Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 300

THE CASTLE DISTRICT
Very Expensive
Hilton Budapest One of only two hotels in Buda's charming Castle District (the
other is Hotel Kulturinnov), the Hilton, built in 1977, was widely considered to be
the city's classiest hotel at the time. Its location, on Hess András tér, next door to
Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion, is no less than spectacular, but these
days the Hilton lags behind many of its competitors in terms of service and facilities.
The hotel's award-winning design incorporates both the ruins of a 13th-century
Dominican church (the church tower rises above the hotel) and the baroque facade of
a 17th-century Jesuit college, which makes up the hotel's main entrance. The ruins
were carefully restored during the hotel's construction, and the results are uniformly
magnificent. The building is clearly modern, and its exterior tends to stand out from
the old surrounding Castle District architecture. The hotel has been undergoing ren-
ovations since 2000, and nearly everything but the restaurant has been refurbished.
More expensive rooms have views over the Danube, with a full vista of the Pest sky-
line; rooms on the other side of the hotel overlook the delightful streets of the Castle
District. Rooms are handsomely furnished and are equipped with such amenities as
two-line telephones, WebTV, and bathrobes. The luxurious Dominican Restaurant
has an international menu; dinner is accompanied by piano music. The more tradi-
tional Corvina Restaurant has a Hungarian menu and nightly Gypsy music. Drinks
are served in the tiny Faust Wine Cellar in the abbey and the Lobby Bar, which has
outdoor tables behind the hotel by the Fisherman's Bastion. The lovely Dominican
Courtyard is the site of summer concerts. There are 122 smoke-free rooms.
I. Hess András tér 1-3, 1014 Budapest. & 1/488-6600. Fax [phone]. www.hilton.com. 322 units. 140 € -260 €
($168-$312) double; 450 € -2,000 € ($540-$2,400) suite. VAT not included. Children stay free in parent's room.

Breakfast 25 ($31) per day in garage. Bus: Várbusz from Moszkva tér

or no. 16 from Deák tér. Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; exercise room; sauna; concierge; tour desk; free airport
minibus; shops; business center; meeting facilities; salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service; rooms for
those w/limited mobility. In room:A/C, TV w/pay movies, WebTV, dataport, minibar, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron/iron-
ing board (on request), safe.
OUTER PEST
Very Expensive
Danubius Thermal & Conference Hotel Helia The Thermal Hotel Helia
is one of several so-called “thermal” hotels in Budapest now managed and owned by
Danubius Hotels. The hotel originally opened in 1990 as a Hungarian-Finnish joint
venture. Despite the change in ownership, it continues to provide all the spa- and sauna-
related amenities of the two cultures. While the majority of guests do not come for the
official spa treatment, there are a number of spa-related facilities that all guests can use
free of charge: thermal baths, a swimming pool, a sauna, a Jacuzzi, steam baths, more
than a dozen types of massages, and a fitness room. The bright, sunny guest rooms sport
tall windows. Some rooms have balconies, and four suites have private saunas. Four of
the six floors have been refurbished and offer high-speed Internet access, while the oth-
ers only offer dial-up. The Jupiter Restaurant offers international cuisine with live music
at dinner and serves both buffet and a la carte lunches and dinners.
XIII. Kárpát u. 62-64, 1133 Budapest. & 1/889-5800. Fax [phone]. www.danubiushotels.com/helia. 262 units
(5 with wheelchair access). 135

€ ($30) extra. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking for 26 €

Kids

€ -145 € ($162-$174) single; 154 € -164 € ($185-$197) double; 266 € -388 €

($319-$465) suite. VAT included. Danube view 10 ($12) extra. Rates include breakfast and use of spa facilities.

AE, MC, V. Trolleybus: 79 from Keleti Station. Amenities: 2 restaurants; indoor pool; thermal baths; health club; spa;
business center; conference facilities; various shops; salon/barber; room service (6am-10pm); massage; babysitting;

€