Some hush in Hungary
Written: Jun 16 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Useful location, lovely courtyard, fine breakfast
Cons: None to speak of
The Bottom Line: Great hotel close to heart of Budapest - merits more than its three stars
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| fizzytom's Full Review: Baross Hotel |
We booked Hotel Baross Panzio through the friend of a friend who had just set up a travel accommodation agency in the Czech Republic. She was also offering to help people book accommodation in other cities of eastern Europe. My friend had originally mentioned her to me when I was looking for a room in Prague for the first night of my holiday but I had already manged to find something suitable. However I said that if she could come up with anything for Budapest, I would be grateful. She suggested this hotel, a little more expensive than the price I had mentioned but she was keen to recommend it because she had recently stayed there and had managed to make a deal with the hotel to get a discount for the first few bookings she referred to the hotel.
The view of the front exterior of the hotel is nothing special. If you look closely you might see that it is quite a nice Art Nouveau building but it is has been spoilt, like the rest of the terrace by the fascias of the companies who occupy the buildings. The ground floor of this building is occupied by a Pizza Hut Slice Bar so you notice that rather than the architecture.
The hotel is reached through a doorway just to the left of Pizza Hut. It's open during the day but locked from mid-evening. This is the real surprise of the hotel. You walk along an airy corridor which opens up on a lovely courtyard, glazed overhead which catches the sun and makes the quad feel like a rather grand greenhouse. Each floor has a walkway with ornate rails and the effect is lovely as you look up from the ground. There are tubs of flowers on the ground and there are a few chairs so you can have a seat and enjoy this little oasis. Athough you're near a busy road, you would never know when you're in here.
Hotel Baross Panzio is on the fourth floor and you reach it using the glass elevator. There is a second less glamorous lift but at least it means you don't have to wait long for the lift.
As we entered reception I was struck by how spacious and bright it was. The reception desk curves round in an arc so that several staff can serve customers at the same time. Check-in was swift and we found that the staff were proficient in a number of languages, as well as helpful and friendly. We were told the times of breakfast and given cards to present for breakfast and were also given passes to show to the night guard who would be sitting in the tiny booth by the ground floor door, at night. When we mentioned later on that we would be going out for dinner, one of the receptionists said she could recommend a nearby restaurant serving Hungarian food. We picked up the leaflet, thanked her and were about to leave when she called us back and said she would telephone them and make the reservation straightaway so we could get a discount (we wondered whether she meant so that she could get her cut!) and seemed a bit put out that we said we were going to look around first before deciding on somewhere. I like to think she was just trying to be helpful but it did annoy me a bit. We were offered and took advantage of the free safety deposit service, although it was held in reception and not in the room.
There was also a comfortable seating area in reception as well as two computers with Internet access for the use of guests. There was a wealth of leaflets available for all tourist attractions, train timetables and public transport maps and listings magazines for the city - all were free.
Tucked away in the corner of the reception area was a locked area where bags could be held for guests not travelling until after check out.
Our room was on the next floor and this could be accessed either by the grand sweeping staircase or the lift (the lift is big enough to hold a wheelchair user, another passenger and luggage - I can vouch for this I saw that a wheelchair user had no problems in the public areas of the hotel).
Our room was spotlessly clean and of a high standard. There was a good sized double bed, a wardrobe with enough clothes hangers (so often there aren't enough), a colour television set (several English language channels available as well as Hungarian and German), a telephone and minibar. As usual the minibar prices were high so we stayed well away! The room also had adjustable air conditioning and we were pleased to find out that the windows opened sufficiently to allow in a good stream of fresh air on what were a hot couple of days.
The en suite bathroom was also sparkling and pristine, with a shower but no bath. My favourite feature was the heated towel rail which is a boon when on a backpacking holiday. On arrival I was able to wash out a few items and they were dry a couple of hours later. The towels were especially fluffy and there were some nice complimentary toiletries to take home (OK, I'm sad but I can't help myself!)
There was no disturbance from other guests at night and even though we left the window slightly open we could hear no traffic despite the fact that we were close to the railway station and on a very busy road.
This hotel has been recently renovated and refurbished and it shows. All the furnishings are in good condition and everything is in good repair. It seemed to me that its three star rating was something of an injustice. This hotel is very good and three stars just don't say that to me.
Breakfast was served from 6.00 a.m. until around 11.00 a.m. and was an all-you-can-eat buffet which was included in the price of the room. It was the best breakfast I have had in a European hotel of this standard. There were scrambled eggs, sausage, cold meats, a variety of breads, cheese, fruit, yogurts, cereal, juices, tea and wonderful coffee. There was also a huge pile of sliced peppers, ubiquitous in Hungary, which may sound like an odd thing for breakfast but all the Hungarian guests were eating them so we took our cue from them!
The hotel is in a superb location, close to Keleti mainline railway station which also has an underground station within it. It is also well placed for bus services to all parts of the city and suburbs. There are a couple of convenience stores nearby and great baked snacks can be bought from the stalls next to the station. If you prefer to walk, the hotel is about ten minutes walk from the heart of the city and some of the best known tourist attractions.
Rooms vary in price depending on size, day of week, etc but start at around 76 Euro for a double room. There are 40 rooms (including single, double, triples and quads, some specially designed for disabled guests and designated smoking and non-smoking rooms) and 5 suites. The prices are compare very well for a city which, on the whole, does not have a wealth of decent mid-range hotels.
Other services offered by this hotel include baby sitting, currency exchange, fax/photocopy service, laundry, secure carparking and airport transfers.
I would recommend this hotel unreservedly to anyone thinking of a trip to Budapest. The surroundings and service were well above my expectations and for the price I think it would be hard to beat this in a city centre location.
Hotel Baross Panzio
VII Baross Ter
Budapest
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
fizzytom
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Member: Fiona
Location: Newcastle, UK
Reviews written: 127
Trusted by: 16 members
About Me:
Eastern Europhile living in Northern England, just bought a holiday home in Slovenia
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