I arrived late at night, flying in from London well after public transport had stopped running, and walking past the line of people waiting for a taxi, I thank my lucky stars that Ange had suggested booking a private transfer. She’s already checked-in to the Milford Suites and had been messaging me pictures and a running commentary of what the neighbourhood was like.
Room
When I arrived I was impressed with the room: everything was clean and new, and the kitchenette was a nice touch. The room itself had the bed at one end and the kitchenette at the other with the bathroom sort of tucked away near the entrance. The decor was a mix of grey and silver, with the kitchenette all chrome surfaces – very executive!
I liked it – it looks like they have gone for the executive long stay market and the rooms have everything you might need for that. There are one or two things showing that the refurbishment hasn’t quite finished – the wires protruding fro the wall above the doorway being the most obvious, but the elegance of the decor and furnishings is nice.
Ange had mentioned that the fan in the bathroom had not stopped since she arrived, and so I stick my head into the room and lo and behold there is a low rumble as the fan works to clear the bathroom of condensation which doesn’t exist. Apparently the handyman will come and fix it after we leave. It’s audible from the room but doesn’t affect our sleep, so I think it’s ok.
Neighbourhood
Neighbourhoods mean a lot with a stay – Milford Suites is in the middle of the Buda area, halfway between the castle on top of the hill and the river where the metro station is. At the metro station are the local shops and restaurants and Ange lets me know that there’s a good vegan place there Édeni Vegán where she enjoyed a meal of vegan meat, grilled veggies, a falafel patty and rice.
Breakfast
The breakfast room has a roster – certain rooms sit at certain times. We head down within our times slot and see why – the breakfast room is a lovely annex with sun roof and glass walls to allow the light in. It’s raining when we eat, but it’s a lovely space if a tad cramped. The roster is necessary – should all guests be there at the same time it would be carnage!
The food itself is a respectable continental breakfast with cold cuts, fruit, yoghurt and breads. The jams are from Transylvania and there’s a little sign telling you who made what – a very personal touch we haven’t seen anywhere else.
Facilities
There isn’t much more in the way of facilities – while the room has a kitchenette and the decor and style touches are of high quality, there aren’t any saunas or swimming pools. I think the location makes up for that in a lot of ways: being in Buda you don’t have to travel too far before you’re at a public bath or two, and being handy to the castle on the top of the hill is nice too.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Cons
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Would I Go Back?
If I needed to be close to the castle or wanted a nice spot for a long stay in Budapest, I think this would be a lovely spot. The lack of gym would mean I’d need to watch that breakfast each morning, but the number of steps getting to the hotel from the water/metro level should take care of that.
