I heard the hotel is absolutely stunning, but what about the executive apt? I have some points that I can redeem, and am considering to stay at the Mariott. The rep on the phone couldn't tell me if the apt has the Danube river view or not. The exec apt is surprisingly a lot cheaper, about 85 Euro, while the room is 125Euro. Any thoughts?

I have stayed at the hotel in 2002 and 2003 for 3 or 4 days each time. We really enjoyed the hotel, the room and especially the view. The location is excellent, easy to walk to many places, or to the metro that takes you to Heros Square etc. Sorry, but I have no info on the apt.

Cameron, what floor did you stay? I heard the lower floors tend to be a bit more noisy. I requested to be on the top floor with the Danube view with a balcony. We'll see if that request goes through

Either would be quite different from the Helios pension and a better choice.

The Marriott hotel and the executive apartments are a couple of blocks apart.

I stayed in the apartments, which i would not hesitate to recommend, for about 10 days last year.

There are 2 parts, the original 19th C building and the tower behind it.

The units in the older building are very high-ceilinged and their layouts may be -- well, not quirky but they feel retro-fitted, though they are completely renovated and convenient.

The new building mostly faces a courtyard and is quiet. The best units are on the top 2 floors; the top (11th??) floor units have incredible views over the adjacent rooftops to the Danube.

The service is attentive and the breakfasts are abundant.

As with any large apartment hotel there is a certain anonymity, as you would associate with a place lacking a public bar and a big lobby. None of that hotel bustle, in other words.

Very nice staff, willing to make restaurant bookings and just to chat, when the front desk is quiet.

Not sure without looking it up, but I think we were on the 4th and the 6th floors and both were very quiet. All rooms have balconies and views of the Danube, I believe. Imo, the view of the Castle, the Danube and the Chain Bridge is better than the view in the other direction.

Tedgale and Cameron thank you both for your reply. Budapest would be the end of my 2-wks trip so I wanted to splurge on a nicer hotel. So it sounds like both the hotel AND the executive apt would have the Danube view. Tedgale- is the executive apt a couple of blocks further out from the city center then?

Not at all. A couple of blocks south, running parallel to the Danube i.e. it is:

- perhaps 3 doors from the promenade along the river (Korso? Corso?)
- right around the corner from Vaci utca, the main stroll for tourists.

On a map, the nearest landmark is Petofi ter (Petofi Square), to which it stands adjacent.

The sidestreet in which it stands is nearly traffic free yet it is close to everything. We walked everywhere.

The area is generally intact and the apartment building is cleverly inserted into the block.

The area of the Marriott Hotel, by contrast, was largely reconstructed in the 70s, as that whole stretch along the Danube was destroyed in the war, I believe.

"I heard the hotel is absolutely stunning..."

h2babe - the hotel is nice but I would not go so far as to describe it as stunning. From the outside it's probably the ugliest building in the area but inside, the lobby and rooms are very nice. All rooms have a view of the river. I was on the 4th floor when I stayed and had no noise problems at all. If you expect a standard Marriott hotel you will not be disappointed but do not expect anything particularly special.

The Marriott hotel is in a great location for exploring Budapest. I don't know anything about the apartments so can't compare the two.