Opera Garden Hotel & Apartments

The hotel is situated in a light-pink building that stands out amongst the classical 19th-century structures next to it. The front lobby is compact but bright, with crisp white walls and tiles, an illuminated front desk, and bold orange couches and chairs. Unique touches include blackboards in the stairwells where guests can write messages and comments. The hotel primarily caters to travelers who want to cook their own meals and doesn't offer much for business travelers. We found the service polite, helpful, and professional, if not personalized.

The hotel is located in the city center on charming pedestrian street lined with bars, cafes, restaurants, and theaters. It's in district VI on the Pest side of Budapest, home to Andrássy út, a grand boulevard that is Budapest's equivalent of the Champs-Élysées (it's within a 10-minute walk). It's a five-minute walk to the Opera House, an eight-minute walk to St. Stephen's Basilica, and a 15-minute walk to Szechenyi Chain Bridge and Vorosmarty Square. Budapest's famous shopping street, Vaci utca, is a 20-minute walk from the hotel and the Gellert Baths can be reached in 20 minutes on the tram. The airport is a 25-minute drive away. 

The guest rooms are modern and compact, but make good use of small space. Decor is homey, with delicate leafy patterns in the bed runner and wallpaper of most rooms; color schemes vary, but many rooms incorporate green, red, or blue accents. Each room has a separate bedroom with an armoire, a safe, and a flat-screen TV. Separate living areas have couches, dining tables, and kitchens with stovetops, microwaves, mini-fridges, and lots of cabinets. Some living areas have extra beds. The bathrooms are small but sleek, with slate-colored tiling, hairdryers, glass-doored walk-in showers, and L'Occitane en Provence toiletries. 

The Opera Garden Hotel has impressive features for such a small property, including a spa area with sauna and a locker room. The hotel's tiny fitness room has a treadmill, a stationary bike, and a flat-screen TV. There's also a rooftop and a small breakfast room with indoor and outdoor seating where a free buffet breakfast is served. The breakfast is a high point, and includes homemade yogurt and muesli; fresh orange juice is available for an extra fee. In the evenings, the hotel offers guests free mulled wine and hot chocolate. The outdoor area has metal tables and chairs and is surrounded by plants and potted trees. All guests get free access to a mobile app giving them free Wi-Fi access throughout the city, not just in the hotel.