Hotel Review: Novotel Budapest Korona

I’m a bit torn as to whether or not I enjoyed my stay at the Novotel Budapest Korona.  There were many positives but also many negatives at the same time. 

The hotel is located within a few steps of the Kálvin tér metro station.  Being one of the larger metro stations, and having multiple exits, I felt that the hotel should have included instructions on their website to advise guests that the hotel is located only a few steps from the entrance of Exit A.  Be aware that Exit A does not have an escalator or elevator though, so if you have a great deal of luggage, it probably makes more sense to take one of the other exits.

Not only is the hotel located close to a metro station, but there are also tram lines right outside the station.  You will also find the Central Market within a short 4-5 minute walk from the hotel.  I arrived into Budapest late at night and found that there were 2 small grocery stories close to the hotel as well.

Lastly, the airport bus 100E also makes a stop at Kálvin tér, so it was very convenient to catch this bus to the airport.  There are signs from within the metro station that point you out of Exit D, but once you leave the metro station, there are no further signs, so that was a bit confusing.  Basically, once you leave Exit D, turn left and you’ll see a perpendicular street with these buildings:

Once you approach this street, you will notice the bus stop on your right.  (The bus stop is almost directly across from these buildings in the picture). It is probably only about a 20-30 second walk from Exit D but it is currently not clearly labeled.  Please note that this is the last stop before the airport and it was standing room only for the 25-30 minute ride to the airport. 

The room I booked was expectedly small, but the size didn’t bother me too much.  There was ample closet and drawer space which was a plus.  They were also able to cram a small table into the room which was nice.  The luggage storage area was under a very low vaulted ceiling, so although I only stand at 5’5”, even I bumped my head a few times. 

My biggest issue with the room was with the cleanliness.  My bed sheets had small stains on them and the bathroom sink was completely plugged.  If I turned on the sink for 10 seconds, the whole thing was filled with water and would take minutes to drain.  This just didn’t seem like it would be acceptable for the class and price of this hotel.

Service at the hotel was very good. The front desk staff were constantly busy so there was always a line to talk to them.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to try the restaurant at the hotel.

Would I stay here again? 

I would lean towards yes.  The positives outweighed the negatives and you really can’t beat the location of this place.