New York Palace - Budapest, Hungary     

Had a fantastic week at the New York Palace. We arrived well before the 14:00 check in but were shown straight to our room. The room itself was very well presented with a huge bed, chandelier light, minibar, plenty of wardrobes and a well equiped bathroom - nice toiletries, robes, slippers etc. We were on the third floor with views out onto the fairly busy street below. The only slight drawback was the sound of the police sirens which are particulary loud over there! Breakfast is on the first floor overlooking the fantastic lobby, and with a chef on hand to cook your order as required. The service is a bit hit and miss though,and asking for a cup of tea seemed particulary problematic!! We didn't dine in the hotel restaurant as Budapest has so much to see that we were constantly on the go! I would agree that the taxis out front are much dearer than those elsewhere as they dont run on the same agreed tariff as others (e.g from airport to hotel was FUH 5000, rtn was HUF 7600). The hotel pool is only really a lap pool but really well done. If there are just two of you using it its fine, and there are plenty of cool chill out areas dotted about to lounge around in. In terms of nightlife the area around the hotel ain't brilliant but the hotel is bang next to Lujza Blaha ter metro (red line, which runs under the river direct to Buda area)) and so its really easy to get anywhere. The trams are also really easy to use and run every few mins. Buy a 2 or 3 day "tourist" ticket and you can enjoy unlimited travel on metro, trams, buses, trolleys etc for a bargain price.

My husband and I just spent the Easter bank holiday weekend in Budapest and booked the Boscolo. The architeture, inside and out, is truly stunning and a welcome retreat after a day of sightseeing. The interior design, which relys heavily on gold, may be a bit too versace for some tastes. The room was amply sized and bed was comfortable. The bathrooms are great (but not enough room to hang towels and bathrobes would be the only drawback, albeit a very minor one. ) The service was a bit spotty for a five star hotel. Housekeeping would come 1x a day, and then 2x the next and then 1x a day again. We only received newspapers one of the days we were there. That said, the bell captain and concierge were great and helpful in bookign cultural events, organising taxis etc. The cafe is stunning, if overpriced, and a nice additive to the hotel. The spa - this is the most overly designed part of the hotel. All black and green, with gravity showers everywhere. Many of these showers didnt work in the ladies bathroom. The steam was great (could have been hotter) and they had a sauna as well. The pool, while long enough to do laps, is very narrow so you can't do laps when another person is in the pool. The gym is also hidden in black and not exactly where you would be inspired to work out. I liked the location as the 15 minute walk to the river takes you through the back streets, Jewish ghetto etc. Depending on the room rate differential, I would recommend staying at the four seasons for an equally stunning architectural experience, location, and perfect service, bar, and restaurant. I am not always blown away by the 4 seasons, but in budapest, its well worth the extra splurge.