Continental Hotel Zara

“ hotel staff excellent, cleanliness very good, hotel is ideally situated to visit tourist places. breakfast was really good only objection was water used for hot drinks was not hot enough to make a decent cup of tea but asked for cups of hot water which was no problem and issue resolved. only minor objection we asked for quiet room in hotel because it was for my father and i and we were given a first floor room on back road where we were woken at approx 4a.m every morning by the bin men and deliveries, but would definately recommend hotel.

“ I thought the hotel was excellent. On arrival we had our room upgraded from a standard room to a deluxe room FOC. The room was very nice, with a big double bed and two, yes two, awesome showers in the en-suite!

The staff were all very friendly and helpful - I'd read in a travel guide before left the UK that the culture in Budapest was for all staff expect to be tipped everytime they help you with anything. Certainly not the case here. They were just happy to help. We booked activities/travel through the concierge at the hotel. All without any hitch and without feeling ripped off.

Breakfast was also very good. My recent experience of breakfasts elsewhere on the continent are that they are pretty poor, some slices of cold meat/cheese and some bread roles. The Hotel Zara Continental on the other hand had a great choice - cereal, yoghurt, porridge, croissant/pain au chocolate, fruit, bread, sausage, bacon, eggs and more. We stayed 3 nights and had a completely different breakfast each day.

If pushed for a criticism; I'd say the location isn't ideal. It's about a 15/20 minute walk to the more lively/interesting parts of the city. However, having said that we purchased a Budapest Card and buses and trams run seemingly every couple of minutes from less than a 2 minute walk away.

Overall... we were very happy with our stay.

“ Top Tip: We ate at the Italian restaurant just opposite the entrance to Araz (the hotel's restaurant) and thought the food was very good and reasonably priced.

Not exactly local, but for big groups with big appetite's I'd suggest Fatal's on Váci utca. Possibly the biggest portion of food I've ever been served!

And not exactly a secret, but I would definitely recommend:
- A boat trip along the river
- Seeing the view from the Citadel on Gellert Hill
- Going to the baths

“ The hotel was situated in close proximity to all the sights in Budapest and therefore a great starting point for those keen to be slap bang in the centre of town. The staff were very helpful and accommodating and the room was lovely and clean. I would definitely recommend this hotel and should I travel back to Budapest, this hotel would be my first choice again.

“ Top Tip: There are so many great places in the vicinity. Try La Coppola restaurant for authentic Italian food and pleasant service.

“ The hotel had excellent amenities and good service.

“ Top Tip: There is a great restaurant near the hotel called Kolevos rendeglo. It does fabulous authentic Hungarian cuisine and is only 5-10 mins walk from the hotel.