Apaczai Csere Janos utca 7., Budapest, Hungary | (251) 219-4428
Central but quiet location near major tourist attractions
Housed in a refined 19th-century mansion with an enclosed courtyard
Bright, attractive rooms with lots of light, and pillow menus
Great on-site restaurant and unique ham bar
Slippers and coffeemakers available upon request
Free access to basement-level gym and sauna
On-site business center and free Wi-Fi throughout
Three meeting rooms accommodate up to 75 people
Airport shuttle available on request
Free newspapers in lobby
Most rooms blocked from river views
Complaints of noise from adjacent rooms
Some rooms don’t come with coffee- and tea-making facilities
Extra fees for buffet breakfast and self-parking
This 97-room branch of the upscale European Hotel Zenit chain has an unbeatable location in the heart of Budapest’s tourist hub, close to several city hot spots and the Danube River. The structure itself features a beautiful blend of historic, 19th-century exteriors and clean, modern interiors, including an on-site restaurant known for its fantastic food and famed ham bar. Rooms have gorgeous plank wood floors, extra high ceilings, and lots of natural light, though the furnishings are a bit of a mishmash. The hotel emphasizes functionality over frills, with daily newspapers and free Wi-Fi but no pool or spa and only a small, basement fitness center. For more amenities at a similar price point, check out the nearby Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge, with a pool, spa, and river views.
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Scene
19th-century mansion with airy lobby atrium suitable for business, favored by families
Converted from a mansion built in 1820, the upscale Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace is one of the city’s many examples of renowned Hungarian architect Mihály Pollack’s neoclassical designs. The 19th-century facade gives way to sophisticated, modern interiors; a large, enclosed inner courtyard at the center of the building houses the lobby and common seating area covered by a glass ceiling. It's framed by several meeting rooms and a library, making the hotel especially suitable for business travelers. Plenty of families stay as guests as well, taking advantage of the family rooms that accommodate up to five people. While there’s sufficient space for lounging in the pleasant lobby, there’s no bar apart from the one inside the hotel’s restaurant, and some have found the overall effect of the scene slightly impersonal, albeit undoubtedly chic.
Location
On a quiet street near the river, a three-minute walk from Vörösmarty Square
Just a block away from the river in the center of Pest, Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace is one of many hotels in and around Vörösmarty Square, home to boutiques, souvenir shops, and eateries including the historic Café Gerbeaud coffeehouse. Despite the hotel’s central location, it’s insulated on a quiet street, shielded from traffic and pedestrian noise. A three-minute walk from the hotel is famed Vaci Street, a tourist hot spot for shopping and cafes. St. Stephen’s Basilica and the Chain Bridge are both 10 minutes from the hotel on foot, while the Parliament Building and the Hungarian State Opera House are 15- to 20-minute walks away. The hotel is within a five-minute walk from at least two metro train stations, two bus stops, and a streetcar station. Sights reachable by public transit include the Budapest Academy of Music (17 minutes), Castle Hill (17 minutes), and the Museum of Fine Arts (19 minutes) in Heroes’ Square. Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is a 30- to 50-minute drive away.
Rooms
More functional than fancy, with air-conditioning, safes, and flat-screen TVs
Drawing from the color palette of the lobby, the large, high-ceilinged rooms here straddle the line between functionality and starkness. Natural-wood headboards and desk chairs, along with wide-plank pine flooring, are tasteful touches; however, standard rooms lack comfortable seating, and save for a single black-and-white print above the bed, walls are bare. Standard-level bathrooms, with fluorescent tube lights and clean tiling, are decent in size but don’t offer much vanity space. Each features a walk-in shower with a sliding glass door, along with a hairdryer and hotel-brand toiletries. Premium-level bathrooms come with shower/tub combos. While the decor has fewer frills than might be expected of a hotel of its ranking, in-room amenities are mostly on par with four-pearl standards. All rooms have air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, work desks, minibars, and laptop-compatible safes; coffee-and-tea-making facilities are limited to premium room categories but are available to all upon request. Each Family Room can sleep up to four people in two single beds pushed together plus a fold-out couch; a cot is available for a fifth person.
Features
Notable on-site dining options, but limited additional amenities
The best-known feature of the Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace is the Divin Porcello Ham Bar, a very popular, dimly lit and cozy space offering tapas, charcuterie platters, and an extensive wine list. QUQ restaurant, which serves traditional Hungarian cuisine as well as international dishes, is a charming blend of rustic wooden interiors and modern accents. It's also the site of the hotel’s breakfast buffet (not included in the rate), noted for its wide range of hot and cold items -- eggs to order, pancakes and French toast, cooked meats, cereals and yogurts, cold cuts and cheeses, fruits, salads, and pastries. Room service is available at no extra charge. Additional amenities include laundry and dry cleaning services and a small basement fitness center and sauna (access is free). A library and a four-computer business center are also available. Three meeting rooms accommodate 25 to 75 people and offer projectors, TVs, and additional secretarial services. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. Parking is available off-site for a fee.
