Villa Korda

Clean rooms and working Wi-Fi were about the only good points for me. This was one of my worst travel experiences in 20 years, and I wouldn't recommend the place. It doesn't feel like a hotel because it offers no hotel services. It's far from the main sights, up in the Budapest Hills, about 40 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by taxi from the center. There are three floors and only stairs. Parking is limited to two cars, or you can park at the roadside. Nobody offered help loading or unloading luggage, and the staff never smiled. They do speak some English when they want to, but often seemed too lazy to respond. There was only one towel for the face, shower, and everything else, even when more than one person was in the room. Towels were changed every three days. Extra or clean towels cost more. Breakfast was enough for three or four people and wasn't replenished. Coffee also cost extra. At 9:20 pm, the owners came around asking people not to talk in the hall because someone nearby might be sleeping. But their PianoBar saloon was reserved for the owner and his friends, and when they partied, they could carry on until 2 or 3 am without caring whether guests wanted to sleep. Don't even try asking them to stop. Getting anything you needed was difficult. You had to ask repeatedly, and then pay for it. One British couple asked for covered parking and were quoted 50 euros a day, sharing it with the owner's car and personal belongings. When someone asked them to call a taxi, they said yes, but they only had a 20 euro note for the call.

The rooms were clean and had AC and good mattresses, though the amenities were limited. There was no phone, minibar, or hair dryer. The walls are quite thin, so you can hear it clearly if your neighbors are especially loud. The location is lovely and quiet, with great views over northern Budapest. It's a good fit if you want to experience the Buda hills, but it's too far from the main sights for a first visit to Budapest.

I visited a guest for breakfast but didn't stay there. The entrance and reception look really nice. The breakfast, though, was awful for the price: no hot food, just some bread, ham, and cheese.

We asked for a comfortable room for us and our toddler, but nobody acknowledged the request. They put us in an attic room that was a nightmare to climb up and down with our little one.