GillsinEurope

Does anyone have any great recommendations for a budget hotel or apartment in central Budapest? We are looking to spend less than or equal to about 50 EUR per night. Thanks!

sandi_travelnut

Did you check on VRBO.COM or slowtrav.com?

centralmainer

Check out www.budabab.com

Rates are quite reasonable; location is excellent; hosts are very helpful.

GillsinEurope

I've found the Golden Stars apartment on VRBO. It's 55 EUR per night (Dec 7-9). Have either one of you heard of it? It's got great reviews on trip adviser, but they almost seem too good to be true. I'll check out budabab.com.

Thanks!

Padraig

I'm going on memory here, but I don't think I am mistaken. The Golden Stars apartment has been promoted by spamming here an on at least one other forum that I know. So I would be suspicious of tripadvisor reviews that "almost seem too good to be true".

I used AlfaApartments. I cannot find their own website (I have changed computers since, and don't have all the old favourites). This works: http://www.guideviaggi.net/english/alfaapartments.htm

I used one of the apartments on Erkel utca: liked the location; liked the apartment; liked the price; didn't like the washing machine, but that's another story.

GillsinEurope

Thanks for the tip. I had suspicions about the Golden Stars, but in the back of my head kind of wanted to hear the opposite. Oh well. I'll check out the apartment you mentioned Padraig. Anyone ever stay or hear of this one:

http://www.vrbo.com/15412

I've got an offer from them as well for 48 EUR per night, but want to make sure it's legit.

Thanks again!

gregeva1

Gills: My brother stayed at that VRBO last April and loved it! It was very convenient and was very modern. Hope that this info is helpful.

GillsinEurope

Thank you! I am just now looking at the Central Hotels Budapest website and the apartments look wonderful. Nice to hear that someone else liked them as well. Do you have any idea what price he got?

gregeva1

He had a 1 bedroom apartment and he paid 400 EUR for 9 nights with a pullout couch in the living room.. real nice bathroom, kitchen was new but not a lot of pots and pans. He said it was 2 blocks from the Opera House subway stop. The security was good too for the building. Hope that this info was helpful. Have a great time, jealous of you!

GillsinEurope

Yes that helps a lot. Thanks for the information. My husband and I are young and have been staying in hostels almost everywhere we go. I'm checking out the Unity Hostel in Budapest that is very near to the VRBO apartment I listed. I'm trying to decide if I want to pay double the price for our "own place" versus saving some dough but having to share a bathroom. Decisions, decisions....

Anyone ever stay or hear of the Unity Hostel?

modglila

Golden Stars is my top ranking right now too. Other than spamming for ratings, has anyone heard anything bad about it? I didn't think their Web site was too good to be true, but I did like the services they provide. I think their photography is a little artsy. They don't show many straight-forward photos, mainly artsty shots of the apartment. I also have Central Apartments on my list.

Did the person who recommended BudaBAB actually stay there? The photos aren't very good and it looks like the room is really small. I like that there is some personal information on the Web site and that they live onsite.

I was surprised by how many places there are to choose from, but none have reached out and grabbed me.
Lisa

Padraig

modglila wrote: "Golden Stars is my top ranking right now too. Other than spamming for ratings, has anyone heard anything bad about it?"

You gloss over "spamming for ratings" as if it is harmless. Somebody associated with the apartment pretends to be a disinterested party and gives high praise in a number of forums. That is dishonest. Where I can, I avoid dealing with people who are dishonest: you can't believe their promises.

modglila

I'm not glossing over anything. I took spamming to mean that they were advertising or suggesting their place. Making up fake reviews is different. Just curious, how can you tell the reviews were fake? That could happen all the time.

Padraig

modglila, it's the form of spamming that is dishonest. It comes, not as a message form the proprietor, but as one from a satisfied customer. I don't remember all the details, but one recommendation from a satisfied customer who, I think, presented as American, came from a Hungarian address.

I just went and read the tripadvisor reviews. I smell a rat.

I take your point about fake reviews and yes, I do believe that they happen all the time. I am suspicious of reviews that are "too" positive, and sometimes filter out negative reviews: some might be placed maliciously by competitors, and some come from people who are disgruntled because of things that I consider unreasonable ("I didn't like the wallpaper, and the refused to change us to another room on the lame excuse that all other rooms were occupied.&quot.

In spite of all that, I often use tripadvisor reviews because I find them helpful. But I read them in crap-detection mode.

fatherof_2

To modglila:
This summer with my family (2 kids, my wife and I) stayed in Golden Stars Apartment. To book this apartment was one of the best decisions in our trip planning! I made some detailed posts (reviews) when we was back, please check-out in my 'history'. All in all I cannot recommend this apartment enough !!

To GillsinEurope:
'The Golden Stars [...] almost seem too good to be true': So I also cannot say NOTHING wrong about it! We had an unforgettable holiday in this apartment and definitely will come back there again!

