Reader Andrew has shared his review of the Hilton Budapest
Budapest is my favourite city in Europe. I worked there for a while years before. I always used to stay at the Intercontinental, which is on the other side of the river. We were in the city to see Coldplay, so I booked the Hilton Hotel with a standard room for my wife and me.
In this post:
Location
The hotel is located in the ‘Castle’ district on the Buda side. For those who don’t know Budapest, the Pest side is the more ‘touristy’ side where the bulk of the hotels are (Marriott, Intercontinental, Four Seasons, Sofitel, Pullman, all on that side).
It is an easy transfer from the airport to the hotel. (we booked via the hotel as the taxi rank can be busy).
Booking
I had booked standard (Queen) rooms for my wife and me and our friends. I have Diamond Hilton Honors status. The rooms were booked in advance on a semi-flex basis for 180 euros per room per night.
The room
The rooms had been upgraded in advance to a King Danube Suite and King Danube Executive, which meant that our friends gained lounge access and breakfast for the three nights.
We didn’t get into our room until 3.20 p.m., but we were on the 5th floor in a corner suite.
With the exception of the Waldorf Astoria in Las Vegas, this was probably the best status upgrade we have had at a Hilton.
The room was really nicely furnished, with loads of sockets, a Nespresso machine, three sofas, a dining table, and electric blinds. The view was fantastic.
Food and drink
We didn’t eat in the restaurant for dinner (Lang), so I can’t comment on that (there are so many lovely places nearby). However, breakfast was excellent. It was American buffet style, but there were so many options. On Friday and Saturday nights, we made reservations at the ‘White Raven Sky Bar,’ which had excellent views and was relatively good value (£11 ish for cocktails).
Executive Lounge
The lounge was on the 3rd floor, and again, the view dominated it. It was open for soft drinks, tea/coffee, and snacks all day. Alcohol was served from 4-8 (wine/beer and spirits, although only the beer was self-serve), along with a decent food selection from 4-6 (typically chicken wings, Caesar Salad, etc.). Dreher beer is particularly pleasant.
Conclusion
We really enjoyed our stay. Our only slight quibble was the difference in service. Staff were either stellar or downright rude. It was hit-and-miss throughout, but it didn’t spoil our overall experience. We would stay again in a heartbeat.
You can find more information and check prices on the official Hilton website here.
