IC BUD

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?

Yes

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked: Superior Room King Bed River View, advance purchase rate
Received: River View Suite King Bed Club Access. I believe 1 category+Club is the standard upgrade, so the cheapest room will give a river view standard room + Club.

How are the rooms?

Comfortable suite, the size of two standard rooms knocked together, so I'm guessing ~46sqm. Bedroom and bathroom area separated from living area by sliding doors. Living area with wardrobe in a slightly cramped recess and Nespresso machine with incomprehensible instructions. Bathroom with shower over bath and separate shower cubicle, plus 3 lots of all the standard Elemis toiletries.

Lovely view over Castle Hill and the Chain Bridge.

Television had a couple of channels from just about every language you could hope for, but was oddly wedged in to a cabinet that was designed for a CRT, and despite opening to both the bedroom and living room sides, could only be viewed from the bed.

Turndown service was on request only.

How is the exec. lounge?

The Club is on the first floor, and has been recently renovated (I believe it used to be on the top floor). There is a comfortable seating area with big windows looking out onto Eötvös ter and the Chain Bridge, an area with higher tables (better for eating at), the buffet area with some more couches, and a business area with a couple of computers near the door. Very friendly and helpful staff. If it's not in your rate, then Club access is listed at €65/night.

All day offering was soft drinks (selection of tea, coffee machine, fruit juices) and some small pastries.

Breakfast served 0630 to 1030, with a small selection of cereals, cheese/meats, bread/pastries, and a couple of hot things including eggs (boiled/scrambled). Alternatively, you could use the much larger buffet offering in the restaurant downstairs.

Happy hour, 1800 to 2000 - local beer (Dreher), local sparkling wine (Hungaria - €6.90/bottle at the airport!), local red and white wines. Larger selection of snacks, though quite a lot of it was fairly unidentifiable.

What was good and what was bad?

Good

- Good upgrade without hassle
- Minibar mentioned at check-in up in the Club, and no charges appeared at checkout
- Great location for a tourist
- Shortly after check-in, while we were out, the following was delivered:

• fruit plate (orange, apple and banana, not very exciting)
• small bottles of water
• 500ml bottle of local red wine (the welcome gift)
• Club welcome letter, outlining the available services
• Note welcoming me on my first stay at the hotel, with the business card
  for the Executive Assistant Manager

Bad

- Dynamic Currency Conversion
The hotel charged the advance payment to my card in GBP without my permission, despite quoting in EUR. As I paid using a card with no foreign exchange fees, I'm a bit annoyed, especially since the advance purchase meant they charged me the 3% conversion fee without notice (at least I could have contested it at checkout before payment if I was on a flexible rate)

- Minibar
The minibar looked a little sparse, but on closer examination of the price list it seems this is standard, not a special RA "perk". The price list states that the "hard liquor package" (spirits, mixers and sparkling wine) is available on request, though it appears it would still be free to RAs. Also the wine was pretty rough!

- Prostitutes...
They didn't cause me any bother, but the ladies who appeared near the hotel entrance after dark did look a lot like they were selling their services.


Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?

We paid ~€100/night, which seems a pretty good deal to me, though watch the VAT and tourist tax that adds 20% to the headline rate. Would definitely consider returning if I was in BUD again.


I'll post a report with pictures in the Stay forum once I get round to sorting the photos out.