Al Habtoor Palace Budapest, Preferred Hotels & Resorts — Hotel in Budapest

The The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest is one of the most premier hotels in all of Budapest. It's located in the heart of downtown Budapest right next to the main Plaza Deák Ferenc. After our stay we decided that we did "like", but did not "love" this Ritz-Carlton location. I think the easiest way to break it down is with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good. As I mentioned earlier, the Ritz-Carlton, Budapest is located in the absolute best spot in the city. It is right next to the main plaza with serval different modes of transportation connecting through the plaza (metro's, buses, taxis) so you can find the correct path to go anywhere in the city in just minutes from the hotel. Another perk about the location, the Budapest Christmas Markets are pretty much literally outside the hotel too. There are Christmas markets located all throughout downtown Budapest and Ritz is in a great location to capitalize on that.

The hotel itself is very modern and the renovations over the year have maintained the top tier of classiness. Our room had beautiful views of St. Stephen's Basilica and the Ferris Wheel named the "Budapest Eye". Also in the room, I think I've slept in the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on in my life. The hotel provided fantastic amenities that we absolutely loved, such as the pool and spa area that are available to the guests. Every night my wife and I enjoyed utilizing the jacuzzi, the steam room, and the sauna to relax away a full day of walking/touring the city.

The Bad. One of the things that I did not enjoy from the get-go was the fact that I never really felt quite as a welcomed guest to the Ritz-Carlton, Budapest. I understand that there aren't as many African Americans in Budapest, especially staying at the Ritz Carlton. As a matter of fact, I can confidently say I was the only one. But from the very beginning, since my wife and I checked into the Ritz, we got the feeling from the staff thought that we were there by mistake. We once again got this feeling everytime we existed for our days of touring and then re-entered the Ritz, there never was a "warm fuzzy feeling" of being welcomed.

Another one of the bad things about the Ritz, has to do with the proximity to the underground public transportation. On one hand its nice to be close, on the other hand, you can definitely hear/feel it whenever a subway passes beneath the hotel. It is particularly noticeable at night, when you are trying to sleep.

Although I am in love the bed, the comforter in my opinion could use some work. Every night I woke up in the middle of the night to readjust the sheets because the parts of my body that were covered by the sheets were drenched in sweat.

One last thing that we didnt enjoy was the lack of towels that are provided. It was simple to ask for more (but we didnt think to ask until it was too late). At the Ritz Carlton, two towels are provided. Historically we've found that more towels are normally provided at higher end hotels, but not this one.

The Ugly. We found 2 Bugs in our room. One was alive (picture attached) and a different one was dead. We stayed in many hotels throughout our vacation to Europe and I am very surprised to say that the The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest is the only hotel that we found bugs in our room.

Overall we highly enjoyed our stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest. The fantastic location and wonderful room/amenities are the items that stand out beneficially. On the downside not ever feeling like a welcomed guest and finding multiple bugs in our rooms were very...

As someone who frequently stays in 4- and 5-star hotels all around the world I always evaluate a property by three things:

1. The quality of sleep
2. The room itself
3. The service

Let’s go step by step.

Sleep quality: 100 out of 10

This is where the hotel truly shines. The bed was phenomenal — incredibly soft mattress, perfect pillows, heavy blackout curtains, great soundproofing. I slept like a baby. Honestly, sleep-wise this was one of the best hotel experiences I’ve ever had. If I rated based on sleep alone, it would be 5++ stars.

The room: stuck in 2005

That said… the room itself is very outdated. Yes, it’s large — but dark and cold. • One small window in a big space = very little daylight • Furniture looks like it’s from 2005 • Peeling wallpaper, chipped corners • Lighting must be turned off manually, lamp by lamp • No Chromecast or smart TV — they brought me an HDMI cable. I mean… who still uses those in 2025? • No USB-C ports • The tiny shower and barely any space to move there • Plastic-wrapped soap and tired towels don’t belong in a “Legend Collection” hotel • The doorbell is absurdly loud, it literally startled me • And then — the closet… if you can call it that.

