Buddha-Bar Hotel Budapest Klotild Palace

This hotel is part of the Buddha-Bar franchise, which started in Paris in the mid-90s and made a name for itself with its chic decor and trendy restaurants. This particular location is housed inside the beautiful Klotild Palace, a Neo-Baroque building dating back to 1900. Inside the restaurant, a 40-foot Buddha statue greets guests, a typical feature of the hotel franchise. The hotel itself opened in 2012 and has since attracted business people looking for a trendy place to stay. The deep-red color scheme throughout provides a sensual setting for a romantic stay making it a good choice for couples, too. Although children are welcome, it's not a particularly family-oriented hotel.  

The hotel is located right on Vaci Utca, the city's famous shopping street, and right by the Ferenc Ter metro stop. It's a 15-minute walk to the Chain Bridge and takes about the same amount of time to reach St. Stephen's Basilica.  Other notable tourist attractions and sights nearby include Rudas Baths, a 10-minute walk away, the Gellert Spa, a 15-minute walk from the hotel, and the Hungarian National Museum, 10 minutes away on foot. The airport takes just under 30 minutes to reach by car.

Rooms have a heavy black-and-red decor and Chinese dragon motifs. While the overall vibe is trendy and exotic, some might find the rooms gloomy and dim, as they don't get a lot of natural light. Extra-long king-size beds are draped with Egyptian cotton bedding. Amenities include flat-screen TVs with inbuilt MP3 players, Nespresso machines, free bottled water, free Wi-Fi, and minibars. Corner Suites have balconies. Bathrooms include rainfall showers, although the lack of shower-floor incline for drainage means that the floors of bathrooms can get wet. Though bathrooms look plain, they have heated floors, double sinks, White Company toiletries, luxuriously large bathtubs (in some) that can accommodate two, and electronic toilets that heat up, wash, dry, and even light up when you turn off the lights.

The Buddha-Bar Restaurant serves Asian-inspired fusion cuisine in a dark but beautiful restaurant with a 40-foot-tall Buddha statue at its pinnacle. A buffet breakfast is served in the Siddhartha Cafe each day. As well as the usual buffet fare there are several cooked-to-order options available. Two bars stay open late and serve cocktails, spritzers, and beers.

The tranquil Buddhattitude Spa offers massages, mani-pedis, aromatherapy treatments, body scrubs, and Ayurvedic therapies. There's also a large whirlpool, heated stone beds, and a dry sauna, but no swimming pool. The fitness center is tiny and limited to a few cardio machines and a rack of free weights. Parking is available for a fee.