"We stayed three nights in a Superior Double/Twin Room in mid August, booked through Hotels.com. The total was 745 euros (C$1,198.34) for three nights for two people, including the breakfast add-on, which was purchased separately from the room rate, but not including city taxes paid upon arrival.
Our ground floor room 009 had two twin beds, high ceilings and plenty of open space, and it was very well equipped with a safe, slippers, dental kits, cotton pads and buds, hair comb, shower caps, SGL pod coffee machine, kettle, glass bottle of water, three kinds of tea, yoga mat, two plush armchairs, steamer and minibar fridge.
The Ahava Mineral toiletries were exceptional. The hand and body wash, shampoo, conditioner and lotion smelled wonderful and were by far the best-quality toiletries I experienced during my entire trip.
Unfortunately, the room 009 itself had a terrible location. It was on the ground floor facing the street and garbage bins. People could easily see into the room, so we had to keep the curtains closed throughout our stay. We also had to keep the bathroom blinds closed. See my photos for the view.
The bathroom is only semi-private, which is particularly awkward when two friends are sharing a room. The sink area is completely open to the bedroom, while the toilet and shower are behind a frosted-glass door. Bathrobes are available upon request, but we didn't realize this until our final day. We really wished we had known from the beginning, as robes would have made the semi-private bathroom arrangement much more comfortable.
The add-on breakfast buffet was incredible, and the setting is spectacular: a gorgeous historic dining room with very high ceilings, balcony and art.
The buffet had an excellent selection, including authentic Hungarian cold foods, hot food and many other breakfast items. There were two fully automated coffee machines, and Hungarian red, white and sparkling wine was available freely for self service as part of the breakfast.
You could also order eggs and other made-to-order dishes from a menu. Unfortunately, the avocado toast we ordered was terrible. The avocado tasted spoiled and the “toast” was actually an English muffin. Fortunately, the buffet itself was so good that this was easy to avoid.
The biggest problem was the restaurant service. The staff were by far the least hospitable people we encountered anywhere on the property. They were very fussy about where guests sat, frequently placing people right beside the windows, but nobody offered us coffee or explained how the buffet worked. They also did not seem responsive to guests' actual needs.
The brand-new basement spa is gorgeous and was one of the highlights of our stay. For only €10 per person for the entire stay, guests can use the Scandinavian-style wood sauna, steam room, two cool pools and a cold plunge pool. Towels are freely available. Across the hall, the gym also has complimentary bottled water and fresh fruit.
There are only two lounge chairs for the entire spa, which is a significant limitation. There is also a strange design problem in the women's toilet downstairs: the door cannot be locked, so you cannot use the toilet without worrying that someone might walk in.
The air conditioning was strong and reliable, and the Wi-Fi was good. The lobby bar is a pleasant space where you can sit without being pressured to purchase a drink.
There was also plenty of cold water and sparkling wine (Cava) available near the front desk.
The front desk staff were generally helpful, and the hotel is in an excellent location in a quiet area away from the busiest tourist crowds but still very close to the Danube and Parliament. The historic building and décor are beautiful, with Queen Sisi featured prominently throughout.
We also had a particularly frustrating experience with a pre-ordered boxed breakfast for my friend, who needed to leave for the airport at 4:00 a.m.
She ordered it in advance through the front desk, and the front desk employee gave her a receipt specifying a ham-and-cheese sandwich, muffin, beverage, etc. When she picked up the breakfast, however, she received a poor-quality lettuce sandwich and a gluten-free muffin instead.
Perhaps she was given someone else's breakfast, or perhaps this was simply what someone decided to give her. Either way, it was not what had been ordered.
I complained to the front desk manager. It took several days and follow-up, but eventually the hotel refunded the €10 spa charges as compensation for the breakfast problem.
The elevator is not particularly convenient, and you still have to navigate several sets of stairs to reach the front desk and the rooms. This is worth knowing if you have heavy luggage or mobility concerns.
Overall, Aurea Ana Palace has some truly exceptional five-star features: the beautiful historic setting, spectacular breakfast room, excellent buffet, gorgeous new spa, strong AC, excellent Ahava toiletries, quiet central location.
But for us, the overall experience was only three stars. The ground-floor room facing garbage bins, lack of privacy, semi-private bathroom, un-lockable women's toilet, unhelpful restaurant service and mishandled boxed breakfast were too many shortcomings to overlook at this price and for a hotel positioning itself as five-star.
I would recommend it for the beautiful facilities, spa, breakfast and location, but I would not describe our stay as a five-star experience."
