Accommodation - The Rough Guide to Budapest - page 216

Budapest's accommodation is improving all the time, both in terms of availability and
quality, though the downside is that prices are in many cases on a par with most
Western Europe capitals. The city is flush with high-end hotels, typically around the
Belváros and up in the Vár (Castle District), which includes the burgeoning trend for
flashy boutique hotels where style is big but the rooms are often small. That said,
there's still a decent spread of affordable three-star hotels out beyond the main down-
town areas. Pensions are an even cheaper alternative, often with much the same facil-
ities as small hotels, while the city is bursting with hostels. If you're on a tight budget,
your safest bet is a private room, though these are getting harder to find - the trend
nowadaysisforself-containedstudioflatsorapartmentsrentedthroughinternet-based
companies.
All hotels are star-rated , though this is not always an accurate guide to the standard or am-
bience of a place. Some of the newer, smaller hotels have facilities that belie their star rating,
whilesomeofthemoreluxuriousestablishments canbedisappointinglyblandwithanimper-
sonal feel. Budapest is awash with well-run and well-equipped youth hostels, many of which
now offer smart en-suite private rooms to go alongside the traditional large dorm. You'll see
them all over the place, though you're best off avoiding any that advertise themselves just as
“hostel” and stick to those listed in this guide. Some represent the cheapest form of accom-
modation in the city, while others are more expensive than private rooms. While it's unlikely
that you'll come to Budapest to camp , there are a few year-round possibilities over on the
Buda side.
ESSENTIALS
Reservations It's advisable to book a room during high season (roughly May-Oct). Other-
wise, rooms are most in demand at Christmas, New Year, and during the Spring and Autumn
Festivals in March/October respectively, when many hotels ramp up the rates; unless you're
here for the Grand Prix in early August, you may wish to avoid the city then, as most hotels
double their prices. Also during August, many hostels get booked up months in advance for
the Sziget Festival - here, too, most up their rates. Even so, it should always be possible to
find somewhere that's reasonably priced, if not well situated.
Booking a room Aside from booking a room directly (either by phone or online), there are
several online accommodation sites. hotelinfo.hu lists the city's hotels and pensions and
has information about Hungary Card discounts, but doesn't allow you to make bookings.
To book online, try the following: budapesthotelreservation.hu , destinationbudapest.hu
or hotels.hu . Agencies in Budapest that can arrange accommodation include: Ibusz V,
Aranykéz utca 4-6, 1 501 4910, ibusz.hu (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), and Vista Visitor Center
VI, Paulay Ede utca 7-9 1 429 9735, vistahungary.com (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).