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InterContinental Budapest – Luxury Travel Diary
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InterContinental Budapest – Luxury Travel Diary

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The InterContinental Budapest, located along the riverside road a few doors up from the Marriott Budapest, is a modern 1970s or 1980s beast with no beauty whatsoever in terms of exterior design. These buildings look pretty dingy from the outside and the InterContinental looks dated from the inside, but you can’t beat its location.

The InterContinental Budapest is also one of Viking River Cruises’ main pick-up and drop-off hotels, with a large Viking River Cruises desk centrally located in the lobby, ready to transfer and direct passengers to and from their boats.

At luxury hotels, including InterContinental hotels, we often offer complimentary benefits when you book through our luxury travel concierge. In Budapest, we offer complimentary benefits at the Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Matild Palace, Luxury Collection Hotel and the soon-to-open Mandarin Oriental, but not this InterContinental.

InterContinental Budapest Sign
InterContinental Budapest Sign

Joining our outreach partnership is not luxury enough. If you want a cheaper hotel alternative in Budapest that includes free breakfast, welcome amenity, hotel credit and our room upgrade, our cheapest luxury options in Budapest include Kempinski Corvinus Budapest, Dorothea Hotel Budapest Signature Collection and W Budapest.

Location

InterContinental Budapest Four Seasons is located on Budapest’s roundabout, next to the waterfront and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. This chain bridge spans the Danube between Buda, where tree-covered hills and Buda Castle are located, and Pest, where the InterContinental can be found.

InterContinental Budapest Exterior
InterContinental Budapest Exterior

This is one of the best located hotels in Budapest. Its facade overlooks the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and its side is surrounded by the pedestrian waterfront boulevard along the riverside. Trees shade this wide sidewalk, and there are hotels and restaurants on the land side of the walkway, and a tram line adjacent to the river on the other side. The views across the Danube are breathtaking and you can walk from one end of central Budapest to the other with pedestrian bliss and along this coast without the hassle of a car.

InterContinental Budapest Entrance
InterContinental Budapest Entrance

Style and Character

This InterContinental’s style is not very good. I think it needs renovation, which is why it’s quite low on the list of best hotels in Budapest. The Four Seasons across the roundabout, the Ritz-Carlton, the Matild Palace, the Luxury Collection Hotel, and even the Marriott Budapest a few blocks away all excel in terms of luxury.

Riverside Walkway Shown at InterContinental Budapest Entrance
Riverside Walkway Shown at InterContinental Budapest Entrance

The hotel feels like it’s still living in the 1990s. The lobby is a mix of old sofas and random spaces. Nothing seems particularly well thought out. You can look for a nice seat and have a drink at the bar, but there is nothing in the way of design. It feels like a bunch of couches, cafe tables, and armchairs placed in one big room.

InterContinental Budapest Lobby
InterContinental Budapest Lobby

However, all this is taken into account in the price and this hotel is one of the cheaper options in Budapest. Considering its great location and riverside view, it’s not that bad. Don’t expect this hotel to be one of the best InterContinental hotels in the world. Absolutely not.

InterContinental Budapest Cafe
InterContinental Budapest Cafe

Services and Facilities

This InterContinental has many amenities, including an indoor swimming pool, a gym with elliptical machines, free weights, stair stepper, stationary bike and treadmill. The InterContinental Budapest also has a river-view club lounge that appears to have been renovated more recently than the lobby, and is actually a pretty nice place to hang out.

InterContinental Budapest Restaurant
InterContinental Budapest Restaurant

rooms

The rooms here are old and the basic rooms are quite small compared to the luxury hotels we usually use. If you can, we recommend booking a room with Club Lounge access.

Classic rooms overlook the city and have subdued brown furniture and gray carpets. They are 23 square meters in size. Premium rooms have river views and can be up to 40 m2 in size (some are still 23 m2).

InterContinental Budapest Bar
InterContinental Budapest Bar

Food and Beverage

The hotel has a lovely open-air restaurant that opens onto the waterside promenade called Corso. I’m not sure if this restaurant belongs to the hotel or is a franchise, but it’s a nice green space to spend time.

The main bar area is dated. I highly recommend crossing the roundabout and taking advantage of one of the two bars at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest. Both bars are outstanding and in a different league than the bar and restaurant at the InterContinental.

Four Seasons Budapest Foyer Bar
Review: Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest

Comments

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest is a haven of luxury and tranquility amidst the ever-evolving chaos of Budapest. Our arrival was on a hot day. It was around 35°C outside, and as I entered the cool and stylish Gresham Palace, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders as staff took my bags and led me to the friendly receptionist. Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest has the best location among hotels in Budapest.

Solution

InterContinental Budapest needs renovation. It’s in a great location and has great river views, but the interiors need updating.

Notes: Benefits and upgrades are subject to availability. The benefits offered were correct at the time of writing. Terms and conditions apply. Call for more information. Benefits offered are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change at the seller’s discretion. Posts may be endorsed by the brand owner or brand being reviewed. All opinions are our own and are not influenced in any way.