Hungary Budapest Ramada

10 days in March '08 at the Ramada Budapest. I won the hotel at $69, after a couple weeks of inching up $1 a day, and also trying a split bid since there appeared to be a rate hike generally in the middle of my stay (the full span bid worked though).

My 3rd floor room was spotlessly clean and very workable. King bed, very comfortable. Non-smoking. Dark wood with a simple cream and shades of brown decor. Refrigerator(!), desk, two easy chairs, coffee table and two bedside tables. A smallish shower with those tricky sliding glass doors but great water pressure and instant hot. Huge white towels. Soap/shampoo dispensers at the sink and in the shower. Tiny bottles of lotion and shampoo and a bar of soap. Free bottled water that was replaced when I drank it, but actually I mostly just drank the good cold tap water.

Key cards worked perfectly every time!

My room opened to the back side of the hotel to a pretty little interior courtyard - fresh greenery and bright yellow blooming forsythia.

Free internet at the front desk. A limitation of 5 to 10 minutes per person per session. I really appreciated it for a quick email check in the morning and evening. Often I was able to just use it immediately, and rarely had to wait more than for one person (though I didn't even try when it was obvious a tour group had just come in or was just leaving and they all were jockeying for a turn).

Very quiet!

Only one English channel on TV - CNBC.

People at the desk all had good English, were good natured and genuine, and were helpful with several requests for information. No mention of Priceline at the desk, just a quiet comment that it was "Prepaid". Also, no erroneous charges at all (I checked several times via a TV in-room monitor too.) FYI - When I finished some of my paperback (English, of course) books, I asked the desk if they kept a little library, or I could leave them somewhere for others to have. One of the persons at the desk politely asked if he could have them. I happily handed them over, since all I was looking for was a good home for them. Check out was breeze.

I was frustrated with the room being too hot the first night, but then discovered my window was operational. My room faced an interior courtyard so minimal outside noise. I kept it open after that - pure joy for a Minnesotan after a long winter.

Breakfast was not included but was available for an extra 12 Euros. I never tried it as there are tons of tiny little bakeries all over that definitely needed testing. One mid-way on the walk to the tram was particularly handy (and tasty).

If when getting off the tram (4 or 6) you go down the immediate side street (tram 18 runs on it) rather than walking back left on the main street to the Tompa turn, there is a wonderful tiny gyro place. Roughly $3, and just saying "everything" gets you this wonderful meal in a pita. Meat and the usual tomato/lettuce/onion, but also pickles and sourkraut and sliced red cabbage and a white yoghurt sauce and a red chili sauce. And it goes great with the locally produced Dreher's Original beer. It became a regular stop on the way home. Heavenly combination. I miss it already.

Two different tram lines operate a couple minute walk away, and one stop down on them and you are linked to the metro. A weekly card lets one ride all of Budapest's buses, trams, metros, etc. for a little over $3 a day and the whole area is well covered. Like most major city public transport, it was a little spotty. Some beautiful new equipment and some pretty well worn stuff, but it all moved me where I wanted to go. I was particularly amazed when I realized I could actually sort out the station name announcements while riding. Usually public transport sound systems are just a blur of noise and static.

While the hotel is perhaps not as central as some, I was very happy with the quiet of the location and don't think I'd have had that downtown. Right around the hotel for a couple blocks are just tiny one-way streets so there is no through traffic. Actually, the streets are wide, but they've kept more than 1/3 for walkers, about 1/3 for parked cars and then just a single lane in the middle for vehicles. Large pots of greenery and benches and plantings in the walking area.

I would have liked a coffee maker, but at the price I paid I can't whine much. (There was a coffee vending machine in the lobby. I didn't try it, but think it was about 50 cents a cup.)

I asked for TripRewards points but was told it is hotel specific and this particular hotel was not a member of it.

I never did figure out the "free shuttle" I'd seen on one web site, but did learn it appeared relatively easy to get from the airport to the hotel via Metro, assuming you are familiar with the system. I didn't do this on the way there as it was late and I was tired and not up to that much mapping and learning. Also didn't do it on the way back as my flight was too early for the system. Did a dry run during my trip though and it would have worked. There is a mini-bus service at roughly $14 each way (some savings if you purchase a round trip ticket). They pick up at hotels and deliver to hotels. The front desk made the reservation for me for the return to the airport (needs to be done at least 24 hours ahead). Worked perfectly. The run to the airport was under 1/2 hour (I do have to note I was the next to the last of a potential 7 different pick-up stops, so it could take more time).

The hotel was starting to feel like home, in the very best sense. I know the other hotels people get in Budapest seem to be more favorites, so wanted to let people know that if they get the Ramada it also will work well for them.

Romelle