Where to stay in Budapest: the districts compared, and the hotels with a Danube view

In this guide

💡 The Short Version: For a first visit, stay in Belváros-Lipótváros (District V), the Pest riverside between the Chain Bridge and the Parliament. The 100E airport bus ends at Deák Ferenc tér, where three metro lines meet, and the Basilica, the Parliament and Váci utca are on foot. Rough Guides names the Castle District the best area for first-time visitors; Time Out calls it a place to visit rather than stay. District VII, the Jewish Quarter, has the ruin bars and is noisy at weekends. Danube-view hotels sell the view as a room category, not in every room, so book the category by name. The hotel adds the tourist tax, 4% of the room rate, on top. Gellért is closed. Prices are not quoted, because they move with the date.

The areas, compared

Budapest is split by the Danube: Pest on the east bank holds the Parliament, the Basilica, the Jewish Quarter and Andrássy út; Buda on the west bank holds the Castle. Distances are straight lines from the hotels listed below; the walk is longer, and the Castle is uphill.

The hotels

The links go to the hotel on Hotels.com. Hotels on the Danube front, where the view is what you are paying for, are in Danube-view hotels below. Tourist tax comes on top of every price. A Michelin Key is Michelin’s hotel award, in the Hungarian selection of 2026: one Key is a very special stay, two an exceptional one.

Belváros-Lipótváros (District V)

The Pest riverside from Elizabeth Bridge to the Parliament, with Váci utca, the Basilica and the Parliament in it. Time Out says that for many years it was all that foreigners saw of Budapest, with shopping on pedestrianised Váci utca and higher-class hotels. Rough Guides calls it the best area for shopping and dining, with the drawbacks of crowds in peak season and higher prices than other districts. Deák Ferenc tér, where the 100E stops, is where three metro lines meet (BKK). For the hotels nearest the Parliament, see hotels near the Hungarian Parliament.

The Chain Bridge and the Pest riverfront, with St Stephen’s Basilica behind. Photo: Perituss, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest

District V, Ferenciek tere · a former shopping arcade of 1817 · 110 rooms · spa · Hotels.comad

A five-star hotel in a former shopping arcade that the hotel dates to 1817 and that has been a hotel since 2019. The hotel lists 110 rooms, 18 of them suites, and a Zafír spa. Michelin describes the arcade as Art Nouveau with Gothic and Moorish touches, Zsolnay ceramics and a huge glass dome. It holds one Michelin Key.

Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest

District V, Erzsébet tér · Kempinski The Spa, over 525 sq m · Nobu · Hotels.comad

The hotel says its spa covers over 525 sq m, with a pool and saunas, and its restaurants include Nobu. It is about 160 m from Deák Ferenc tér in a straight line, the nearest of the hotels here to the 100E stop.

Dorothea Hotel, Budapest, Autograph Collection

District V, Dorottya utca · opened 2023 · 216 rooms in three buildings · Hotels.comad

Three buildings from different periods joined into one hotel, designed by Piero Lissoni, with a colonnaded atrium. Hotels.com lists an indoor pool and a spa. It holds one Michelin Key.

Verno House Budapest, Vignette Collection by IHG

District V, near Szabadság tér · 48 rooms · small spa · free bikes for guests · Hotels.comad

Forty-eight rooms in a building that was once a tenement, on the corner of Szabadság utca and Október 6. utca, about 320 m from St Stephen’s Basilica. There is a small spa and the Flava restaurant, and the hotel’s bicycles are free for guests. It holds one Michelin Key.

Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection

District V, beside the Basilica · 49 rooms · rooftop terrace · Hotels.comad

According to Hotels.com, 49 rooms over five floors, a rooftop terrace and a spa with a pool, sauna, steam room and hot tub. It is about 130 m from St Stephen’s Basilica in a straight line, the nearest hotel here to it.

Áurea Ana Palace by Eurostars

District V, Lipótváros · 107 rooms · spa · Hotels.comad

The closest of the hotels listed here to the Parliament, about 380 m in a straight line. Hotels.com lists 107 rooms, a full-service spa and 24-hour room service, and puts Kossuth Lajos tér metro station 3 minutes away. Rough Guides places it in the Castle District, but it is in Lipótváros, on the Pest side.

D8 Hotel

District V, Dorottya utca · three stars · 121 rooms · Hotels.comad

A three-star with 121 rooms and a living plant wall, according to Hotels.com, which puts Vörösmarty tér 3 minutes and the Christmas market and the Chain Bridge 5 minutes’ walk away.

