I stayed at this great hotel for a couple of nights over the New Year. I didn't stay as part of a party, just because I was in Budapest over the holiday and had chosen it as a result of the good reviews and the reasonable prices.
I was not disappointed.
The gentleman at the front desk when I arrived was there often during my stay, perhaps as a result of the holiday. In any event, he was superb - excellent English, relaxed and jovial, and very helpful and accomodating. He fully answered all my questions, and actually made a couple of telephone calls to verify the information he gave me was accurate.
Arrival was a bit rocky - the bus numbers have changed from 90 and 90A to 20 and 20A, but fortunately I blundered onto the correct bus. (Hint - if you are taking public transit, buy a transit pass. From the subway station, exit and cross the public area and walk up the stairs to your left, where the buses depart from. Turn left at the top of the stairs and look for buses with 20 or 20A going to Normafa on their destination signs). It was cold and raining when I got on the bus, and the rain turned to snow as the bus made its way up the hill to the hotel. This is an interesting and pretty ride which realistically takes about a half hour both going up and coming down from the hotel. When I arrived at the hotel, I was cold and tired, but checking in was easy and I found a coffee and tea maker in my room, which I immediately put to use - that really hit the spot, watching the snow fall quietly outside the window as I warmed up!
The room was a bit faded, as others have noted, but I really didn't care as the bathroom was very clean and the bed was firm and the room was very clean. After I warmed up, I took a walk and found a small supermarket about a five minute walk down the hill from the hotel, where I bought some snacks and beverages to enjoy in my room. At supper time a couple of hours later, I walked across the street to a little restaurant which was excellent. Unfortunately, it closed early the next evening (New Year's Eve), so after enjoying a drink there before it closed, I tried the hotel restaurant. I was happy that I decided to eat here rather than going to one of the restaurants downtown - the food was delicious and reasonable.
The breakfasts at the hotel restaurant were buffet style with plenty of selection. To be honest, I was a little less than impressed with the coffee machine, which was the same type found in very many European breakfast rooms - they dispense all different kinds of coffees to the guests, depending upon nationality and preference. Probably, these are a godsend to most travelers, but I don't particularly care for them. The breakfast dishes were just great, however.
All in all, I really enjoyed my stay here, and I would recommend it to anyone. I hope to return soon and visit Budapest with my wife, and we will probably try to stay here when we do visit...
- Normafa Hotel Budapest
