Nothing but Superlatives!

I just returned from a stay at the Budapest Marriott, Nov. 11-15, and was truly impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, the sparkling cleaniness of the bathrooms, the spacious and pleasing decor of the room, and oh! THAT VIEW! The Marriott is the only hotel in Budapest where every room has either a full or partial view of the Danube, and almost all of the rooms have large balconies, where you can step out and watch the river traffic, and view the Royal Palace and Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda side, the last two (as well as all the other historic bldgs.) are lit up with a golden glow at night--magnificent! I have stayed in hotels all over the world, and I have never had such a wonderful view, let alone with a balcony, as I had here!

The Marriott sits on the Duna promenade, where, during the warmer months, there is a "Bier-Garten" set up where you can sit under the unbrella tables with a refreshing beverage and people-watch. Even in November, however, people stroll the promenade, just for the view, day and night. The lobby area is a comfortable hubbub of activity-with that pastry bar set out in the middle, every day, to tempt you to partake! A few days ago, there was a lovely Dobosh Torte, (a Hungarian specialty) fruit tarts, lemon tarts, plain and mulberry-flavored whipped cream, 6 or 7 other pastries-simply delectable!

Because the Marriott has been in Budapest for quite some time, one does not get the sense that this is just another sterile, impersonal international 5 star chain hotel (unlike the others I visited along the Duna promenade and elsewhere in the city). There are a lot of Hungarians who come to socialize and do business in the lobby bar-and the Marriott Sunday brunches are well-known for their excellent offerings. However, the Marriott breakfast buffet is one of the best I've encountered anywhere-with thick slices of freshly prepared whole salmon, (not paper-thin pieces of smoked salmon from a package) baked and served cold, fresh grilled sardines, Hungarian salami, grilled eggplant and zucchini, a bountiful selection of fruits, cheeses, pastries, rolls, juices, a daily omelet station, in addition to the usual steam table breakfast items. It's not cheap (it was included in my room rate) but it is very filling-it should last you until afternoon coffee and cake time at either the Marriott or in one of Budapest's many coffeehouses! (Kaffeehaz in Hungarian). If, however, on some days you want to go on the cheap, you can walk 50 feet across the street from the Marriott, where there is a lovely little deli/grocery store where you can buy all manner of drinks, freshly made sandwiches and great Hungarian wine to take back to sip from your balcony while enjoying the view or to store in the minibar (there's plenty of room for your items in the fridge).

Another thing that should be mentioned -you will most likely waste your money if you buy a Budapest card, or even a 3 day travel card, because, as I found out the hard way, the Marriott is within walking distance to practically everything-the Operahouse was but a very pleasant 15 min. walk along Budapest's grand avenue, Andrassy, and one can walk to the Gellert over the Elizabeth bridge (15 min.) and to Buda over the beautiful Chain Bridge (15-20)-all the main bridges have pedestrian walkways. Not to mention the fact that the Marriott is one street over from the Vaci Utca-Budapest's main pedestrian shopping area, and many other great restaurants and other shops.

Although I visited 4 or 5 of Budapest's other 5 star hotels, I can say definitively, that when I return to Budapest, I will only stay at the Marriott. The comments here about the concrete exterior did not affect me in any way-it has absolutely nothing to do with the hotel itself. I was always glad to return to my lovely room to relax after sightseeing and so appreciated the concierge and other staff's friendliness to me in my four days there. I can't over-emphasize how important it is when one is traveling alone to encounter friendly, smiling faces when you check in at a hotel. For me, it makes or breaks my overall impression of the facility-and the staff were unfailingly helpful, particularly the concierges, in procuring last minute opera tickets, and giving advice as to some great restaurants. The Budapest Marriott truly deserves nothing but superlatives!

Can't fault it!

We stayed at the Marriot by accident when we prematurely checked out of the disgusting hotel we originally planned to stay at. We arrived at the Marriot at 9.30 in the morning and were checked straight into our room by a friendly staff member - even though check-in wasn't until 4pm. Good start. From the outside this hotel is no great shakes - an ugly concrete monstrosity - however the view from the rooms here is spectacular - every room has a balcony overlooking the Danube and Chain Bridge which is stunning especially at night. The room was spotless and the sheets were changed every day (which is better than the Le Meridian we last stayed in where the beds were changed every two days) and the room had everything we needed for a comfortable holiday. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff and we like that in a hotel. The location is excellent - shopping, restaurants, mini-supermarkets and tourist haunts were all within walking distance and the concierge helped with information about anything else further afield - we also booked the airport transfer throught the concierge which saved any hassle. The open-plan lounge is friendly and relaxed - a perfect spot for people-watching - the bar food is good and the eat-all-you-can cake buffet is highly recommended at around £4 per head.

While we stayed here by default we can't fault the service we received here and we can certainly recommend this hotel for a relaxing holiday - there are trendier, prettier, pricier hotels in Budapest but I would be surprised if they can offer guests a better quality of stay - or such a good view - and I would certainly choose to stay in a Marriot hotel in future.

Much better than led to believe

We had read some mixed reviews about this hotel before we went to Budapest and were wondering if we had made a mistake with our choice. However, we were very pleasantly surprised and found the hotel to be very agreeable indeed. The service was very good, our balcony room was lovely and the staff were obviously working very hard to replenish the buffet breakfast when foods ran out at a very busy breakfast time!

