Best Western Grand Hotel Hungaria - Budapest, Hungary 

We needed a place to stay after arriving at Keleti Railroad Station in Budapest (Keleti is the station from which most of the international trains arrive and depart). We wanted to be able to walk--thus avoiding the extra fees charged when hailing a taxi on the street in Budapest (taxis arranged by phone are cheaper). We were only going to be in the city for two nights at the end of a long trip...and needed a place to sleep and use as a base to revisit some favorite spots before flying home. We also wanted air-conditioning--we'd been living in fairly primitive conditions on a volunteer vacation, and the weather had been brutally hot. The Hotel Hungaria, while huge and impersonal, met our requirements. It's one of those hotels heavily used by group tours, but our room, which was on the side of the hotel that did not face the street, was clean (not spotless, but ok), fairly comfortable, and quiet. We were able to walk from the train station with no problems. The neighborhood is ok--it wouldn't be my first choice if I were coming to Budapest for a more traditional vacation, but we felt comfortable on the streets. There are several hostels and a couple of casinos on the main drag into the city, but it's also a residential neighborhood. Just around the corner from the hotel was a lovely, tree-lined street that housed several small restaurants. We chose to walk from the hotel into the city center; we love to walk as much as possible when traveling. Unless you do too, a better option would be to take the subway from the railroad station or one of the several busses that ply Rakoczi Utca, a large boulevard in front of the hotel. It took us about 30 minutes to hoof it to the Danube--just at the end of Vaci Utca, the pedestrian shopping street that is a huge tourist draw. If you're going to be in the city several days, and are going to use public transportation, check into getting a multi-day transportation pass (not the heavily advertised Budapest Card that also provides reduced fees at museums--unless, of course, you'll be visiting several museums). Having a pass makes navigating the transporation system convenient and simple. Breakfast was huge--a very good way to start the day. It was also crowded the morning we arrived at 9:00. On our second day we had to eat early in order to check out and get a taxi to the airport, and it was quite easy to get a table and maneuver around the buffet. Overall, given our needs, this was a good choice. If I were to return to Budapest for a longer vacation, I'd prefer, though, to stay at a hotel in the city center or in the castle district (the castle district is one of my favorite areas in the entire city).

This is a good, inexpensive tourist hotel with a terrific breakfast. The rooms are spacious, with very high ceilings and (in some) small balconies. The furniture, and especially the carpet, is indeed very 70-80's, but this is amusing rather than annoying. The breakfast was great, with a huge selection of foods, but if you get up late and the main dining room is full, you might have to eat in a smaller one, where the variety is not as rich. The room was clean when we arrived, but wasn't thoroughly cleaned even once during our stay, and the sheets, etc. were not changed. However, we only stayed for three nights, so this was reasonable. The staff forgot to bring us new towels one day, and I had to remind them, but this is a minor problem; they were friendly and helpful. The hotel is located right next to the Keleti railway station, which is convenient for those who want to use the (very reliable) metro, but we only took it once during our four-day stay. Really, walking around in Budapest is no problem; you can get to most sights, even in Buda, in less than 30 minutes, and if you have time, why not grab a map (you can get it at the airport) and take in the atmosphere of the city? By the way, there is a stunning church with an St. Erzsebet monument right next to the hotel, on Peterfy street; it's probably overlooked because it doesn't have a rich history, but we loved it. All in all, the hotel isn't perfect, but our stay here was pleasant, and I wouldn't mind staying here again for the same reasonable price.