Blaha Lujza ter / District VIII

Hotel Nemzeti Budapest - MGallery

★★★★★

The Hotel Nemzeti is for travellers who want a hotel with a sense of old Budapest without paying for a Danube palace. It occupies a historic building on József körút, the stretch of the Grand Boulevard at Blaha Lujza tér, and it belongs to Accor's MGallery collection, a group of individually styled hotels in historic buildings. The square takes its name from the actress Lujza Blaha, and the hotel's name recalls the National Theatre, which once stood nearby; the area was the heart of Budapest's theatre and newspaper world in the decades around 1900. The highlight of the building is its interior, crowned by a historic nineteenth-century glass roof that floods the central space with light. Rooms come in Classic and Superior categories, with double or twin beds, along with junior suites and suites with king beds, sofas and, in the suites, a bath; some Superior rooms can take an extra bed, and there are accessible rooms in both double and twin configurations. The decor mixes period details with modern comfort, in keeping with the MGallery style. The Gallery Café serves snacks and Hungarian specialities through the day, the Lobby Bar is the place for a drink, and breakfast is a buffet. Parking is not included in the room rate, but there is paid indoor parking nearby. The great advantage is transport: the M2 metro is about two minutes' walk away, with direct trains under the river to Batthyány tér and to Deák Ferenc tér, and trams 4 and 6 run along the Grand Boulevard to Margaret Bridge and, the other way, across Petőfi Bridge to Buda. The trade-off is the setting: Blaha Lujza tér is a busy, noisy transport junction, and the immediate surroundings are urban rather than pretty, although the square has been redeveloped in recent years.

Location logic: the hotel sits on the border of District VII and District VIII. Walk north-west and you are in the Jewish Quarter, with the Dohány Street Synagogue and the ruin bars within fifteen minutes. Walk south-west and you reach the Palace Quarter, a district of grand nineteenth-century mansions, with the Hungarian National Museum, cafés and a growing restaurant scene. Keleti station and the Fiumei Road Cemetery are a short walk or ride east. The Inner City and the Danube are about twenty minutes on foot or a few stops on the metro.

Choosing the room: Superior rooms give more space and are worth the modest premium; junior suites and suites suit couples on a special trip. Ask for a room away from the boulevard if you are a light sleeper, as the traffic and trams run late. Check whether breakfast is included in your rate.

How it compares: the Continental, a few minutes away on Dohány utca, has pools and a rooftop terrace; the Nemzeti has more historic atmosphere and a slightly lower price. Hotel Moments, near the Opera, is the more polished mid-range choice in District VI, but the Nemzeti offers excellent transport links and good value.