Budapest is one of Europe’s cheaper city break destinations, but just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you need to slum it.
If you’re searching for inspiration for a fun place to stay in Budapest without breaking the bank, here are the city's best budget hotel rooms.
The best budget hotels in Budapest are:
- Best for café culture: Gerlóczy Rooms de Lux, Booking.com
- Best for an old world experience: Danubius Astoria, Booking.com
- Best for relaxation: Danubius Margitsziget Grand Hotel, Booking.com
- Best for the view: Lanchíd 19, Hotels.com
- Best for history: Palazzo Zichy, Booking.com
- Best for nightlife: Soho Hotel, Booking.com
- Best for health: Mirage Medic Hotel, Booking.com
- Best for art lovers: Art’Otel, Booking.com
- Best for hostels: Lavender Circus, Booking.com
- Best for fashion: Magazine Hotel, Booking.com
Best for café culture: Gerlóczy Rooms de Lux
Neighbourhood: V District
Gerlóczy Rooms de Lux sits on the corner of a quiet square downtown, and its cafe is famous for its baked goods. Visitors can book one of the 19 rooms tucked above this Parisian style café and brasserie. The accommodation is charming and simple, and more akin to private rooms rather than a hotel, but it comes with plenty of period charm with details such as brass taps, cut glass and silk wallpaper. The best thing is just coming downstairs to read the newspaper and sip a coffee in the cafe.
Price: Rates from €128 (£110)
Best for an old world experience: Danubius Astoria
Neighbourhood: V District
Step back in time when you walk into the lobby of the downtown Danubius Astoria Hotel. You won’t find any quirky design or bold colours here, but rather crimson silks, heavy drapes and carpeted floors. The best feature of the Astoria is its classic cafe adorned with chandeliers and clad with mirrored walls. The hotel’s faded grandeur is part of its charm, and you can’t beat its central location.
Price: Rates from €99 (£85)
Best for relaxation: Danubius Margitsziget Grand Hotel
Neighbourhood: XIII District
This grand hotel was one of Budapest’s first large hotels, and you’ll still feel the atmosphere of its 19th century past clinging to the style and decor. The Margitsziget Grand Hotel is at the centre of Margaret Island, sandwiched between Buda and Pest in the Danube, where some rooms look out to the surrounding parkland and others out to the river. An underground passage connects it to the thermal baths and wellness centre of its sister hotel, a 1960s structure just metres away, and guests are free to use the facilities next door. This hotel is an ideal escape if you want break from the buzz of the city and despite the title, it’s a good budget option if you’re looking for a relaxing trip.
Price: Rates from €100 (£117)
Best for the view: Lanchíd 19
Neighbourhood: I District
This design hotel has impressive views – either of the Danube or Buda Castle behind it. But this hotel is beautiful on the inside too, with designer rooms and social spaces that are modern, open plan and bright. Glass is a main feature of the hotel, and its 45 rooms and three suites sport a different look. Although nothing about this initially appears "budget", if you book in advance, some excellent deals are available.
Price: Rates from €92 (£79)
Best for history: Palazzo Zichy
Neighbourhood: VIII District
You can still stay in a palace on a budget. This 19th-century mansion, built originally for Count Zichy, has been remodelled to accommodate 80 rooms. It mixes up original elements like the stuccoed walls and ornate fountains at the entrance, but the rest of the hotel is jazzed up with modern design. This hotel has a long history with the Zichy family, but was left in a poor condition until the owner bought the hotel in 2007 and repurposed it. Other perks of staying here include the lavish buffet breakfast, the sauna and gym.
Price: Rates from €92 (£79)
Best for nightlife: Soho Hotel
Neighbourhood: VII District
There are 76 rooms and eight suites at this trendy hotel. Bright colours like purples and electric greens dominate the decor, especially in the suites; and although some rooms are on the small side, you get value for your money. The location in the heart of the VII District puts you in the middle of the action, with the city’s most famous ruin bars, like Szimpla Kert, Instant and Fogas Ház, just minutes away.
Price: Rates from €86 (£74)
Best for health: Mirage Medic Hotel
Neighbourhood: VI District
The first thing you notice about the Mirage Medic Hotel is its exterior: a gorgeous, white palatial villa overlooking Heroes Square. Beyond its downtown location and classical elegance, there is also a traditional Chinese medicine centre on site, specialising in acupuncture, massages and herbal remedies. The price includes a full buffet breakfast, which features immune-boosting teas and dishes – and some rooms even come with a balcony.
Price: Rates from €90 (£77)
Best for art lovers: Art’Otel
Neighbourhood: I District
With some 600 paintings by American artist Donald Sultan, the Art’Otel lives up to its promise. There are 165 spacious rooms decorated with abstract lines and patches of bright colour. Most rooms have a spectacular view of the river and the Hungarian Parliament or of Buda Castle. If you’re an art lover, you can request a free guided tour of its art collection or, if you’d prefer to unwind, then head to the sauna or the gym. There is an excellent restaurant on site too.
Price: Rates from €142 (£122)
Best for hostels: Lavender Circus
Neighbourhood: V District
This gorgeous hostel is worth visiting for its hand-drawn decor. The rooms and spaces in this intimate hostel are unique and charming, mixing up vintage-style drawings on the wall that add a quirky character, with wooden beams and exposed brick: the whole experience feels like being wrapped up inside an artist’s sketchbook. Even though Lavender Circus calls itself a hostel, most of the rooms are private double or triple rooms with shared bathrooms, and there is a communal kitchen. The hostel operates a two-night minimum stay policy.
Price: Rates from €72 (£62)
Best for fashion: Magazine Hotel
Neighbourhood: V District
Located right next to St Stephen’s Basilica, this small hotel with 12 rooms and four apartments is close to the city’s main sites, fashion boutiques and high-end restaurants and bars. What sets the Magazine Hotel apart is its attention to contemporary design: each room has a unique style, some with bold stripes, others with cube-like metallic beds and plenty of large fashion photography prints. As a result, it makes the perfect backdrop to any Instagram shots.
Price: Rates from €84 (£72)
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