Hungary
Hotels in Budapest
Two cities either side of a river, excellent value, and thermal baths that are a genuine reason to check what your hotel has.
Budapest is two former towns joined across the Danube, and they are not interchangeable. One bank is hilly, green and quiet with the castle on top of it; the other is flat, dense and where nearly all the restaurants, bars and shops are. Most visitors want the flat side and are surprised by how much difference it makes.
Value is the city's defining feature. Rates are among the lowest of any major European capital for the standard of room, and the historic building stock has produced a lot of large, high-ceilinged conversions that would cost several times as much further west.
The other local peculiarity is the thermal water. Several hotels have their own spa fed from the city's springs, which is a real amenity rather than a marketing line, and worth filtering for if it appeals. Prices peak in summer and around the Christmas markets, and fall a long way in between.
Where to stay in Budapest
The area you book in changes the price and the trip more than the star rating does.
The flat bank and the inner districts
Where most of the city's life is — restaurants, bars, shops and the majority of the hotels. Walkable, well connected and the sensible default for a first visit.
The castle side
Hilly, residential and much quieter, with the castle district and the best views back across the river. Fewer places to eat at night and a bridge to cross to reach them.
Around the parliament and the northern boulevards
Grander nineteenth-century streets with larger, more formal hotels and easy tram links. Calmer at night than the bar districts, and often better value for the size of room.
Stay near
Most people pick a hotel by what they want to be next to. Each of these searches Budapest for stays around that spot.
Properties in Budapest
A sample of what is bookable. Open one for photos, rooms and live rates for your dates.
Prestige Hotel Budapest
Vigyázó Ferenc utca 5
Exceptional
3,830 reviews
Hotel Clark Budapest - Adults Only
Clark Ádám tér 1.
Exceptional
4,022 reviews
Hotel Moments Budapest by Continental Group
Andrássy út 8.
Exceptional
5,654 reviews
Radisson Blu Béke Hotel, Budapest
Terez Krt 43
Excellent
12,947 reviews
Danubius Hotel Helia
Karpat u. 62-64
Exceptional
16,249 reviews
InterContinental Budapest by IHG
Apaczai Csere Janos 12-14
Exceptional
6,666 reviews
Hotel Oktogon Haggenmacher by Continental Group
52 Andrássy út
Exceptional
9,563 reviews
Continental Hotel Budapest
Dohany Utca 42-44
Excellent
9,704 reviews
Up Hotel Budapest
Csengery utca 31.
Exceptional
8,864 reviews
Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest
Erzsébet Tér 7-8
Exceptional
6,328 reviews
Hilton Budapest
Hess A Ter 1-3
Exceptional
4,015 reviews
Eurostars Danube Budapest
Asboth 9
Excellent
5,812 reviews
Browse all 12 hotels in Budapest — every property we can book, listed A–Z.
Budapest: common questions
Which side of the Danube should I stay on in Budapest?
The flat, dense eastern bank for a first visit — it has almost all of the restaurants, bars and shops, and everything is walkable. The hilly castle side is quieter and prettier but means crossing a bridge whenever you want dinner.
Are the thermal baths in Budapest hotels real?
In several properties, yes — the city sits on genuine thermal springs and some hotels are supplied directly from them. It is one of the few spa claims worth filtering for, though most visitors also use the large public baths.
Is Budapest cheap for hotels?
Among the best value of any major European capital, both for the room and for what you spend once you are there. The summer and the Christmas market weeks are the exceptions, and even then it undercuts most of western Europe.