruins as you mention. The ruins have been pretty heavily rebuilt in the last decade. Then getting to 95% of the tourism requires a trip to Pest. Not convenient. Viking uses it a lot which is one of the reasons I say if you want to extend a Viking cruise, do it yourself, dont let Viking do it.

They used to do concerts in the courtyard / ruins area (Dominikánus Udvar). Maybe the reconstruction has made that a thing of the past. I saw the Budapest Klezmer Band there maybe a dozen years ago.

We will be staying in Budapest for 4 days and we're curious if you have any experience with the Monastery Boutique hotel. Does anyone have a positive or negative experience there? I see that some of you do not recommend staying in Buda, but I love the appeal of being able to walk along the river at night and see the buildings lite up. We figured we would head into pest first thing in the morning on the days we do pest side activities and stay over there all day but enjoy the ambiance of castle district at night. It also seemed like a great ambiance of a hotel with a nice breakfast included for the price (breakfast isn't a deal breaker for us), but a perk for some mornings.
If you all still highly suggest no Buda side, which hotels would be in a lovely area to walk in the evenings?

Monastery Boutique hotel looks lovely. It will be a 30 minute trip to most of the common sights in town, but if you like the look of tge place, sure.

If you were to stay in Pest, near the M1 you could be walking the Pest side of the river in the evening in less than 10 min and you are right, its beautiful and from both sides of the river. And you could be strolling Andrassy in the evening or the Basicilla square in 5 minutes. Most of the best restraints will also be closer, but there are a few nice in Buda near the river as well. Look up Felix for instance and I know a good eine bar on the Buda side of the river. Both will require a tram ride, but one with good views.

Not a bad idea. Not conventional for most, but might work for you.

Mr. É, I missed you when I was in Budapest in November! I stayed at the K+K Opera and heartily endorse it.

For anyone considering K+K, it's within a 2-3 block walking distance (or less) to all of the following which I enjoyed:
-Opera House, less than 200 feet from hotel
-Budapest Cat Cafe (no kids under 10 allowed)
-St. Stephen's Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika)
-restaurant N28 (per Mr. E's recommendation) https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/hungary/mangalica-pork
-restaurant Belvárosi Lugas (the fish soup is excellent, may only be available seasonally)

...but enjoy the ambiance of castle district at night.

I was just there and found that there was so much construction in the area around the Castle that it detracted from the ambience of the area, which is much more built up than I had expected.

But not to deter you from staying in Buda - there is also the #16 bus which crosses the bridge on a frequent schedule in addition to the trams and Metro.

markcw, you are absolutely correct, the Caatle Districrt is a mess right now. But, o hope the OP realizes that the Monastery Boutique hotel is not in the Castle District. The castle District is on the top of the hill several hundred feet above the river. The hotel is at the base of the hill near the river bank. Walking to the Castle District really isn't practical from the hotel.

Personally, i would stay in Pest and in one of the places described above on a first visit and especially on a short visit.

Thank you all for the reply. I think we will switch to the Pest side and are probably going with the Oktagon hotel. I looked into Casati, but it is already booked for our dates.

You may have gotten luck with the Casati being booked. The place looks nice and the location is very good, but the building is surrounded with construction right now. I live very, very near and its a street I dislike walking down because of the closed off sidewalks and general mess.

The Oktogon Hotel is in a very good location too. You will be close to the Hunyadi Square Market which is interesting on Saturday Morning when the vendors are setup outside. The House of Terror Museum is a block away. The M1 metro that goes from very near the river to Heroes Square and City Park and the Bath House has a stop about a block in each direction from the hotel. The 4/6 Tram stops about a block away and that will take you to very near the Parliament, a great antique shopping street, Margrit Island and Buda in one direction and the NY Palace Cafe in the other direction. Also the way to Keleti or Nyugati if you are using the train.

Two women friends and I stayed at the Monastery Hotel November 2024. We had a room for three. Spent four nights there and enjoyed it. An easy walk from the train station to the hotel. Easy walk to the Chain Bridge and we also walked up to castle hill from the hotel. Yes it is a climb but doable and I am 71 years old. I also walked to the nearby baths and enjoyed staying on that side of the river. I cannot remember what we paid but it was reasonable and did include breakfast.

It’s a very large city, the size of Chicago, and the attractions are spread out over about 10 square miles, compared to Prague and Vienna where most of what people come to see is in an area of less than 2 square miles. The key is either being central or being in a location that is well connected by public transportation for the half that is too much to walk. The city is so interesting that you want above-ground public transportation and trams are best for that.

You can certainly walk to the places mentioned from the Monastery Hotel. But we are not all spry. Nyugati Train Station (connects Prague) 2.6km / 35 min walk, Keleti Train Station (connects Vienna) 4.3 km / 1 hour walk, Gellert Bath House 2.3 km / 32 min walk (google maps so probably each a bit longer). The good news is that with a tram or two, most of those travel times can be cut in half and the routes go through some beautiful and interesting parts of town so even the trip is part of the tourism.

Admittedly I am biased for the Andrassy corridor. Andrassy in and of itself is the most beautiful boulevard in Europe. Paris' Champs-Élysées doesn’t even surpass Andrassy ut. There is more to do in the evening on Andrassy ut as well. Restaurants, wine, great walks through great architecture, the theaters and cafes. I think if you plan out your days that staying along Andrassy ut is easier in the planning and overall will be shorter tours. But the view across the river from the riverbank not far from the Monastery Hotel is hard to beat. It’s a quiet location and if one were to stay there and let me know, I do know a few interesting places that are more easily accessible from the Buda side. Of course from the Oktogon it’s a 10-minute trip down Andrassy ut on the M1 to river bank view of the Castle on the hill in Buda. So its all a personal thing.

OH I FORGOT, the Monastery Hotel to Castle Hill. Google maps says 6 minutes. But I doubt I could do it in 15 minutes (going up). take a look: https://www.google.com/maps/@47.501324,19.0374606,3a,29.9y,262.1h,82.7t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sucQ3FZR3XIZUTxunHriuVw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D7.303279686735294%26panoid%3DucQ3FZR3XIZUTxunHriuVw%26yaw%3D262.0995384022913!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e2?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

We stayed five nights at Hotel Moments in December. The hotel was clean, our room (Signature room) was very comfortable with ample room but the most impressive quality was the staff (friendly, helpful, efficient). Our room came with breakfast (normally I pass an opt for local cafe). The breakfast was very good and had a variety of options.
We also appreciated the 24 coffee/tea station in the library area of the lobby with afternoon “snacks”.
We loved the location on the boulevard near many sights and transportation stops.

Just my opinion, but for 3,4,5 nights or more if you want to integrate into the culture a bit and still be close to all of the major sights, the best place to stay is along Andrassy ut. The key to Andrassy ut is first, its the most beautiful boulevard in Europe and second, the M1 metro runs directly under it. The M1 crosses the three tram lines you will most often want to use and the M1 conntects Heroes square and the bath house with the river (almost). It just works. So those hotels listed in the original post are all along Andrassy ut, or very close to it.

But for a shorter stay, like many do before boarding a river boat, it's hard to argue with staying on the river front (the Corso). Somewhat less conveneint to a few of the sights, but not terrible. But do understand, its 100% tourism on the river. But beautiful. very beautiful. The two major hotels there are the Marriott and the Intercontinental. Both very nice from what I hear.