CHECKING IN TO THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL BUDAPEST
Hey there! Thanks for stopping in today. As you may know from following along, Brad & I recently returned from a trip to Europe. After flying Delta One in comfort and luxury to our first stop, Budapest, Hungary, we were anxious about checking in to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Budapest.
On our taxi drive from the airport to the hotel, our driver told us how smart we were to have chosen The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Budapest because of its superb location right in the historic heart of one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Having never been to Budapest before, I was relieved to hear this, as I selected the hotel after an exhaustive search of Budapest hotels online. As carefully as I considered my options, one never knows for sure about a hotel and a location until you have actually visited it.
As it turned out, this luxurious hotel is surrounded by history, with the UNESCO World Heritage Buda Castle nearby, and St. Stephen’s Basilica and Erzsébet Square right across the street. Close to the Danube River, it was a short stroll there via one of Budapest’s most famous shopping streets. Going farther afield, the underground Metro has a stop right smack-dab in front of the hotel, which we used and found safe, relatively uncomplicated and very convenient during our stay!
Once inside the beautiful lobby where we were warmly greeted by the friendly staff, I immediately knew we had made the right choice.
Lovely Lobby Flower Arrangement
We booked our “Club Room King” for $422.00 (including tax) a night using our Platinum American Express card which affords members special perks when reserving hotel rooms via their Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Because of the “Club” status, our check-in process would take place in the Club Lounge instead of at the front desk. We were accompanied upstairs by one of the friendly front desk attendants and handed off to a charming young man who was one of the several Club Concierges we met during our stay.
Arriving at the Club Lounge we completed the check-in process and then spent the next 20 minutes getting a comprehensive rundown on Budapest from our expert Club Lounge Concierge. With map in hand he pointed out all his recommendations for what to do and see, and where and what to eat while in Budapest. With his help and my trusty Rick Steves Budapest book, I felt like a Budapest expert, ready to take on the city as soon as I could get a good night’s sleep.
Our young Concierge then lead us to our room, located on the 9th floor of the hotel, 2 floors down from the beautiful 11th floor Club Lounge. In fact, the lounge was so special I plan to dedicate an entire upcoming blog post to it.
One of the many AMEX Platinum perks offered when booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts is a room upgrade. Our room 904 was a corner room located at the end of a long hallway.
Stepping inside I was immediately struck by the beautiful, vintage looking hardwood entry flooring, done in a herringbone pattern. The hotel opened only about a year ago. It was obvious that this newly renovated property used the best of the existing classical elements of the historic building it occupies, and then added beautiful contemporary highlights. In fact, the new Ritz-Carlton, Budapest describes its style as “tradition with a modern twist”. I’d have to agree.
The entry foyer was lined with a bank of closets where we had plenty of room to house our travel wardrobe.
Every amenity was included such as a safe, shoe tray, bathrobes and slippers, an iron & ironing board, a Nespresso Coffee Machine and a fully stocked, in-room bar. We could want for nothing.
Entering into the spacious bedroom we felt instantly at home in the cool, contemporary environment crowned by a mid century modern style globe chandelier. We were told that the gray/blue color scheme was inspired by the nearby “Blue Danube”
The comfortable bed was dressed in high quality linens…
and the decorative pillows were so pretty I wanted to take them home with me.
There was a comfortable chair with ottoman, complimentary bottled water at the ready bedside, and pretty blackout curtains, perfect for sleeping after a long flight.
Across from the bed was a desk complete with a variety of plugs & USB ports that accommodate electronics from a variety of countries. That’s what I call thoughtful design, no converters needed. The hotel also offers complimentary Wi-Fi.
Our room opened up onto a rather large balcony which was a bit odd because it contained no outdoor furniture. So, it was frankly useless.
It had a filtered view of the shopping district below but was high enough up that street noise was not a problem.
Back inside we had a bureau that housed a mini-bar and a large, flat-screen, HDTV with Apple TV.
Venturing back down the entry hall, let me show you the marble bathroom.
The single-sink vanity had room for toiletries and came complete with my obligatory lighted makeup mirror.
They also offered every bathroom amenity you could possibly need and more.
One interesting feature was this handheld sprayer on the side of the sink and adjacent to the toilet. I believe that this gadget was to makeup for the fact that the bathroom contained no bidet, a feature often found in European hotels. I have to admit that this was a first for me.
The shower was nice, featuring both a rain showerhead and a body sprayer.
There was also a generously sized bathtub surrounded in marble. The towels were large, plush and absorbent, just the way I like them.
So, now that you’ve seen every inch of our room, let me take you for a stroll around the hotel. First stop, the pool and spa area. When traveling for pleasure I rarely take advantage of such features, as I’m too busy sightseeing.
Regrettably, we also did not dine in the hotel restaurant, Deák Street Kitchen, which serves a variety of international dishes prepared with a local touch. I wish we had because I loved the atmosphere, and sadly, the restaurants we did dine at during our visit to Budapest were disappointing at best. We likely would have had a better experience dining here.
Just off the hotel lobby is the Kupola Lounge where breakfast is served each morning. Since we took our breakfast in the fantastic Club Lounge, we did not dine here either. Kupola also offers afternoon tea with very pretty homemade cakes.
The adjoining Kupola Bar, the hotel’s atmospheric champagne bar, is an excellent choice for a cold glass of bubbly. We enjoyed the complimentary cocktails served in the Club Lounge instead.
Finally, here is a glimpse of the Ritz-Carlton Budapest Club Lounge. Access to this outstanding feature of the hotel was worth every penny and more of the additional cost we paid for our Club Room. In fact, the Club Lounge and the wonderful service we received there made our stay in this hotel one of our best hotel experiences ever!
Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks in between, as well as complimentary cocktails, there was no need to dine anywhere else (although we did). I can’t wait to share with you a comprehensive look at this lounge in a blog post coming soon. So stay tuned!
For your next trip to Budapest I highly recommend the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. To book your stay contact my very helpful and professional travel agent here:
Lori Seeley
Group Travel Specialist
Innovative Travel Concepts
A division of Largay Travel
Phone: 941-312-2584
lori@innovativetravelconcepts.com
So there you have it: CHECKING IN TO THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL BUDAPEST
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This post contains affiliate links which help to make this blog possible.
