Calling all Budapest experts - pls help.

I won a bid for Art Otel Budapest (in Bem Rakpart 16 19) for $65/nite for the end of Oct trip.
If anyone has stayed there, would u mind sharing the experience ? In tripadvisor, the reviews are quite positive.

What is the best way to go from the airport to the hotel & vice versa ?
Is taxi expensive ?
From what I read in this forum, Zona taxi seems to get good reviews.
Can we call them when we arrive ?

Don't know the hotel.

No need to call Zona taxi. They have exclusive rights to operate the rank at the airport. See http://www.bud.hu/english/transport/taxi

They will take you back out to the airport for even less -- 3400HUF, if memory serves me well.

For a solo traveller, the airport minibus service is cheaper, and is fairly good.

Not a Budapest expert, but loved the city. I'm sorry, don't know the hotel. We arrived by train from Vienna and took a taxi to our hotel, and likewise took a taxi from our hotel to the airport for our trip home. We had the hotel arrange the taxi to the airport. I don't remember either fare being very expensive.

I have a long file on Budapest. If you'd like it, e-mail me.

Actually, we'd be arriving at the train station from Vienna too (Giovanna's reply struck me!)...so, I take it that we can just grab any taxi available there ?
Is (taxi) safer & better than in Prague?

Taxis in Budapest are regulated, and rip-offs are uncommon but not unheard of.

The regulated price is moderately high, and many operators charge less. The Budapest tourist office advises that it is best to call one of a number of operators which it lists: it says that they are reliable and give good value. The one I use is City Taxi, and the reason I adopted them is that their number is so easy to remember: 2111111. They have people in their phone centre who can speak English. I can't say if they are the best or the cheapest, but they are very good and they are cheap.

Hi,
Rick Steve's stayed hotel Art Otel in Budapest . They showed it on TV. It looked like a very lovely place. Well worth the money! Hotels are not cheap to come by in Hungary. Thank God I stay with family and friends. I just pay them about $35 a day. It is well worth it. My aunt cooks nice meals and washes all my laundry too. They need the money more then the hotels do for sure. Plus I take them around where ever they need to go. And They show me areas I've never seen in Hungary too. I usually go for 6-7 weeks, from May until Early July. I love Hungary and miss it, and my family and friends also. I'm looking for a cheap flight already for mid-to late May until early July 2008.. Hey, Maybe we'll met in Hungary sometime...Alizka

I walked by this hotel several times this summer. My wife and I were staying at the Hotel Victoria, which is just a block or two south of the Art Otel. Both hotels are well-located facing the river. In fact, the Art Otel, as I remember it, is closer to being across from the Parliament building.

The location is excellent because of the views but you will also be close to the Chain Bridge and not too far from castle hill. And many good restaurants.

Arriving at a train station can give you an almost guaranteed meeting with a rip off taxi.

When you arrive call Tele5 taxi. They have an english speaking operator and are one of, if not the biggest, taxi operator in Budapest so a cab will be with you within minutes at the station. It will cost you about 6 euros to the hotel.

Their phone number is:

06 30 555 5555

this number should work directly from your mobile.

Do not chance taxis at the station !!

Last time I was in Budapest, I took Bus 200 from the airport to the metro terminal of Line 3.
Line 3 takes you downtown to Deák Ferenc tér, where you change to Metro line 2 for two more stops to Batthyany tér where you hotel says it's located.
Costs are appr. 250 HUF per person.