Hotels in Budapest

Last June we stayed several nights in the Kalvin House, near the Great Market Hall on the south side of Pest, and liked it. Nice but not ornate rooms, helpful staff, good location and rates, good breakfast included. See http://www.kalvinhouse.hu/?lang=eng. There are many good hotels further north that are closer to more major sites, as James from Heliotes Texas will undoubtedly describe as soon as he sees your post. He's very knowledgeable and helpful. Location may be more important to you because your time is so limited. We loved Budapest and the Hungarians.

Choose the Palazzo Zichy. Amazing place and decent rates. You will love this place and won't want to leave breakfast!!!
www.hotel-palazzo-zichy.hu/ Greg

October, what a wonderful time of year to visit Budapest! A shame its only two nights. You will undoubtly arrive late morning or early afternoon, spend the next day and night then leave in the following morning? With that sort of schedule I guess I would recommend that you either stay someplace between lower Andrassy ut (street) and the Danube River. So, find the Opera House on a map. It's on Andrassy ut. Andrassy ut was the road that the French copied when they built the Champs-Élysées (or maybe it was the other way around; I forget). The road has some nice restaurants and a little further out there is Liszt Ferenc tér (square), a very nice pedestrian area with clubs and restaurants. At one end of Andrassy ut is the largest bathhouse in town and along the way to that destination some nice old mansions and period architecture and an excellent museum depicting some of the horrors of WWII, Facisim and Communism. The other end of Andrassy ut will take you towards the river and St. Stephens which also has a very nice pedestrian zone in front of it. Under Andrassy ut is the oldest subway line on the European continent. The subway will take you to the bath house in one direction and Vaci utca very near the river in the other direction. On Andrassy ut is the K&K Opera. This is the hotel I usually recommend when reasonable cost and good service are the criteria. You should be able to get a room for about 90 euro a night. I've stayed there myself on a number of occasions. On Paulay Ede utca almost directly across from the Opera is what was once the Hotel Pest and my second choice. It has new owners, has been fully renovated and now operates under the name Casati Budapest Hotel. I haven't stayed there since the change in ownership but the photos look like they did a lot of improvements. Again about 90 euro a night.

At the other extreme is the Intercontinental Hotel. This is a big chain style hotel right on the Danube for about 110 euro a night, but nice and has rooms with a view of the river which is stunning in the evening. It would also put you down on the Danube embankment which is wonderful to walk and eat (Budapest is a lot about eating) and look up to the Castle in Buda; and it is very near Vaci utca the other great tourist drag. Vaci utca is another street that you might consider finding a hotel on or near. But stay close to Vorosmarty ter as possible. The other end of Vaci utca is near the Great Market Hall but it is also the end most removed from everything else. I am thinking out loud here. The river is going to be more tourist in style and Andrassy ut will be a little more real Budapest but given you don't have enough time I guess my suggestion for two nights would be the Intercontinental. For there nights or more the K&K. You can go to Google Maps and enter Hotels in Budapest and see all the hotels in the areas I have described. Maybe you will discover something that is interesting to you. There is no shortage of good hotels in Budapest. If you do find something that interests you and its in a different area you can write me and I will tell you what I know about the hotel or the neighborhood. Budapest is a great city to wander and discover, but you dont have enough time. You might want to consider a private guide for a half day or an entire day. R Steves has I believe a name of a guide in his book and I am certain with RS' endorsement it must be a good guide. I have known and used a gentleman named Andrew ILLES for about a decade now, so you might imagine I think he's pretty good. http://www.guideinbudapest.com/

Suggested itinerary ideas and information can be found on the following website. I you down load the pdf file "The Guide" there is some useful information about places and things to see, distances, places to eat, etc. It is somewhat centered based on the location approximate to the K&K Hotel so if you stay there the information will be particularly relevant. The website also has some links for various venues like the Opera, etc. Budapest is about the music so please take the time if you can. http://budapestflat.shutterfly.com/fivedaysinbudapest . The site also has photos of Budapest and Central Europe if you are interested feel free to look around.