"We had a great stay at this hotel with one caveat. We did not reserve a river view initially and you really, really, REALLY need one in order to fully enjoy this hotel (if you’re staying more than one night and not just here to board a river cruise the next day… as many guests were). I am not exaggerating and the staff was aware of this fact.
When booking, I thought there would be larger public areas to enjoy and a restaurant or bar overlooking the Danube but I was wrong, so your category is especially important here.
Rooms on all 3 sides of the hotel are equally beautiful in decor but one side faces what looks like an abandoned (though grand) building and the other a party/"shopping"/dining street with the hottest "club" in town directly across from the hotel that goes into the wee hours some nights (at least that's how it's advertised).
The third side is the Danube, which wasn't blue during our visit but it definitely was charismatic. We ended up paying for the higher-priced category to avoid staring directly and only at the abandoned-looking building. If we hadn’t, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed my stay here. If it’s not in your budget, you might want to explore other options.
That said, this hotel looks like a palace... though there isn’t much public space to enjoy. The photos on the website are a bit deceptive. It's not exactly on the river, either... it's on a park across a small but busy street from the Danube. It is centered on the famous "chain" bridge and has amazing vistas across the river at the big castle on the hill.
Built 120 or so years ago as upscale residences and offices (this info is noted on a plaque in the lobby), it's been a Four Seasons for about 25 years but appears to have been recently redone. The rooms are old-world beautiful but up-to-date (with great beds... we slept really well), as are the hallways and stylish restaurant. The gym was large (though without much weight equipment) and there is a nice, long but narrow pool and hot tub up on the fifth floor (though neither faces the river). The pool got very noisy (low ceiling) with just two people in it so I can imagine what it would be like if it were crowded.
There were a lot of river cruise guests while we were here... I'm guessing that's typical most of the good weather months. It does take away some of the glamour you expect from a Four Seasons. You'll see the cruisers and their luggage waiting for their tours to begin while they sit in the lobby. The beautiful space was not a place for us to linger as a result. The Four Seasons Tokyo Otemachi had similar issues with checked-out guests and their bags waiting for evening flights… I wonder if it’s a company policy? I hope not.
The stylish restaurant on the main floor faces the river but you can't see the Danube from it. That's it for dining options (there is a large, empty meeting room area on the other side of the front desk that looks like it used to serve food)... except for the pricey bar in the beautiful atrium adjacent to the lobby (with very friendly, eager hosts) that was empty most of our stay. I’m guessing that’s due to its atypical cuisine (Asian fusion in Budapest?) and high cost. No burgers or club sandwiches on the menu, to be sure.
If you get breakfast included, you'll dine in the restaurant at least once. It is great-looking. Alas, each morning, our window seats ended up facing Viking Cruise buses ready to load up passengers. We also had dinner there one night (more on that below) but afterwards opted for room service as we paid for a river view so we figured we might as well enjoy it. We did! The lighting at night on the river, bridge and castle are stunning.
The hotel's central location makes getting around town easy (and it was easy getting across the river, where a lot of the sights to see are located). There is a well-stocked grocery store two blocks away but the neighborhood directly around the hotel is mostly just non-noteworthy restaurants and a few clubs.
Beyond the Danube and the decor, what made our experience special was the staff. They were uniformly very, very nice. A special mention must be made of the bellhops... they were always so friendly when we were coming or going... which was noted and appreciated. And they were busy. Gabor gets special mention. Another guy was really great, too… alas, I couldn't read his name tag. Maybe David? They all made an excellent first and last impression. Peter the concierge was very helpful. The well-intentioned front desk worked hard and did their best for us but alas I did not get any names due to focusing on the room switch at check-in. The receptionists at the pool/spa/gym were always extra friendly. Barbara from room service was sweet and Reka was a welcoming server at the restaurant the one night we had dinner there.
As for the food at the restaurant... avoid the goulash soup... it was bad and sour... virtually no meat and what little of it there was, was tough. It was a big disappointment... my mom made amazing goulash and to be served this dish, in a fancy restaurant in the capital of Hungary, was a bummer. Otherwise dining was very good at breakfast and even better at dinner via room service.
Budapest is a beautiful city that's quite grand if a little faded in parts, which is part of its charm. We arrived via train from Vienna and the Keleti station (which is kind of falling apart) and the area around it is surprisingly rough-looking (if not dangerous). I'd avoid the cabs there... the drivers just looked tough. We took an Uber, which was fine.
Definitely take an hour-long river cruise while in town… I recommend Duna Cruises at Dock 10. I found it on a random blog. Small boats and nice staff... we took a ride every afternoon and the dock is only a 10 minute walk away on the same side of the Danube.
Alas, there are some seriously ugly old Communist-era buildings on the riverfront and a new all-glass not-yet-open hotel/casino that's a fresh blight a few doors away from the hotel. It's a pity… I'm sure the original Danube-facing structures are what made this the Paris of the East. That said, Budapest has long been on my list of cities to visit and I am very happy I got to see it at such a high level.
The Four Seasons made our stay here highly memorable and I would definitely recommend it. Just get the river view and you will have a lovely time."