Gerlóczy Boutique Hotel

District V, Gerlóczy utca · 19 rooms · a building of 1891 · Hotels.comad

Nineteen rooms over a café-restaurant in a building that Hotels.com dates to 1891. It is Rough Guides’ pick for Belváros-Lipótváros.

Terézváros (District VI)

North-east of the Basilica, with Andrássy út running to Hősök tere and the City Park. Time Out’s postcode tip is that a room in 1065 puts you near the sights in District VI. Metro M1 runs under Andrássy út, and Nyugati station is on M3. Short-term apartment lets have been banned in Terézváros since 1 January 2026 (Economx), so a stay here means a hotel.

Andrássy út, the tree-lined avenue that runs through Terézváros. Photo: xorge, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

W Budapest

District VI, Andrássy út · the Drechsler Palace, opposite the Opera · spa · Hotels.comad

The Drechsler Palace, directly opposite the Hungarian State Opera House, with ballet, nightlife, chess and Houdini references through the interiors, according to Michelin. Hotels.com lists a spa, an indoor pool, two restaurants and two bars. It holds one Michelin Key.

Hotel Moments Budapest

District VI, Andrássy út 8 · 99 rooms in three categories · free coffee and tea · Hotels.comad

A four-star on Andrássy út, a few steps from the Opera and the Basilica, with 99 rooms in three categories. The lounge bar has free coffee, tea and water round the clock, and the hotel has a sauna and fitness room.

Hard Rock Hotel Budapest

District VI, Nagymező utca · 136 rooms · rooftop bar · Hotels.comad

A hotel opened in May 2020 on Nagymező utca with a rooftop bar, Roxy, that looks over the Basilica and the Opera (We Love Budapest). Hotels.com lists 136 rooms.

Hilton Garden Inn Budapest City Centre

District VI, Lázár utca · 214 rooms · rooftop terrace · Hotels.comad

Two hundred and fourteen rooms over eight floors and a rooftop terrace, according to Hotels.com, about 260 m from St Stephen’s Basilica in a straight line.

T62 Hotel

District VI, Teréz körút, by Nyugati · 136 rooms · Hotels.comad

A three-star superior beside Nyugati Square with 136 rooms and an atrium lobby with montage artworks in the style of Frida Kahlo, according to the hotel. Parking is in a garage 550 m away, for a fee.

Radisson Blu Béke Hotel

District VI, Teréz körút · built 1913 · 247 rooms · Hotels.comad

Hotels.com dates the building to 1913 and lists 247 rooms, a sauna and a gym, with the West End City Center 5 minutes’ walk away.

Erzsébetváros (District VII)

The Jewish Quarter behind the Great Synagogue, which Time Out calls the nightlife hub and the home of Budapest’s ruin bars. Both Time Out and Rough Guides warn of noise at weekends, and Rough Guides adds crowds in peak season. The Dohány Street Synagogue is on the doorstep, and ruin bars lists the bars and the crawls. The larger four- and five-star hotels stand on the Grand Boulevard side, away from the bars.

Anantara New York Palace Budapest

District VII, Erzsébet körút · 185 suites and rooms · the New York Café · Hotels.comad

The hotel in the building of the New York Café, which opened in 1894, with 185 suites and guestrooms. Michelin lists a spa of 500 sq m, and the hotel holds one Michelin Key.

Corinthia Budapest

District VII, Erzsébet körút · 437 rooms · Royal Spa · Hotels.comad

A hotel of 437 rooms and four restaurants, according to Hotels.com, with a Royal Spa that has an indoor pool and saunas.

Continental Hotel Budapest

District VII, Dohány utca · on the site of the Hungária Bath · pools and spa · Hotels.comad

A four-star superior hotel on the site of the former Hungária Bath and the original Continental Hotel, close to the Dohány Street Synagogue. Hotels.com lists indoor and outdoor pools and a spa. Time Out and Rough Guides both name it for the Jewish Quarter.

NH Collection Budapest City Center

District VII, Osvát utca · a kitchen in every room · 138 rooms · Hotels.comad

Hotels.com lists 138 rooms over six floors with a kitchen in every room, a spa and a 24-hour gym, and puts Blaha Lujza tér station 3 minutes away.

