Hotel Magistern

The hotel presents itself as a conference center, but the internet was practically unusable. Sending an email with a 5 MB attachment took about 50 minutes. The bar usually closed by 22:00, even when the hotel was full of conference attendees, and the woman at the bar made it clear that customers were bothering her. Most of the staff came across as unacceptably arrogant, with a few exceptions. On checkout day, a cleaner came into my room around 8:45 to see whether I was still there, though checkout was at 10:00. Completely unacceptable. Cleanliness was awful throughout. There were areas in my room that looked untouched for years, stains on supposedly clean towels, a disgusting toilet with a “sterile” paper sign, and spiderwebs above the bar in the main restaurant. The shower curtain was revolting too, and I doubt much has changed since the hotel opened, probably sometime in the 1970s. The food might pass in a cheap canteen, but it wasn’t acceptable for a three-star hotel. I was there for a conference, though why anyone would choose such a shabby venue is another matter. This was probably the worst hotel I’ve stayed in, and I’ve been to quite a few. Siófok is a nice place in summer by Lake Balaton, and there are plenty of other hotels, so I’d book elsewhere if you can.

The restaurant serves good quality traditional Hungarian food. The hotel itself is comfortable, with big rooms, a good view and friendly staff. It’s very close to the beach, though the place isn’t especially modern.

I’ve come back every summer for the third time now, and I like staying here. The people are nice if you treat them like people, and I can see the hard work they’re putting into improving the hotel. The bathrooms have been modernized, with two styles to choose from. Breakfast and dinner are acceptable, and there are good restaurants about five minutes away by car. It’s close to the beach, and the wellness area is fine to have, though this isn’t really a wellness hotel. It’s more useful in winter or bad weather. The Wi-Fi is sloth slow, practically ISDN speed.

The hotel is right on Lake Balaton, with a nice view from the upper floors. The rooms are small but good, and the bathroom is nice. There’s an indoor pool and sauna, plus a good restaurant.