Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 302

Restaurateurs, and the Sunday wellness brunch is popular with locals. There's live piano
or Gypsy music nightly. The Iris Night Club has live music and shows nightly, and the
Calix Bar on the ground level is a more relaxed place for drinks and light snacks.
III. Árpád fejedelem útja 94, 1036 Budapest. & 1/436-4100. Fax [phone]. www.corinthia.hu. 310 units. 220 €
($264) single; 230 ($30) executive room supplement. Rates include break-

fast, spa facilities usage, and VAT. Children 12 and under stay free in parent's room. DC, MC, V. Parking available for
12

€ ($276) double; 410 € ($492) suite. 25 €

($14) in garage. Train: HÉV suburban railway from Batthyány tér to Árpád híd. Small pets allowed. Amenities:
Restaurant; 2 bars; indoor heated pool; health club; spa; Jacuzzi; sauna; bike rental; concierge; car-rental desk; cur-
rency exchange; meeting facilities; shops; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service; dry
cleaning (weekdays only); executive rooms. In room: A/C, TV, dataport, minibar, hair dryer, robe, safe (executive
rooms), trouser press (executive rooms).
Moderate
Hotel Római A former resort for minor Communist Party officials, this
hotel is a bit off the beaten track, but its location in the Római Fürd ó section of
Óbuda, on the banks of the Danube, is refreshingly peaceful. The lobby is spacious
and comfortable, equipped with pool tables and a bar. The rooms were recently ren-
ovated and refurbished, though they are pretty generic in design. Each room has a bal-
cony. There's an outdoor swimming pool and a large garden. It takes a while to get
here from the center of Budapest (especially if you do not have a car), but you will feel
as if you are staying in the countryside.
III. Szent János u. 16, 1039 Budapest. & /fax [phone] units; 12 apts. 56 € ($67) double; 82 € ($98) apt (sleeps
4). Breakfast included. V. Ample free parking. Train: Suburban HÉV line from Batthyány tér to Római Fürdó; then bus
no. 34 to Szent János utca. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; outdoor pool; car-rental desk. In room:TV, fridge.

€

Finds

MARGARET ISLAND
Expensive
Danubius Grand Hotel Margitsziget This is one of only two hotels on
Margaret Island, Budapest's most popular park. Though two bridges connect the
island with the rest of the city, vehicular traffic (except one city bus) is forbidden
except for access to the hotels. Located on the northern tip of lovely Margaret Island,
in the middle of the Danube, this hotel was originally built in 1873. Destroyed in
World War II, it was restored and reopened in 1987, and has a Bauhaus style and a
lovely country hunting-lodge feel to it, with lots of dark wood, green leather chairs,
and marble floors and columns. An underground tunnel connects the hotel to the
adjacent Thermal Hotel Margitsziget. While the majority of guests don't come for the
official spa treatment, a number of spa-related facilities at the Thermal Hotel can be
used free of charge, including the swimming pool, the sauna, and the thermal bath.
The rooms are standard for a four-star hotel, and each is slightly different, some with
balconies. Many of the rooms have retained the original light fittings and other fea-
tures, but a few of them only have showers. The fitness room, sauna, and pools were
recently modernized to meet the highest standards. The formal Széchenyi Restaurant
serves international/Hungarian cuisine, including special diet dishes and kosher meals
on request, along with live Gypsy music. There is also terrace dining. There are sev-
eral bars, including the lively Dreher Bierstube. The hotel is smoke-free.
XIII. Margitsziget, 1138 Budapest. & 800/448-4321 in North America, or 1/889-4700. Fax [phone]. www.danubius
hotels.com. 164 units. 135 € -148 € ($162-$177) single; 154 € -168 € ($184-$201) double; 178 € -228 €

($213-$273) suite. Rates include breakfast, VAT, and spa facilities. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking 13 ($16) per day. Ameni-

ties: Restaurant; 3 bars; access to Thermal Hotel's swimming pool, thermal bath, spa, and sauna; shops; Jacuzzi; car
rental; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry-cleaning service; travel agency; wireless Inter-
net in public areas; rooms for those w/limited mobility. In room:A/C, TV, dataport, minibar, coffeemaker, safe, phone.

€