So what if the hotel is a bit of a concrete monolith, the Sofitel and Intercontinental are far worse with their darkened windows. At the time we booked the Marriott the rates offered here were 30% cheaper than Sofitel and Intercontinental (even their non-river view rooms were more expensive), so it was definitely good value for money and we really enjoyed our stay.

Amazing Budapest Views

Stayed for 3 nights in September. The hotel is one of many several large chain hotels right along the Pest side of the river. From the outside, the hotel is a huge mega-structure of Eastern European architecture and looks older than some of its neighbors. However, my top priority in selecting a Budapest hotel was the view and was extremely satisfied and would not have stayed anywhere else. We had a Jr. Suite on the corner of one of the high floors which had amazing views from within the room. But, probably, so did the other nearby hotels. What sets the Marriott apart is almost ALL of their rooms have balconies overlooking the river and the Buda side of the river. There is nothing quite like relaxing on your balcony (prior to a night or partying) and watching the sun set over Castle Hill. The room/service etc...while not the epitome of luxury, were more than adequate (and I say that having very high standards). The hotel could probably use some renovations to update it (eg only high speed access is in the lobby and expensive), although they do have a delightful cake bar :)

If it hadn't been for the view from my balcony, I would have only given this hotel an average (3 star) rating. But the balcony made all the difference for me and our stay there was wonderful.

Recommend executive level

Fantastic view of the Danube, top rated firendly service, good location. Very disagreeable health center,not at all up to Marriott standards.

The extra cost of executive level is a bargain. The salon is a most comfortable place to have breakfast, drinks or coffee with snacks any time.

It's a two minute walk to the excellent trendy restaurant "Cyrano" and pastry shop Gerbaud.Go to the thermal baths : an unforgettable "wellness" experiece

Great views, breakfast, and all conveniences

Stayed at the Budapest Mariott for the second time in several years. Like almost all rooms, had a great view of the Danube, castle, and bridge. We got a good deal through Expedia that included breakfast (about $130 per night). The full buffet breakfast is excellent. The room is fairly typical for an American hotel, which means it is not historically quaint but has all the modern amenities, even an iron. The staff was very good. We e-mailed the concierge before our stay, who helped us reserve a taxi from the airport and answered all our other questions promptly and completely. I definitely recommend this hotel -- location is good, view is wonderful, and amenities are good.

Not bad for the price

My wife and I stayed at the Marriott for three nights, May 30, 31, June 1, 2004. Since we got our room through Priceline and paid much less than the rack rate, it's hard to complain. We loved the room, the bathroom, and the view. We were on the 4th floor and our view was partially obstructed, and we had no balcony, BUT it was wonderful nevertheless. Watching the river traffic was a delight.Two minor complaints: the breakfast cost $23 for each of us, and the girl checking us in at breakfast assurred us that it was covered in our hotel cost, but it wasn't. Another concern was parking. At $30 per day, we opted out. Street parking was available, and since there was no charge for weekends, we had no problem on two of the days. For a Priceline bargain, it was hard to beat the Marriott!

Room with a view!!!

We stayed at the Budapest Marriot for 3 nights in May 2004 and it was wonderful. It sits on the Pest side of the Danube and is almost directly across from the majestic Buda Palace.

What I think makes this hotel superior to the other fine hotels in this city are the balconies that each room has. In the evenings you can enjoy a bottle of Hungarian wine on your balcony with a view of the lighted Buda Palace and the gothic church on the castle hill and in the morning you can have coffee watching the river activity. One cannot beat this view. In the other fine hotels the best you can do is press your nose to the glass windows. If a memorable view is important to you this is definitely the hotel to get.

The exterior of building is not the most attractive but the interior and rooms are quite nice. The service was friendly and efficient. If you have a car the parking fee is about $25 per day.

The one thing I don't like that most fine hotels don't have nowdays is coffee in the room. I prefer to buy local pastries and make my own coffee in the morning instead of having to pay room service $10 for a pot. To me this is nickle and diming customers. We did not eat the hotels food so I have no comment on this. In the evenings they have a lovely Hungarian gal who plays piano in the very spacious and cozy entrance.

Both my girlfriend and myself considered this hotel one of the best of our four country jaunt. You simply cannot beat the view it offers. As you relax on your balcony in the evening you will feel like you are in a palace of your own.

Great Service and a View!

I had a great time at the Budapest Marriott partly because the staff was so pleasant and accommodating. I chose a room on the executive level, and enjoyed relaxing while panning the entire view of the Danube river. The breakfast buffet was delicious and convenient...and I even had time to work out in the gym. I recommend this hotel for couples who seek romance because each room has an enchanting view of the river.

The Marriott and its competitors

The Pluses: Right on the Danube (wonderful views) 3 Minutes to pedestrian area

The Cons: Ugly concrete (socialist) box Dark, very eighties, worn and smelly interior Used-looking rooms

Conclusion:

Overall a big disappointment. Depressing atmosphere. Better choices (for less money in town).

Competitors in the same league: Sofitel, Intercontinental and Hilton: all represent socialist left-overs, no true five star hotels

Superior competitors: 1. Meridien (new hotel in an old building, very exclusive with a lot of old world character, good for a high-end weekend getaway, nice spa) 2. Kempinski (close competitor to the Meridien with a corporate feel) 3. Hilton WestEnd (attached to Budapest newest and biggest shopping mall, nice design elements)