As part of a stay in Hungary with my wife, we stayed in a New York palace in Budapest, one of the historic hotels of the city. A look back at a somewhat disappointing stay.
Booking
I booked this hotel through the Marriott Bonvoy app a few weeks before we arrived in Budapest. The rate, around €125 per night excluding taxes, made it a good deal compared to other Marriott hotels in the city. I proceed to the reservation using the corporate code of my business.
Since I am traveling with my wife this time, I decide to use a Suite Night Award which will guarantee me an upgrade to an Executive Suite, one of the highest categories in the hotel.
Arrival
We arrived at the hotel with my wife from Debrecen, the second largest city in Hungary, by streetcar from the station.
The hotel doesn’t really have a reception upon arrival, and we have to load our luggage to the reception located after a little staircase.
The welcome is rather good and promptly our keys are given to us and we can access our suite. No mention of the Suite Night Award, but we are asked for the Elite benefit and we obviously choose the breakfast.
Room
Our suite was located on the third floor of the property.
The decoration of the rooms, but also of the suites, is very very disappointing, especially in a building of this standing. The carpet is rather dull, and the furniture is rather bland.
The entrance leads to a lounge sparsely furnished, and without welcome services at first.
From the lounge, we access the bedroom, in the middle of which is located a king size bed and a kind of statue that is quite scary!
The brightness of the whole space is quite limited and this is a real problem, but mainly due to the architecture of the hotel.
From the bedroom, you have access to the bathroom. This one is equipped with two basins that allow you to prepare yourself in parallel, a large bathtub in angle, as well as a large shower.
The products offered are of excellent quality, from the brand Acqua di Parma, which equips all the suites of the hotel.
In the end, a very disappointing sequel, which did not justify the use of a Suite Night Award.
Discover it nevertheless in video below:
Hotel facilities
The hotel is equipped with both a spa and a fitness room, a fitness room that we will not visit this time.
The spa is available free of charge to Platinum and above guests in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, as well as to same-day treatment guests.
We will book a spa treatment, a 60-minute massage performed in a couple’s treatment room. This room was even equipped with a bathtub, I imagine in combination with some of the treatments offered on the menu.
The treatment was excellent, and Platinum members and above receive a 20% discount.
The spa area is very well designed, with a beautiful heated pool that doubles as a Jacuzzi, in a room carved out of stone.
A relaxation area with Hammam and Sauna is also available.
Catering
The hotel is home to the city’s most famous café, the New York Café, for which tourists line up outside. This is also the hotel’s restaurant, which we used twice.
Room service
When we arrived at the hotel, we ordered room service, which was excellent. Almost the entire restaurant menu can be ordered as room service.
The foie gras, a great Hungarian specialty, was of excellent quality.
The roasted chicken breast was a bit dry, despite the paprika sauce.
Breakfast service
The breakfast service is served in a specific room, located downstairs from the main restaurant.
We were greeted a little coldly, then placed at a table near the buffet, located at the back of this room.
The elements of the buffet are rather qualitative, and quite diversified. The table service menu is interesting with Hungarian sausages with paprika that I recommend.
On the other hand… The service is absolutely horrible, slow, unsmiling, and this was verified both mornings we had breakfast at the hotel.
Dinner service at the gourmet restaurant
On our last night, before leaving early the next morning for Paris, we dined at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, located in a small glass room within the New York Café.
The service is impeccable in this small annex, but the prices are not sweet at all. The cuisine is well made, but slightly pretentious.
Departure
The departure formalities were very simple. An attention that I appreciate: baskets with a snack were given to us since the breakfast did not open until a few hours later!
Bottom line
A historical building certainly, but a decoration which lacks taste, sometimes loaded and sometimes bland. Can’t wait for the hotel to get out of the Italian management!
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