The Castle District and the Buda riverside (Districts I and II)

Buda, on the west bank: the Castle at the top, the river below it, and Víziváros between. The two guides disagree. Rough Guides calls the Castle District the best area for first-time visitors, with pros of panoramic views and a central position and cons of a higher price and crowds. Time Out calls it a place to visit rather than stay, and says it goes quiet once the tourists leave. Both agree on cobbles, and the Danube views from here look across the river to the Parliament. The Buda Castle Funicular from Clark Ádám tér is closed from 5 to 16 October 2026; buses 16, 16A and 116 climb the hill on an ordinary ticket. See Buda Castle and the Hungarian National Gallery and Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church for the sights.

Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion above the Buda riverside, seen from Pest. Photo: Paul Colin Hennig, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Pest-Buda Design Hotel by Zsidai Hotels

District I, Fortuna utca · 10 rooms · Pest-Buda Bistro · Hotels.comad

Ten rooms over three floors in the Castle District, with the Pest-Buda Bistro, according to Hotels.com, which puts Fisherman’s Bastion 6 minutes’ walk away. Time Out names it for the Castle District.

Baltazár Boutique Hotel by Zsidai Hotels

District I, Országház utca 31 · 11 rooms and suites · Baltazár Grill · Hotels.comad

A family-owned hotel of eleven individually designed rooms and suites, with the Michelin-recommended Baltazár Grill and a terrace on a walk-only street.

Hotel Orion Várkert

District I, Döbrentei utca · three stars · 30 rooms · one street from the Danube · Hotels.comad

A three-star with 30 air-conditioned, soundproofed rooms, one street from the Danube bank near the Várkert Bazaar, between Elizabeth Bridge and the Chain Bridge. Parking is in the Várkert Bazaar garage, for a fee.

Monastery Boutique Hotel Budapest

District I, Fő utca · 47 rooms · a 300-year-old Capuchin abbey · Hotels.comad

Forty-seven rooms in a building the hotel calls a 300-year-old abbey, built by the Capuchin Order, a few minutes’ walk from the Danube. Hotels.com puts Batthyány tér station 8 minutes away. It is Rough Guides’ pick for a boutique stay in the Castle District.

Kimpton BEM Budapest

District II, Bem József tér · opened 2024 · rooftop bar · Hotels.comad

A hotel opened in 2024 in a restored 19th-century palace on the Buda bank, with Marcel Wanders interiors and the rooftop feNNen Skybar, according to Michelin. It holds one Michelin Key. Hotels.com lists a sauna, steam room, hot tub and free bicycles.

Józsefváros and Ferencváros (Districts VIII and IX)

South-east of Blaha Lujza tér, around the National Museum, and beyond it Ferencváros. Rough Guides calls Józsefváros the area for trendy cafés and galleries, and less touristy and more affordable than the central districts. Both districts are a tram or metro ride from the river.

Hotel Nemzeti Budapest, MGallery

District VIII, József körút · Blaha Lujza tér station steps away · Hotels.comad

Hotels.com lists a buffet breakfast, a restaurant and bar, and a collection of works by local artists, with Blaha Lujza tér station steps away.

Kozmo Hotel Suites & Spa

District VIII, Horváth Mihály tér · 84 rooms · a protected building of 1910 · Hotels.comad

A protected building of 1910 that Michelin says housed what the hotel calls the largest telecommunications centre in Central and Eastern Europe, with a monumental staircase and a tower. Hotels.com lists 84 rooms and a spa with a hammam and an indoor pool. It holds one Michelin Key.

Brody House

District VIII, Bródy Sándor utca · 8 rooms · no lift · Hotels.comad

Every bedroom is one of a kind, with upcycled furniture, and there is a bistro and a courtyard garden. Hotels.com lists 8 rooms over three floors and no elevators. Time Out and Rough Guides both name it for Józsefváros.

Three Corners Lifestyle Hotel

District IX, Hőgyes Endre utca · 60 rooms · Corvin-negyed station 3 minutes · Hotels.comad

A four-star with 60 rooms, a sauna, a garden and terrace, according to Hotels.com, which puts Corvin-negyed station 3 minutes away. It is about 1 km from the Great Market Hall in a straight line.

Újlipótváros, Margaret Island and Óbuda (Districts XIII and III)

North of the Parliament along the Danube, and on Margaret Island, the park in the river. Rough Guides calls Újlipótváros quiet and residential, close to the river and green spaces, with fewer big sights and little nightlife. The hotels here are mostly spa hotels.

