"The best hotel in the world" – excuse me? Not even in Europe; or Hungary, for that matter. "Hotel" just may be the only word that rings true in the above statement.
It's nice...kind of. There's free wine – at a certain time of day. The rooftop bar is indeed lovely, and the bartender did a great job on my amaretto sour – the service, however, is painfully slow, cold, and inattentive.
The room looked nothing like what I saw in the pictures – because those photos show rooms in a different wing, as I found out later. It was, however, spacious and well-equipped – and if it wasn't for the empty minibar (can't help wondering why it's there in the first place) I'd have nothing to complain about.
One receptionist neglected to take a copy of my passport at check-in, and another never thought it necessary to ask for ID when I forgot my keycard inside the room and had to ask for a new one. For all I know, anyone could have introduced themselves with my name and gotten access to my room in a matter of minutes. This may sound paranoid, but I've heard of worst things happen in the walls of hotels that ignore simple security measures.
Thus this important tip – use the safe.
The room service menu is two pages long and proudly states that everything is available 24 hours... the first page is cold snacks, the kind normally found in the minibar. The second one offers a limited selection of barely edible warm-ish dishes, as well as sandwiches served with crisps (yes, crisps). My soup arrived cold and the salad I didn't even dare to try. I attempted to place this order after midnight, and the person who took it was downright rude – after being hung up on, I called back to find out the person had "bad signal"... More like bad service, if you ask me. I wasn't charged for this order and was also brought a cheesecake I never ordered.
Thanks, I guess... because here's the problem – I prefer to stay at 5* hotels because I appreciate good food (and often do it after midnight) almost as much as I appreciate good service. Guests who are willing to pay for both of those hardly go looking for freebies when it comes to dining, especially when it looks like junk and tastes even worse. Forget the customers – it's an insult to the ingredients you use in your "cooking".
The lunch and intermezzo menus at both the bar and the restaurant on ground floor are the same as the room service menu, plus 3-4 dishes, which sound just as boring as the rest.
I was way too disappointed by my previous attempts to eat in that building to order food at the rooftop bar. Plus a friend of mine, who is local, confirmed that it wasn't worth it.
The logic here is pretty simple: What's the point of staying in a fancy huge room if one can't make the most of this experience as a whole? If it wasn't for the hunger – or my craving for something other than goulash soup – I'd have spent a lot more time there. Instead I feel like I've wasted money on this good-for-nothing pretty imitation of a five-star hotel.
More tips – if you dare to order room service, go for the goulash or the cheesecake, and never order sandwiches at night unless you wish to suffocate. To be safe, avoid nighttime room service altogether and, unless you're a foodie like me, you may actually enjoy your stay at Aria.
The truth is that there are hotels in Budapest, which I would call great without hesitation. As of now, Aria still has a long way to go. Though I do hope for this review to be proven wrong sooner rather than later, there's no chance of me coming back or recommending this hotel to anyone.
Property:
Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection
Address: 5 Hercegprimas Street, Budapest 1051, Hungary
Phone Number:
Region:
Hungary >
Central Hungary >
Budapest
> District V / Inner City
, Belváros-Lipótváros
Amenities:
Bar / Lounge
Beverage Selection
Business Centre with Internet Access
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Free Breakfast
Free High Speed Internet ( WiFi )
Kitchenette
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Restaurant
Room Service
Shuttle Bus service
Spa
Suites
Swimming Pool
Wheelchair access
Airport Transportation
Ranked #1 of 334 Hotels in Budapest
Price Range (Based on Average Rates): £££
Hotel Class:5 star — Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection 5*
Number of rooms: 49
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
-
Recognised by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure as one of the best hotels in Europe, the luxurious Aria Hotel Budapest, brings a unique musically inspired travel experience to the historic city center. Aria combines incredible Neo-Baroque style with the generous amenities and guest-focused, unpretentious service the Library Hotel Collection is known for. Aria offers guests the richest package of complimentary amenities available in Budapest, including free breakfast, complimentary afternoon wine and cheese reception, free WiFi and use of in room Ipad, Nespresso Coffee Machine with free coffee capsule assortments, free bottled spring water, turn-down service with handcrafted fine chocolates, access to our Music Library and Harmony Spa.
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