Corinthia Budapest — Hotel in Budapest

EDIT: Corinthia replied saying they emailed me to address my review, but neither my boyfriend or I received anything.

There should be stricter regulations on which hotels can call themselves 5 stars, because this place is certainly not one. I’m writing this not to bash the Corinthia Budapest, but to inform those considering it as a “luxury” option.

TLDR: It’s one of the cheapest “5-star” hotels in Budapest, and you get what you pay for. My boyfriend and I stayed for six nights - we’ve stayed everywhere from budget motels to high-end resorts, and this ranks among my bottom five hotel experiences ever. If you want a comfortable, luxurious stay, spend a bit more and GO ELSEWHERE. If you’re on a tight budget, not picky, or need to be in this area, read on to know what to expect.

Hot Rooms: The air conditioning is essentially nonfunctional. On our first night, the heat blasted uncontrollably and the room hit over 85°F—even with the windows open and turning off the crank-turn heaters by the windows. Maintenance came but couldn’t fix it, and the only advice was to “open the window.” They offered a fan but were out of stock. Unfortunately, the street noise (2nd floor facing the street) made sleeping with windows open nearly impossible. We asked to switch rooms, but staff claimed the hotel was full—even though it seemed empty and I could book another room online.

Water Issues: On our second morning while brushing my teeth, I noticed the tap water tasted and smelled awful. I spat it out, then filled a glass and saw it was yellow, full of sediment, and reeked of sulfur and chlorine. When I called later, the hotel said there was a city water issue (supposedly resolved) but advised not to drink the water “until further notice.” We were NEVER notified of this problem at any point—my boyfriend unknowingly drank multiple glasses of the contaminated water throughout the day (as it eventually ran clear). No bottled water or compensation was offered until I asked. (I also couldn’t find any evidence of a citywide issue; I suspect it was hotel-specific.)

Brick Mattresses & Cotton-Ball Pillows: The mattress felt like an old-school spring bed—hard and unsupportive. I’m young and adaptable, but anyone with back issues would struggle. The pillows were lumpy and nearly useless. I know pillow styles vary by region, but a supposed 5-star hotel catering to international guests should do better.

Location: Not entirely the hotel’s fault, but the area wasn’t great. It’s on a busy street with constant noise—LOUD sirens, traffic, drunk crowds—all nights of the week. I chose a street-facing room to avoid the enclosed atrium which would have been quieter, but harder to cool down.

Other Issues: After each cleaning, the room reeked of strong perfume, requiring a long time to air out. The carpet was stained and old, and there were no outlets or USB ports near the bed. The TV barely worked—English channels glitched, and Chromecast didn’t function until maintenance fixed it several days & calls later. The room itself feels decades behind the times, both in comfort and technology.

Positives: Housekeeping was consistent—towels replaced, bed made, coffee and supplies restocked daily. The spa was decent: clean pool, a small sauna, steam room, salt sauna, and two hot tubs (though one was cold). The sauna was especially nice, but the steam room smelled faintly of mold and there was unidentified brown liquid on the salt room floor.

Upon arrival, we couldn’t pay our taxi due to a “Hungarian banking issue.” The hotel helped us cover it, which I appreciated, though staff seemed annoyed even though it took under 10 minutes.

Overall, the staff are friendly and professional—the problems here are systemic, not personal. The Corinthia desperately needs renovation, management improvement, and honesty about what it offers. Calling this property 5 stars is misleading. If you want real luxury,...

