CONTINENTAL HOTEL BUDAPEST Luxe

The pool and spa facilities was amazing. nice temperature and roof top which was a very nice touch. Hotel staff was very nice. The room was very clean and very nice shower. The beds were nice which was a surprise for hotel standards.

To be fair - on arrival I was upgraded to a suite...which does add a slightly rosy glow to the memory.......however whilst some of this review is about the room, most is about the building, staff, location and facilities Located in an area of bustling bars and restaurants with the most wonderful mix of architecture, the Continental has an imposing stone edifice that belies the modern and welcoming interior. A large reception leads to a lounge with a balconied bar on the mezzanine floor above you. To the left is the restaurant, with a large covered courtyard in which you can eat come rain or shine. I only had breakfast during my stay - a very good mix of western cooked breakfast and more european buffet style, and if booked with the room very good value. The staff are multilingual very friendly and efficient - from giving directions, maps to making translations, ordering cars - they are as customer focussed as some of the great Asian cities and that is high praise indeed. The room was excellent. Very comfortable bed, sitting area, writing area and bathroom with shower and bath. Whilst Budapest gets hot (30 degrees when i was there) and there is no evident air conditioning in the way one might expect in the US, the stone walls of the hotel along with the blinds on each window keep the room cool. If you are lucky enough to have business in the area, this hotel is a great choice. If you are visiting Budapest for fun, the location makes this is an even better choice

We had a lovely stay in this hotel; which is very conveniently located. turn right out of the door and 4-5 minutes away is Kazinsky street; where you can find Karavan (a courtyard of street food vendors with all the Budapest favourites) and Szimpla (probably the most famous ruin bar) also Bors Bar, a takeaway that does lovely soups. The Danube is only 10-15 minutes walk. The breakfasts are excellent, with something for everyone and the mural in the outside breakfast area is wonderful. The staff are helpful and friendly. We didn't have time to try the restaurant but it is well spoken of.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay here. Ideally located for sightseeing and loads of eating and drinking options nearby. For some reason we were placed in an accessible room and the shower setup there meant it was impossible to have a shower without flooding the entire bathroom! This was slightly annoying but not something that would prevent me from staying again (though I'd steer clear of their accessible rooms in future). Our room looked out over the central courtyard so whilst this meant there was no view, it also meant no traffic noise at night - bliss!

Hotel staff - Don't pay any attention to the multiple hotel staff that advise you to get taxi everywhere. Public transport (metro, tram and bus) is very easy to catch and quick. You can get around the whole city very easily. Hotel staff are helpful, but they need to listen to their guests a little more so that they can provide relevant advice, rather than general tourist chat. Check in - Speedy, but lacks a welcoming feel. We were given our key with no indication of where our room was or how to find our way around the hotel. Breakfast - we ate breakfast at the hotel once, as this was complimentary due to earlier issue. Not really bad, but also not great - there are far better and healthier breakfast options in and around the city - all walkable distance. Pool/Spa - Clean, relaxing with a nice hot tub. But there is limited space to sit.