On my recent trip with Jet2CityBreaks, we trialled one of their indulgent escape packages for our press trip. Jet 2 do not only offer flights to various destinations, but also have great holiday bundles for budget travellers through to more luxorious globetrotters. We flew out from Manchester, but the north and midlands are the main airports for their destinations, but as of March 2017 they will be flying from London Stansted too.
As a part of this particular trip to Budapest, we stayed at the newly refurbished Hilton Budapest. A total fee for three nights at the Hilton Budapest and return flights from Budapest to Manchester is only £455! Wait until you see the hotel. I’m sure you will all be ready to book this package instantly!
The hotel was in a perfect location. Quiet and very residential and it being the only 5 star hotel on the Buda site, it added that extra touch of glamour. The hotel was also decked out with lovely Christmas decorations, ready for the festive period.
Budapest is a café culture city so there was a few lovely little cafés and restaurants around the hotel making it very accessible if you don’t want to leave the Buda side on an evening.
As you enter the hotel, you’re greeted by a beautiful lobby with pristine floors, friendly and welcoming staff and this sense of pure elegance. As soon as I walked in, I muttered “This doesn’t look like your average Hilton, wow.” It was quite something.
As you walk towards the elevator to go up to the rooms, you pass through the bar area which has a lovely seating area. Perfect for a spot of Hungarian cake and coffee or even a glass of champagne.
As you head towards the lift, there is a florist to your left, there is some beauty shops next to the lift and a wine cellar down below, complete with it’s very own wine bar. Very cool! The Hilton Budapest have seriously pulled out the stops with this hotel.
After going into the lift, you’re greeted by a wonderful, well lit hallway.
We stayed on the first floor but because of the hotel being suited on Castle Hill, it has the advantage of the glorious views even from the first floor. It was definitely another WOW moment, that’s for sure.
I was totally impressed with the room. It took away that perception of the generic looking rooms of the Hilton and gave me this truly different impression.
The bed was extremely comfortable. It was so large that even when I tried to starfish in the middle of it, I couldn’t even get close to any of the sides. That’s when you know you have a decent sized hotel bed. The pillows were extremely fluffy and soft, possibly filled with feathers.
When you’re sitting on the bed, you get the perfect view opposite the flat screen tv, making it perfect for those early morning coffees and news catch up in bed.
My favourite part of the room was the gold detailing that went around the place. Around the bins, lamps, bed side tables, etc. It made it look super modern and warm.
As you headed down the little mini corridor within the room, you would find the wardrobes for your clothes and essential electronics, such as a hairdryer and a safe to store any valuables you may have. The drawers also had soft robes inside too, which was great. Next to the wardrobes were the double doors for bathroom.
The bathroom was filled with spot lights, giving it all a precious glow. On the wall there was a vanity mirror which was a lovely addition and to the right of it was a magnified mirror. Below the sink there as a collection of towels, rolled up on a stunning gold rack.
The toiletries in the bathroom were Peter Thomas Roth, a well known, quality brand within the skincare industry. It was nice to see high end toiletries was provided to the guests.
There was a bathtub on one side of the bathroom and on the other side there was a overhead shower area, enclose off with a glass partition. I loved the design of the shower, as the shower dials were situated away from the shower head. This allowed me to turn on the water and letting the water reach the correct temperature before entering. However, the only downfall was the shower didn’t reach a high temperature of water, the same way the bathtub did.
The services in the hotel were great. The wi-fi was extremely fast, which was great for when I needed to catch up with social media in the evenings. They also had a great gym on the first floor too, which was accessible to all of the guests.
I also loved the plug facilities in the room, there was some British style plugs, as well as european plugs which even had USB ports in the sockets. A great way of offering many different methods of charging, especially when you have many electronics to charge.
The breakfast at the Hilton was served like a buffet in the Icon restauraunt. From yoghurts to granola, eggs to waffles and cheese to dim sum. There was literally everything! They even make a good latte and i’m a bit of a latte snob.
If you’re looking for somewhere to eat on your first or last night, I would definitely recommend the Icon restaurant with the Hilton. It was probably my favourite meal out of the whole trip.
The starter I had was homemade ravioli stuffed with forest mushroom, garnished with some black sesame. The dish was cooked perfectly, the pasta al dente with a beautiful creamy white sauce. The dish was so large for a starter, but it was nice to see they offer great portion sizes.
For mains I ordered the roasted cod fillet in a saffron sauce with Jasmine rice, pine nuts and vegetables. It was light and flavoursome, just what I needed after a heavy and filling starter.
I was so full that I didn’t even have a chance to try dessert, but they looked exceptional too.
Overall, our stay at Hilton Budapest was just phenomenal. I would definitely recommend anyone visiting Budapest to stay at the Hilton Budapest as it offers a completely different experience compared to the many luxury hotels on the Pest side.
If you need any extra tips on what to do whilst you’re in Budapest, check out this post.
Star Rating for Hilton Budapest:
Until next time…
