Hotel Gin Budapest

Style

Gin’s a tonic

Setting

Pest-side story

Budapest is known for its potent fruity pálinka liquors (or the divisive Unicum…), but boutique bed and breakfast Hotel Gin Budapest is our preferred poison from the apéritif to digestif of your time in the city. Its rooms wrap around a towering vintage spiral staircase and have smooth modern styling (shades of grey, earthy carpeting, sleek woods); and the lobby lounge dishes out free coffee by day, or (charged) Hungarian wine by the bottle later on. But if you’re gagging for a namesake nip, the super-central downtown Pest location is close to all the action.

Facilities

Rooms

35.

Checkout

11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm. Both are flexible, subject to availability, and a charge of €10.

More Details

Smith guests get a breakfast bag with their booking.

Also

The hotel has an elevator, but it's not best suited to disabled guests.

Free Internet Access

Laundry

At the Hotel

Concierge, free coffee in the lobby lounge, charged laundry service and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: flatscreen TV, Nespresso coffee machine, minibar, Smeg kettle and teas, air-conditioning and heating. Some rooms have automatic window shades.

Our Favourite Rooms

Rooms are all similar in style, wearing a mod-Magyar look with soft greys and warm woods. Some rooms interconnect for groups of friends or families; and, for a bit more czardas-dancing space, the Comfy has a few more square metres. Those with vertigo may want to stay on the lower floors to avoid dizzying descents to the lobby.

Packing Tips

Bring swimwear for thermal dips and flat shoes for cobbled stretches.

Also

On request, the hotel can set up a pyjama party with a beauty box, popcorn, a deck of cards, eye masks and a bottle of gin (naturally); plus a breakfast bag for the morning after.

Children

While the spiral staircase might not look toddler-friendly, some rooms here interconnect or fit three guests; but you’ll have to find your own family fun in the city.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Dress Code

Jim-jams at Gin; city-ready threads at Rum.

Hotel Restaurant

Hotel Gin’s a head-laying sort of hotel, with no restaurant of its own. But there’s a lot of bottle on the Kecskeméti Street crawl: sister stay Hotel Rum is steps away, with a brunch-edging menu at Solid Skybar, which has treats like smoked-trout Benedict with elderflower and apple, or a muffin with bacon jam, cheddar and pork belly. Also at Hotel Rum, Salt is a starred option for Hungarian fine dining, but you'll need to book well ahead.

Hotel Bar

Despite its gluggable name, the hotel doesn’t really have a bar; but there’s a selection of Hungarian wines-by-the-bottle on sale to drink in the stylish lobby lounge or take up to your room.

Last Orders

Breakfast at Hotel Rum's Solid Skybar is from 7am to 10am.

Planes

Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport is around a 30-minute drive away; hotel staff can help arrange transfers.

Trains

For interrailers, Budapest’s main Keleti train station is a 30-minute drive from the hotel. The closest Metro stop is Kálvin Tér, a few steps away, which sits on the city-crossing M3 and M4 lines.

Automobiles

Public transport and picturesque promenading spots mean you won’t need – or want – a car in Budapest. If you do drive in, you can leave your wheels at the charged Pollack Garage, which serves the museum close by.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Before you tour Budapest’s grand historic monuments, unpack the past (right back to prehistory) at the Hungarian National Museum. Then head towards the Danube to reach 19th-century Market Hall, where stalls are laden with produce and local delicacies (you can book tasting tours too). Cross over to Buda to explore the Gellert Hill Cave and climb up the hill to the Citadella, pausing for breaths if the views don’t take ‘em first. Further inland is the Arboretum, and to the north lie the gloriously art nouveau Gellért Baths (the more famous, Tokay-yellow Széchenyi Baths are in northerly Pest) and Buda Castle. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is a great sundown-watching spot (artist Matthew Barney even included it in his Cremaster series). Back in Pest there’s the grandeur of the Dohány Street Synagogue, St Stephen’s Basilica and the State Opera, and the sobering House of Terror museum, set in the former HQ of the Secret Police. On a more lighthearted note, the city’s huge Ferris Wheel is close by, and each December, the Christmas Market pitches up in this part.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .