DISCUSSION for Hilton Honors Hotels in Budapest, Hungary {HUN}
Oct 19, 2007, 11:28 am
#63
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: UA, AA, LH, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Hertz
Posts: 1,759
Well, 2 million people or so and a first-rate tourist destination warrant such expansion IMO. There are a bunch of conferences there every year around the clock so I think they'll have decent occupancy rates.
Oct 22, 2007, 7:23 pm
#66
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Location: Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
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We had an extensive discussion on this topic on the Budapest Hilton thread
recently.
Personally I prefer the Westend, more intimate, better staff and food and you can use your laptop to access the internet (Castle Hill has PCS - which always seemed occupied) that said both lounges are quite good, I wouldnt book my stay in either hotel soley based the respective lounges.
mike
recently.
Personally I prefer the Westend, more intimate, better staff and food and you can use your laptop to access the internet (Castle Hill has PCS - which always seemed occupied) that said both lounges are quite good, I wouldnt book my stay in either hotel soley based the respective lounges.
mike
Oct 22, 2007, 9:40 pm
#67
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: LAX, SAN, ORD, MAA & COK
Programs: AA EXP 6+ MM, AC, DL (MM) & LT SC; All Airlines 10+MM, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 749
The Casatle Hill view overrides lounge preferences for me
Although my response does not address your question about lounges I think you'd enjoy the stay at the Castle Hill Hilton if you can get a room with a view of the Danube. The nighttime view is superb. There are restaurants within walking distance of the Castle Hill Hilton.
Last edited by ROW2Aisle; Oct 22, 2007 at 9:42 pm Reason: Typo
Oct 23, 2007, 2:19 am
#69
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Finland
Programs: Hhonors Diamond, PC Plat
Posts: 46
Castle Hill
We got best ever service in Castle Hill lounge as well hotell itself. Everything was perfect and personal even hotell was fullybooked.
I was having family vacation there and we all loved dedicated service and especially in lounge we enjoyed really pleasent service from Tiibor who is kindest person I have ever seen in Hilton lounges. And seen quite many of great ones.
Great to see people who are dedicated in their work.
And yes, it is not contemporary hotel and not hip any way, but surroundings, views and hotel style and service is combination that is hard to beat.
Regards
TV
I was having family vacation there and we all loved dedicated service and especially in lounge we enjoyed really pleasent service from Tiibor who is kindest person I have ever seen in Hilton lounges. And seen quite many of great ones.
Great to see people who are dedicated in their work.
And yes, it is not contemporary hotel and not hip any way, but surroundings, views and hotel style and service is combination that is hard to beat.
Regards
TV
Oct 23, 2007, 3:05 am
#70
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Posts: 69
the hilton budapest lounge, really.
already the hotel itself is so much nicer than the westend. i prefer views over the dominican monnastry and danube over any possible view the westend could offer any day! plus westend is such an impersonal business hotel. too modern and cold for my liking.
already the hotel itself is so much nicer than the westend. i prefer views over the dominican monnastry and danube over any possible view the westend could offer any day! plus westend is such an impersonal business hotel. too modern and cold for my liking.
Oct 23, 2007, 3:15 am
#71
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Posts: 69
Originally Posted by wikipedia
Visegrád is a small town in Pest County in Hungary. Situated north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend, the town has a population 1,654 as of 2001. Visegrád is famous for the remains of the Early Renaissance summer palace of King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and the medieval citadel.
Oct 23, 2007, 5:44 am
#72
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Location: Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
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Perhaps I missed it entirely but didnt the OP asked which HOTEL LOUNGE was better?
I guess for some the view makes up for the difference in quality of the food and service.
Personally I found the Castle Hilton staff to be a bit indifferent, the lounge ran out of coffee two mornings in a row ( which entailed a bit of a wait)., The seating was disorganized... it would be nice if when you enter the staff would just look into to the various rooms and advise of available seating rather than have guests wandering around looknig for seats.
Not to mention the kids running around loose and monopolizing the PCs.
mike
I guess for some the view makes up for the difference in quality of the food and service.
Personally I found the Castle Hilton staff to be a bit indifferent, the lounge ran out of coffee two mornings in a row ( which entailed a bit of a wait)., The seating was disorganized... it would be nice if when you enter the staff would just look into to the various rooms and advise of available seating rather than have guests wandering around looknig for seats.
Not to mention the kids running around loose and monopolizing the PCs.
mike
Oct 23, 2007, 5:48 am
#73
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
Posts: 69
Oct 23, 2007, 8:28 pm
#74
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Roseville, CA
Programs: Lifetime Plat Marriott
Posts: 1,358
Is it possible you had just the luck of the draw that week?
Perhaps I missed it entirely but didnt the OP asked which HOTEL LOUNGE was better?
I guess for some the view makes up for the difference in quality of the food and service.
Personally I found the Castle Hilton staff to be a bit indifferent, the lounge ran out of coffee two mornings in a row ( which entailed a bit of a wait)., The seating was disorganized... it would be nice if when you enter the staff would just look into to the various rooms and advise of available seating rather than have guests wandering around looknig for seats.
Not to mention the kids running around loose and monopolizing the PCs.
mike
I guess for some the view makes up for the difference in quality of the food and service.
Personally I found the Castle Hilton staff to be a bit indifferent, the lounge ran out of coffee two mornings in a row ( which entailed a bit of a wait)., The seating was disorganized... it would be nice if when you enter the staff would just look into to the various rooms and advise of available seating rather than have guests wandering around looknig for seats.
Not to mention the kids running around loose and monopolizing the PCs.
mike
I've read a couple of your comments about the Budapest Hilton in the Castle District before and I was just wondering...is it possible that you just so happened to have a really bad week (staff had an awful week, not you) and that it may have been a very atypical week? Or, have you stayed there multiple times and experienced the same situations--again and again.
I just wondered, mostly because of all the reviews I have read on this board and tripadvisor (and others). Your experiences do not seem to be supported by other guests. I am certainly not saying you did not experience what you state, and again, you may have stayed there a dozen or so times in the last couple of years--but it just doesn't seem to be consistent with so many other reviews and it lead me to ask if it was possible that you just had bad timing (again, not you per se). I mean, I have never heard of kids running amuck at this Hilton. Quite frankly, I've never even seen children running around anywhere in any of the executive lounges (out of the United States). Is it possible that maybe the regular staff in the lounge were out on vacation, sick, new, etc.....and just didn't really know what to do or how to keep the place stocked, or how to treat overflow?
I'm just curious. I respect your views and have learned a lot from many of your posts...it just strikes me as atypical in this scenerio because it just doesn't add up to the myriad of accolades given to this place (and lounge), time and time again.
Besides your less than stellar experiences in the lounge (and I couldn't agree with you more if I had experienced the same), do you have other issues about the other aspects of this Hilton? I'm curious because we are going to be there for 9 days on October 27! Were your bad experiences limited to the exec lounge, or did you basically dislike many other things about your stay there at the Castle District location?
Thanks for being a very valued poster to this board. Seriously.
Dawn
Oct 24, 2007, 8:51 am
#75
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
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Mikesilv:
I've read a couple of your comments about the Budapest Hilton in the Castle District before and I was just wondering...is it possible that you just so happened to have a really bad week (staff had an awful week, not you) and that it may have been a very atypical week? Or, have you stayed there multiple times and experienced the same situations--again and again.
I just wondered, mostly because of all the reviews I have read on this board and tripadvisor (and others). Your experiences do not seem to be supported by other guests. I am certainly not saying you did not experience what you state, and again, you may have stayed there a dozen or so times in the last couple of years--but it just doesn't seem to be consistent with so many other reviews and it lead me to ask if it was possible that you just had bad timing (again, not you per se). I mean, I have never heard of kids running amuck at this Hilton. Quite frankly, I've never even seen children running around anywhere in any of the executive lounges (out of the United States). Is it possible that maybe the regular staff in the lounge were out on vacation, sick, new, etc.....and just didn't really know what to do or how to keep the place stocked, or how to treat overflow?
I'm just curious. I respect your views and have learned a lot from many of your posts...it just strikes me as atypical in this scenerio because it just doesn't add up to the myriad of accolades given to this place (and lounge), time and time again.
Besides your less than stellar experiences in the lounge (and I couldn't agree with you more if I had experienced the same), do you have other issues about the other aspects of this Hilton? I'm curious because we are going to be there for 9 days on October 27! Were your bad experiences limited to the exec lounge, or did you basically dislike many other things about your stay there at the Castle District location?
Thanks for being a very valued poster to this board. Seriously.
Dawn
I've read a couple of your comments about the Budapest Hilton in the Castle District before and I was just wondering...is it possible that you just so happened to have a really bad week (staff had an awful week, not you) and that it may have been a very atypical week? Or, have you stayed there multiple times and experienced the same situations--again and again.
I just wondered, mostly because of all the reviews I have read on this board and tripadvisor (and others). Your experiences do not seem to be supported by other guests. I am certainly not saying you did not experience what you state, and again, you may have stayed there a dozen or so times in the last couple of years--but it just doesn't seem to be consistent with so many other reviews and it lead me to ask if it was possible that you just had bad timing (again, not you per se). I mean, I have never heard of kids running amuck at this Hilton. Quite frankly, I've never even seen children running around anywhere in any of the executive lounges (out of the United States). Is it possible that maybe the regular staff in the lounge were out on vacation, sick, new, etc.....and just didn't really know what to do or how to keep the place stocked, or how to treat overflow?
I'm just curious. I respect your views and have learned a lot from many of your posts...it just strikes me as atypical in this scenerio because it just doesn't add up to the myriad of accolades given to this place (and lounge), time and time again.
Besides your less than stellar experiences in the lounge (and I couldn't agree with you more if I had experienced the same), do you have other issues about the other aspects of this Hilton? I'm curious because we are going to be there for 9 days on October 27! Were your bad experiences limited to the exec lounge, or did you basically dislike many other things about your stay there at the Castle District location?
Thanks for being a very valued poster to this board. Seriously.
Dawn
Ok my stay at the two Budapest Hiltons occurred on the same trip, spent three (or was four?) nights at the Castle Hilton and then two nights at the Westend.
My comparison above was based strictly relative to the lounges.
First off let me say that I would not suggest or recommend anyone staying at either property based on the individual lounges and would go further to say if you had to stay on leisure I would much prefer the Buda Castle.
We got upgraded to a large corner suite ( furniture seemed a bit out of the 80's but thats OK) where my side view was looking down on the Cathedral and front view the Danube, Pest and even the islands up river. By far the best view I have ever had in any HH property worldwide ( puts the Cavalieri to shame
) All other aspects of our stay there were very good and the city tour promoted by the concierge and the concierges in general were excellent.
The entire Castle Hill area is very nice and has lots of restaurants etc.
Apart from the little glitches in the lounge we were still very pleased with our stay
and would stay there again.
Note also our stay at the Castle Hill property was over Easter and there appeared to be lots of families booked in the hotel, the lounge = lots of kids
I must make the point however, that Budapest was the last stop on a 15 day trip and we had stayed at the some truly outstanding hotels just previously (and perhaps my perception of the Castle Hill lounge was clouded by that)
These were the Hilton Prague ( with IMHO among the top three Hilton lounges I have visited worldwide) The Goldener Hirsch - Salzburg and The Biristol - Vienna.
Finally, the area around the Buda Hilton can get very crowded with tourists.
So for those who want to get a feel how normal residents of (Buda)Pest live
the Westand would be more appropriate.
Enjoy Budapest its wonderfull city.
mike
Last edited by MIKESILV; Oct 24, 2007 at 8:58 am