The rose garden on Margaret Island. Photo: Perituss, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

Ensana Thermal Margaret Island

Margaret Island · 4 indoor pools · thermal bath complex · Hotels.comad

Ensana’s own guide to its Margaret Island spas calls it a thermal bath complex among gardens. Hotels.com lists four indoor pools and 15 treatment rooms.

Ensana Grand Margaret Island

Margaret Island · 164 rooms · 3 indoor pools and a seasonal outdoor pool · Hotels.comad

Hotels.com lists 164 rooms, three indoor pools and a seasonal outdoor pool, and eight treatment rooms. Ensana’s guide says it has thermal bath facilities.

Verdi Budapest Aquincum

District III, Óbuda · four stars · thermal pools and Aronia Spa · Hotels.comad

A four-star spa hotel on the Buda side, in District III, with thermal pools and the Aronia Spa & Wellness, according to the hotel. Time Out says the HÉV suburban train from Batthyány tér and Margaret Bridge reaches Óbuda in about ten minutes from the main Buda hubs.

City Hotel Ring

District XIII, Szent István körút · three stars · no lift · Nyugati station 3 minutes · Hotels.comad

A three-star that Hotels.com lists with no elevators and check-out at 10:00, 3 minutes from Nyugati station. It is about 740 m from the Parliament in a straight line.

Danube-view hotels

Many Budapest hotels use the river in their pitch, but not every room has it. The view is a room category, sold at a higher rate than the cheaper rooms on the street or courtyard side. Book the category by name and check it on the confirmation. The Pest-bank hotels look across to Buda Castle and Castle Hill; the Buda-bank hotels look across to the Parliament.

The Chain Bridge and Buda Castle, seen from the Pest bank. Photo: Tim Adams, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace

District V, Széchenyi István tér · the Gresham Palace of 1906 · Danube River-View Room · Hotels.comad

The Gresham Palace, completed in 1906 and opposite the Chain Bridge, with a lobby that the hotel says has more than two million mosaic tiles. Its Danube River-View Room has sweeping views of the Danube and Castle Hill, and its Premium Rooms and Specialty Suites overlook the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle. Hotels.com lists 179 rooms. It holds two Michelin Keys.

Matild Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel

District V, Váci utca · a Belle Époque palace by Elizabeth Bridge · 130 rooms · Hotels.comad

One of the twin Belle Époque palaces by Elizabeth Bridge, with 130 rooms, the Swan Spa, Spago by Wolfgang Puck and the rooftop bar The Duchess, and Danube views, according to Michelin. Time Out lists it with the Gresham and the Párisi Udvar as historic landmarks overlooking a major bridge. It holds two Michelin Keys.

InterContinental Budapest

District V, Apáczai Csere János utca · on the Danube promenade · 402 rooms · Hotels.comad

On the riverside street, with 402 rooms, a spa and an indoor pool, according to Hotels.com, which describes views of the Chain Bridge and the Royal Castle.

Budapest Marriott Hotel

District V, Apáczai Csere János utca · Danube views · health club · Hotels.comad

On the same riverside street, with Danube views, a health club and a sauna, according to Hotels.com. Time Out names the Marriott, the InterContinental and the Kempinski as the landmark hotels that raised the standard for dining and spas.

Hilton Budapest

District I, Hess András tér · the Castle District · beside Fisherman’s Bastion · Hotels.comad

The Castle-top hotel next door to Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church, with the preserved remains of a 13th-century Dominican church and the White Raven rooftop bar, according to Hotels.com. Time Out says its walls incorporate the medieval ones and calls it the main luxury lodging of the Castle District. The Danube and the Parliament are across the river from here.

Hotel Clark Budapest

District I, Clark Ádám tér · rooms facing the Chain Bridge, the Castle, the Danube or the courtyard · Hotels.comad

Between the Chain Bridge and the funicular’s lower station, with the Leo Rooftop bar. The hotel lists a Chain Bridge View room, a Castle View room, a Danube View room, a Courtyard View room, a Danube Top Floor Studio and a Lánchíd Studio, so the room name tells you what you get. It holds one Michelin Key for the second year running, according to the hotel.

Lánchíd 19 Design Hotel

District I, Lánchíd utca · riverfront design hotel · 48 rooms · Hotels.comad

A riverfront design hotel with 48 rooms over seven floors, 3 minutes from the Chain Bridge, according to Hotels.com.