The hotel is a historical and old hotel that has excellent location and great decor. Hotel’s decor gives it a feeling of grandeur that it lacks in service and other areas. The room was so hot despite having air conditioning. Most rooms look towards an internal courtyard which leaves you gasping for air even if you open your windows. If you open the windows it gets really loud. The room looks great but again has no usb chargers near the bed. To plug your phone to your phone charger you need to fiddle with the bedside tables and try and find a plug. They need renovation and put some free plugs or usb slots. Bathroom was large both with a bath and shower. Bath was very good size and comfortable. There was no bubble bath or bath salt for the bath. There are no heated towel rails which is unbelievable. The breakfast starts to be served early (6.30am) which is good and carries on until 11 which is great too. But service during breakfast is absolutely awful despite there being lots of staff running around like busy fools. The chefs who were cooking (omelettes and etc) were extremely polite, attentive and could not do enough for you though. But other than them no staff welcomes you properly even when you stand infront of the hostess stand and noone shows you to a table. And when you try and choose a table you do not find any clean tables. We had to choose any table we could find looking relatively clean and available and the server came over with a used napkin and literally flicked the breadcrums from the table left by the previous people. After seeing that we moved to another table. And that table also was smudged with marks and cutlery (unused or at least we hope) had finger marks on them. Noone wiped the table. All the staff were running around without cleaning lots of dirty cluttered tables and this gave the feeling of having breakfast at a motel with a grand decor. It felt like it lacked organisation, professionalism and hygiene expected from a 5. But they were very quick to go to each table and remind them the service ended at 11am. The general feeling was that staff was rushed and there was not any real manager to manage this mess. Though the breakfast was of good quality and variety. Though we like our comforts and treat ourselves to nice stays in many hotels, we are not also precious, but the attitude of the concierge was laughable when we asked if they have a airport shuttle, she responded with “we have a limousine service” 😂 Real contrast to the hotel could not clear or clean tables fast enough. The spa has no water drainage so you are constantly trying not to break your back or crack your head open due to large amounts of water on the floors even in the areas far from the jacuzzi, pool and showers. There are bathrobes and towels left everywhere even on beds when noone is using. They also ran out of towels so you can not sit on a towel in the sauna. The cotton slippers are not good to use if you are practically walking on puddles. The lighting in the relaxation area of the spa is bright enough you could easily do a brain surgery. It might come in handy if you crack your head open slipping on the puddles with your soaking cotton clippers. Around the pool area there are no hooks so you end up trying to hang your bathrobe on the actual cornices. Also there was not any hot tea or lemon water anywhere. So if you really wanted a luxury feeling or a proper spa, this would not be my choice. I think the hotel needs a close and careful look into their service and attitude of staff. Get better managers with focus on the clients. Do some renovations in the rooms, manage the spa better. Otherwise it would become too mediocre of a hotel compared to other 5 . But Location is good. The receptionist called Birk or Berk was really helpful, professional and went out of their way to help us with complaints and...

1. Public-facing review

Further to my previous review regarding Corinthia Budapest, I want to acknowledge the manager’s swift reply and the courtesy call explaining the 30-euro pool charge on top of the 180-euro nightly rate. He kindly offered pool access free of charge, which I appreciate, but I have since lost interest in using the pool.

I am still dissatisfied with Hotels.com’s customer-service response, as I have not seen any engagement about updating their advertising to clearly explain the extra cost for pool use.

After booking, the only information provided on the hotel’s site was: “The price shown above DOES NOT include any applicable hotel service fees, charges for optional incidentals (such as minibar snacks or telephone calls), or regulatory surcharges. The hotel will assess these fees, charges, and surcharges upon check-out.” And this fee might include the pool, as well as it will be paid by travelers.

The phrase “fees might include” is ambiguous and does not clearly state whether the pool is charged separately or included, which could mislead potential customers and leave the total cost unclear. The lack of a precise cost leaves guests uncertain about the total price.

Until there is a clear, transparent explanation of the costs, I advise future guests to proceed with caution and to seek explicit confirmation of all charges. I hope Corinthia management liaises with Hotels.com to obtain a clearer explanation and to ensure advertising reflects the true total cost.

2. Complaint letter to Hotels.com (direct)

Subject: Request for clarification on pool-related charges and advertising accuracy – Corinthia Budapest

Dear Hotels.com Support,

I am writing regarding a booking at Corinthia Budapest (booking details below). I was charged 30 euros for pool access in addition to the room rate of 180 euros per night. Although the hotel manager kindly offered pool access free of charge, I am no longer interested in using the pool. I am concerned about the lack of clear, upfront information from Hotels.com about these extra charges.

The booking confirmation and the site’s rate display only state: “The price shown above DOES NOT include any applicable hotel service fees, charges for optional incidentals (such as minibar snacks or telephone calls), or regulatory surcharges. The hotel will assess these fees, charges, and surcharges upon check-out.” The wording “fees might include” regarding the pool lacks precision and could mislead customers about whether the pool is charged separately or included in the total.

This ambiguity leaves potential guests unsure of the total cost before booking. Please provide a clear, explicit explanation of whether the pool is charged separately, and ensure that your advertising reflects the exact total price to prevent misleading representations.

Booking details:

Hotel: Corinthia Budapest Booking reference: can provided if needed Dates: [14-18 /8/ 25]

Guest: Yaser Belkhir

I appreciate your prompt attention to updating the listing and clarifying the cost structure.

Sincerely,

Dr Yaser Belkhir

3. Short note to Corinthia Budapest management

Subject: Follow-up on pool charge and hotel advertising clarity

Dear Corinthia Budapest Team,

Following my stay, I appreciate the quick call from your manager explaining the 30-euro pool charge on top of the 180-euro room rate and the offer to waive the pool fee. I remain disappointed that Hotels.com has not provided a clear explanation or updated advertising to reflect the exact total cost, and I still find the published cost description ambiguous.

Could you please liaise with Hotels.com to obtain a precise, public statement about pool-related charges and ensure the listing clearly states the total price? This would help future guests make informed decisions.

Thank you for your attention to...