There is a microscopic wardrobe built into the wall, placed in such an odd spot that I almost forgot my jacket in it when checking out.

This room desperately needs a full renovation, not cosmetic patchwork. I’ve stayed in modern 3-star hotels with far better layouts and amenities.

The service: polite, but uninspired

At check-in, I was helped with my suitcase and offered a welcome drink — lovely. But then: • I waited in line while the guest after me was checked in first. No one noticed. • I was handed a keycard with no explanation about the floor, room number, spa, breakfast, or anything. I had to return and ask basic questions myself.

My first room had a very loud AC noise, and I was moved. The switch was fine — but no gesture to restore the situation.

Later that night, after I became visibly emotional, the staff brought me a cake — which was sweet, but again: no one asked if I liked this type of dessert, and I didn’t. It felt impersonal. The next morning, I was woken up by a phone call from reception asking if everything was okay. I was asleep — so, no. Not okay. Later, they offered to help with luggage or a taxi — again, that’s just baseline service, not added care.

There is no sense of proactive service here, which is a key expectation in modern five-star hospitality. While other hotels might offer complimentary upgrades, breakfasts, or spa access to improve a guest’s experience, here you might simply be brought a cake you didn’t even ask for — or like.

Nice touch was an extremely fresh and tasty macaroni once I checked in.

Final thoughts

This hotel has potential. The bones are here: great bed, beautiful building, good location. But the rooms are outdated, the tech is behind, and the service lacks warmth or intuition.

And considering the fact that this hotel was just rebranded under the Al Habtoor name on January 6, 2025 — it’s genuinely concerning how many problems are already showing. From the interiors to the systems to the guest experience, it feels like a rebranding without a reboot.

If they fully renovate, upgrade their tech, and train the staff in what five-star service looks like today, they could absolutely become what they aspire to be.

But as of now, it’s a 3/5 experience in a...

Great location? Check. Comfortable rooms? Check. Ritz Carlton service? Double check. Overall spectacular? Almost.

The new Ritz Carlton Budapest replaced the Le Meridien, and while I imagine that extensive renovations were done, the hotel doesn’t “feel” new. Bathroom fittings and moldings for example seem to be inherited from the original establishment, so you lose the sense that you’re in a brand new place. We were in a corner room on the 7th floor, which afforded us lots of natural light (floor to ceiling windows on two sides of the room, with blackout curtains that did their job well at night), and great views of the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The Danube and Buda are minutes away, walking, and bus / metro / tram stops are literally just outside the hotel. (You can even hear the metro rumbling underground every few minutes. It didn’t disturb on the 7th floor, but I can imagine it would be more noticeable lower down).

What I liked: Beds were extremely comfortable; the room was spacious; bedside and in-desk electrical outlets for European, British and Western plugs. Towels / bathrobes were very plush, and the real bath mat (not a towel) added to the luxury of the room. Service overall was faultless – hotel transfer, check-in, concierge (trust whatever Krisztian recommends), doormen were all top class. I liked too that this Ritz is a little less formal than the traditional coat-and-tie for everything… the staff in the restaurant wear jeans, for instance. Minor fail: empty tubes of lotion were not replaced twice during our stay, and we had to call housekeeping for replacements (delivered within minutes).

Major fails: our bathroom did not have an electrical outlet (some bathrooms don’t, apparently, in this 1 month old hotel). My razor quit halfway through shaving, and I had to go plug it in in the bedroom, wait a while for it to charge and then continue shaving – this is the first time I’ve seen a hotel bathroom without an electrical outlet. I still can’t believe it. Lighting in the bathroom is pretty dull as well. Good luck ladies with blow-drying your hair. :-P

Breakfast staff were wonderful, and the breakfast offering while pretty decent, is nothing outstanding compared to similar hotels. Overall I really enjoyed my stay here, especially the interaction with the staff. The rates are very good for a five star hotel. While I can heartily recommend this hotel, there was just that je ne sais quoi that was lacking... and I think I’d probably look for alternatives if I’m ever again...