Boutique Hotel Victoria Budapest

District I, Bem rakpart 11 · 27 Superior rooms facing the Danube · budget rooms without the view · Hotels.comad

The hotel sells two categories: 27 Superior rooms with floor-to-ceiling soundproof windows facing the Danube, and a budget category on the street side that the hotel says has no view of the river. Guests quoted on its own site name the Chain Bridge and the Parliament from the balcony. It is Rough Guides’ pick for views.

Novotel Budapest Danube

District II, Bem rakpart · waterfront · 175 rooms · Batthyány tér 2 minutes · Hotels.comad

A waterfront hotel of 175 rooms over seven floors with a sauna, according to Hotels.com, which puts Batthyány tér station 2 minutes away. It is about 520 m from the Parliament across the river, the nearest of the Buda-bank hotels.

Danubius Hotel Helia

District XIII, Kárpát utca · on the Danube opposite Margaret Island · 4 indoor pools · Hotels.comad

On the Danube bank opposite Margaret Island, with rooms facing the city or the river, four indoor pools and a spa, according to Hotels.com. Rough Guides names it best for wellness in Újlipótváros.

Before you book

• The tourist tax is extra. In the districts where visitors stay it is 4% of the room rate for each night started, and the hotel collects it. Guests under 18 do not pay. On a room at HUF 40,000 a night it comes to HUF 1,600, about £3.70. The councils of Terézváros (VI) and Újlipótváros-Angyalföld (XIII) print 4% on their own pages, and a hotel in Ferencváros (IX) states 4.0% on the net room rate (Terézváros; Újlipótváros-Angyalföld; MEININGER). A district may charge a fixed amount instead, so the hotel’s own page decides.
• The Gellért is closed. The Danubius Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths are closed for rebuilding, and the baths’ operator gives a planned reopening of 2028 (Gellért Baths). The Rudas baths are on the same bank: see Budapest thermal baths.
• From the airport, the 100E bus takes 40 minutes to Deák Ferenc tér and needs its own HUF 2,500 ticket. Budapest Airport to the city centre compares it with the 200E, the taxi and the shuttle.
• Contactless buys a single ticket at the metro entrance and the airport ticket on the 100E, but not on trams or other buses. Budapest public transport has the fares.
• At night, tram 6 on the Grand Boulevard runs round the clock, and so do the 100E and the 200E. The night bus network was reorganised from the night of 1 to 2 July 2026, so plan the ride in the BudapestGO app (BKK).

For the hotels nearest the Parliament with their distances, see hotels near the Hungarian Parliament. For what to book before you go and how far ahead, see what to book before you go in Budapest. To fit the sights to your days, see 3 days in Budapest and Budapest in one day. For the river, Danube river cruises compares the boats, and ruin bars covers the evening in District VII. The Hungarian Parliament tickets, St Stephen’s Basilica and the Budapest Card guides cover the sights nearest the hotels above, where to eat in Budapest lists the restaurants, and best time to visit Budapest gives the weather by month, with Budapest’s Christmas markets for the winter dates. On Andrássy út, the Opera tours and the House of Terror have their own guides, and the Széchenyi Baths are in City Park.

Common questions

What is the best area to stay in Budapest for a first visit?

Belváros-Lipótváros (District V) on the Pest riverside. The 100E airport bus ends at Deák Ferenc tér, three metro lines meet there, and the Parliament, the Basilica and the Chain Bridge are within about a kilometre of most hotels. Rough Guides names the Castle District the best area for first-time visitors, while Time Out calls it a place to visit rather than stay.

How much is the tourist tax in Budapest hotels?

In the districts where visitors stay it is 4% of the room rate for each night started, added by the hotel on top of the price. Guests under 18 do not pay. On a room at HUF 40,000 a night it is HUF 1,600, about £3.70. The rate is set by each district, so the hotel's own page decides.

Do Budapest hotels with a Danube view all have the view in every room?

No. Boutique Hotel Victoria sells 27 Superior rooms facing the river and a cheaper category without a view of the Danube. Hotel Clark lists Chain Bridge, Castle, Danube and courtyard-view rooms, and the Four Seasons Gresham Palace has a Danube River-View Room beside its other categories. Book the room category by name.

Is the Gellért Hotel open?

No. The Danubius Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths are closed for rebuilding, and the baths' operator gives a planned reopening of 2028. The Rudas baths, on the same riverbank, are open.