Al Habtoor Palace, Budapest

A huge thank you to Aisouda and the entire team at the UEFA lounge. You were all absolutely wonderful, kind, professional, attentive, and always smiling, even during such a busy event. The Champions League Final was an unforgettable experience, and your hospitality played a big part in that. Please pass on our gratitude to everyone involved. You made us feel truly welcome, and it did not go unnoticed.

Our stay at Al Habtoor Palace Budapest was a beautiful combination of luxury, comfort and unforgettable gastronomy. The hotel has an excellent location in the heart of Budapest, elegant and comfortable lobby areas - don’t miss the traditional Arabic coffee/tea and dates served in the lobby – a beautiful tribute to the hotel’s Middle Eastern roots. The spacious and luxurious rooms are thoughtfully designed and complemented by iconic Diptyque amenities, elevating the guest experience to another level. Everything throughout the hotel was impeccably clean and maintained to the highest standards. Another great advantage is the convenient parking option available in the nearby underground garage beneath Kempinski Hotel. One of our favorite spots was Velvet Bar, where we enjoyed refreshing signature cocktails and delicious desserts in a truly sophisticated atmosphere (you can read more about Velvet Bar in our next review). Another highlight of our stay was the wellness center - with a well-equipped fitness center, swimming pool, jacuzzi, dry sauna and steam room. The beautiful glass roof above the wellness area creates an elegant atmosphere filled with natural light and makes the entire space feel even more luxurious. We also loved that the spa uses premium ESPA cosmetics and L’amia products for treatments. For dinner, we experienced Italian-inspired cuisine at Ottimo, where every dish felt refined and full of flavor (you can read more about Ottimo restaurant in our next review). Our stay included breakfast at Kupola Lounge, offering both buffet selection and à la carte menu. The absolute highlight for us were the Eggs Benedict with truffle prosciutto — simply unforgettable. A special thank you goes to Sarah Alnoami for her exceptional care, kindness and professionalism throughout our stay. Her attention to detail and genuine hospitality made our experience even more memorable. Al Habtoor Palace Budapest truly represents timeless luxury and genuine hospitality.

I would like to highlight Ms Aisouda, her professional service and her smile! Just perfect

Stayed at Al Habtoor Palace Budapest recently and came away with very mixed feelings. The rooms are elegant, spacious, and comfortable, with very good beds and quality bedding. Bathrooms are functional and attractive, even if the property is beginning to show some age in places. The location is also very convenient, within easy walking distance of Andrássy Avenue and many of Budapest’s main attractions. Breakfast, however, was inconsistent. Although there was a buffet, the variety was somewhat limited. The fruit was not always particularly fresh, and some items regularly ran out. One morning they even ran out of unsalted butter. To their credit, our server kindly went in search of some and eventually brought unpackaged butter from the kitchen. On a more positive note, the made-to-order egg dishes were very good. Unfortunately, the handling of guest concerns, billing issues, and post-stay communication was frankly abysmal. Although I still had the full unused USD 100 American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property credit available — something that was specifically discussed during checkout and fully known to the employee handling the transaction — I was nevertheless charged for minibar chips. When I pointed this out to the employee handling checkout — who apparently was the only person authorized to process billing matters — I was assured the mistake would be corrected and refunded immediately. It was not. If only one employee is authorized to handle billing and checkout matters, one would reasonably expect that person to be fully equipped to process them accurately and efficiently, rather than making the checkout procedure unnecessarily lengthy and complicated. What followed afterward was honestly astonishing for a hotel presenting itself as a luxury five-star property. Even after multiple follow-up emails on my part, I continued to receive little more than standardized corporate responses explaining policies, apologizing for “communication delays,” and stating that the matter was being “reviewed” or awaiting “Finance team finalization.” At this point, we are literally talking about a few dollars for a tin of minibar chips. What is remarkable is not the amount itself, but the extraordinary level of bureaucracy, poor communication, lack of ownership, and weak service recovery surrounding what should have been a simple and immediate correction. Luxury hospitality is not tested when everything goes smoothly. It is tested when something small goes wrong. Unfortunately, this hotel failed that test rather badly.

We had a wonderful visit to Budapest and stayed at the fabulous Al Habtoor Palace, the luxury hotel with perhaps the best location in the entire city. Our visit was even more special thanks to Aisouda, the host in the hotel’s club level. She helped make this wonderful city feel like home. Enjoy Budapest for their culture, the architecture, and the food, but splurge and stay in the Al Habtoor, and if you want to make it feel even more special, stay in the club level and say hello to Aisouda.