Pulling into a quiet road to the side of the Basilica gave me a small taste of what I was in for. The Radisson Collection Basilica hotel has a refined, but fairly discrete frontage in an elegant building. And it is literally next to the St Stephen’s Basilica. One could easily imagine that the building had once been used by the church in some manner.
The location is top notch. It is right by the pedestrianised streets, full of bars and restaurants (some of them very good indeed). The Banks of the Danube are just a couple of minutes walk.
The entryway is very welcoming. I do wonder at the point of the rungs though, it makes wheeling a suitcase across difficult, so I could imagine a wheelchair would be worse.
We were offered a drink on arrival (prosecco – which seems to be the standard in hotels. Would be nice if there was something on offer linked to the country of you are in rather than reducing everything to the plastic version)
The staff were very friendly and took the time to show us a map of Budapest and point out some of the important landmarks.
The lift has a system where you have to use your key card before you can select your floor. I really appreciate the extra security this offers. It did take us a minute or two to work it out, but once we had understood it became automatic (wave the keycard at the sensor inside the lift and push the button at the same time).
Upstairs has an immediate feeling of luxury. The high ceilings go a long way to help this, and these ceilings are high. The door to the room feels heavy, not heavy in a fire door sort of way, but heavy in a these are really good quality doors kind of way.
All the materials used seem to be noble. From the desktop to the sink. This is a new hotel, so you expect everything to be in good condition, but it feels like this will stay in good condition for many years. The wooden floor is the type of parquet you expect to belong in an old elegant building like this yet is clearly new.
The view out to the Basilica is incredible. The square in front is pedestrianised and there is very little traffic noise. The soundproofing in the hotel is good all round, I didn’t hear anything at all from other guests.
The bathroom is a reasonable size, with a proper door to the shower. The shower has both rainfall and ordinary shower heads, and a very clear way of choosing which you want. No instructions needed, just 2 buttons, with images on so you know which is which. Push the button you want and the shower comes on. There is a clear temperature control, and you can turn the button to adjust the water flow. It is the clearest shower system I have seen in a hotel and really should be the standard.
I very much appreciated the lit up, adjustable, magnifying mirror. Thought has gone to what is provided which is great. There are wash cloths, robes, slippers and the usual toiletries. There is an eco-friendly push for re-using towels and no individual portions of soap for example. The hairdryer provided is a good one with a long lead, and it isn’t attached to the wall which is very much appreciated. One person can dry their hair while another is showering for example.
There is a Nespresso machine, which capsules (including decaf) provided and a good selection of tea.
One touch I appreciated is that there is water provided – in glass bottles. Not only that but the glasses that go with them are stylish, heavy glasses, rather than just the catering norm.
In terms of the bed, I don’t think I have ever seen a thicker mattress. Firm and comfortable, though again this is a new hotel so is to be expected. The pillow menu is a nice touch and the memory foam pillow provided helped make it a good night’s sleep. The curtains are full black-out, which is needed because the Basilica is lit up at nighttime.
It is a shame the thermostat doesn’t come with a blackout. I’m used to a dark room so any lights bother me at night. Fortunately, I found putting a sock over it did the trick. The light on the bathroom mirror switch provides enough light for a nighttime trip without needing to turn the main light on, which is always nice.
Breakfast is in the atrium. It is beautifully decorated in a style I would call retro-modern. You can certainly tell that has been done in the last couple of years. The art-deco style banquettes are covered in green velvet and there is a lot of natural wood. The all-important coffee is table service, although there is a machine as well if you don’t want to wait. My order of an Americano won’t test anyone, but they happily produced an Oat milk latté for my daughter which was much savoured.
There was a full offering, both hot and cold, and omelettes can be made to order. The muesli bar had a good selection, both of seeds and dried fruit. Honey direct from a honeycomb is a nice touch. The ham and cheese selection was nicely varied and even featured some freshly sliced Spanish ham with the ham leg in evidence. There was paprika salami and chicken ham provided too. I enjoyed the smoked salmon together with some cream cheese and avocado.
The pastries were of particularly good quality, and I liked the fact the butter was on its own little plate so you could just grab one. Prosecco was available, if you wanted to make it a special occasion.
There were separate gluten free products, individually wrapped, and a separate gluten free toaster which is a nice touch even if the range wasn’t large.
Overall, the breakfast was a very nice way to start the day. The atmosphere is comfortable, calming and it was a very agreeable way to start the day.
The Radisson Collection Basilica Budapest is a lovely hotel in a great location. It is smaller, and more intimate, than many of its competitors in the city. For anyone looking for a quiet, elegant hotel in Budapest, this is a strong choice. I would be very happy to stay there again and do not hesitate to include it in itineraries including a stop in Budapest such as my Bratislava to Bucharest trip.
Important note: This is not an advert. I received a discounted rate for this stay, but this has not influenced my review. Any links go directly to the hotel and are not affiliate links. All opinions are my own.
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