Just for example: checked on tripadvisor #1. 'Corinthia Grand Hotel' there: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...-Budapest.html
The hotel has more than 150 excellent reviews from 155. So it's also could be 'too good to be true'? May be they are spaming? May be hundreds of excellent hotels/hostels/other lodgings all over the world spaming for ratings too? Not think so, they are just doing their job in highest level (like Golden Stars where we stayed in Budapest)!

To Padraig:
Where you saw that Golden Stars spaming? Please, show us some links (facts). When we was on holidays in Portugal I wrote a review from the hotel room where we stayed at. So why should be suspicious if American(s) posting from Hungary? Especially if in the particular apartment/hotel provided Internet access? Anyway, please show us this post (postings), and we will decide.

Just my opinion: if somebody would like to spam they could easily do it through proxy servers with no effort! I think you agree with me. Finally, I think nobody have no right to incriminate somebody if you haven't real facts in your hands, or haven't been personally in particular hotel/apartment. So sorry, I am not about you, nothing personal! I think in life could be different situations with different point of views! Please, share with us your opinion..

I will try to follow up this forum as time permits. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for all Fodorites!

modglila

We ended up not choosing Golden Star but it was because we found an apartment with two bedrooms that we liked equally as well. I hope it works out to be okay. A lot of the time I go by my gut feeling when I communicate with them ahead of time. I ask a lot of questions and I pay attention to how many of the questions they answer and how quickly they do so. I also tend to ask a lot of "extra" questions about the town itself and some of the people are so much more forthcoming with extra information that will make our stay more enjoyable. I give them extra points for that.

Golden Stars responded to all of my e-mails in a very positive manner. I read through their reviews and didn't see anything that looked like it was them lying, but I don't have much experience. I've only traveled one other time. So, we chose the other apartment that we liked equally as well just to be on the safe side. We did this before the last posting by Fatherof_2. We chose the Liszt Ferenc Apartment from Budapest Lets. It's on the 4th floor, but they have an elevator. Hopefully, there will be a good view.

I spent an entire day laying out our trip yesterday. We don't go until August, but I have the time right now. Once mid January comes, I go back to a crazy schedule and then before you know it, I'll be on the plane! We booked airfare too yesterday. Ouch!!! We booked with Northwest Airlines because they said that they will at least provide vouchers for another flight if the price goes down. I don't know why airfare has to be such a gamble.

Well, I have digressed.

Lisa

Padraig

I have dealt with Budapest Lets (for a different apartment) and found them satisfactory. I looked at the pictures of the apartment, and it seems nice. Will there be a fight over who gets the large bedroom and who gets the small one?

Liszt Ferenc ter is a good location, close to Octogon which is a transport hub, and within easy walking distance of many things you might want to visit.

Now you have something to look forward to, a visit to one of my favourite cities!

modglila

Probably no fighting over the larger room. I have slept on the couch when there is one available and don't mind. I mainly need my neck pillow and I can sleep just about anywhere!

We're staying in a really small room in Prague with an extra cot. I think my companion is taking the cot (her choice for that room) there so I'll probably let her have her choice in Vienna and Budapest.

We were able to find lodging with separate beds in all three cities and the cost was very reasonable. The lodging costs are less than when we went to Italy two years ago.

LSUvetgirl

I dont think centralmainer replied to your question about budabab. I know you've already selected something but I'll reply for completeness' sake since I stayed at the BudaBaB a couple of years ago. I like for threads to have nice tidy endings

I was traveling alone and I stayed in their small room, which for one person was quite ample. I loved everything about it! The hosts were sooooo friendly, helpful, accommodating, I mean it was beyond anything I could have ever hoped for. Every morning Ron (one of the hosts) would have this great breakfast spread complete with all sorts of fresh-from-the-market specialties; he loaned me a guidebook, made sure I had a bag to store my wet clothes when I went to the baths, called restaurants for me to find out if I needed reservations....and traveling alone, it was so nice to have someone to share my adventures with at the end of the day! The building was beautiful, and the area felt safe but totally nontouristy. One of the best bars in town is right across the street though - the name is eluding me right now.

I'm not sure if the large room has its own bathroom; for the small room I did have to go through the living room to go to a shared bath, which was a little uncomfortable for the first day but I got used to it. It really almost immediately felt like you were staying with friends or relatives in their cool Budapest apartment

Heheh, didn't realize I'd rave as much as I have. It really was one of the best places I've stayed. My husband and I are goign to be leaving Europe this year and I really hope we will be able to fit in another trip to Budapest so he can see this great city. And I wouldn't dream of staying anywhere else

Carrie

Giusy

Ciao,

I have been to Budapest last year and I went with my husband to Puccini Apartment, close to Oktogon square. It was a very nice and clean apartment, but ground floor. The apartment was like the pictures we saw in www.dunaflat.com We paid 50 euro/day for 2.

Ciao,

Giusy