Lion’s Garden Hotel

The windowed facade of the Lion’s Garden Hotel reflects the beautiful 100-year-old Dominican church across the street. Inside the somewhat plain lobby of the hotel are two rounded wooden front desks, glossy wood-paneled walls, and cream-colored tile floors. Elevators offer panoramic views of the street and the church, while hallways are decorated with brown and orange patterned carpeting, striped couches, and small colorful paintings. The garden patio area off the lobby is lined with squat pine trees and shaded by tall leafy trees, and has several glass-topped tables with neutral wicker chairs and off-white umbrellas -- a nice spot for dining or sipping tea in warmer weather. The restaurant and bar is mostly brown, from the striped carpeting to bar stool cushions to napkins atop tables, with a few potted plants for pops of green. Many of the guests here are business travelers or visiting tourists.

The hotel is located a bit outside of the city center. It’s located two blocks from the edge of City Park and within a 20-minute walk to its entrance at Heroes’ Square. Inside the park is a Museum of Fine Arts, zoological and botanical gardens, an amusement park, and an ice rink in the winter. Via public transportation, guests can reach St. Stephen’s Basilica in fewer than 25 minutes, and Castle Hill in the medieval part of the city in about 25 minutes. Vaci Street, a famous pedestrian street full of shops and cafes, is a seven-minute drive or 15 minutes by bus. Budapest Airport is 25 minutes away by car, or about an hour away on public transport. Metro, bus, and trolley stops are located within about a 10-minute walk of the hotel. Expect to pay for parking in an underground garage or look for free spots on the street.

The decently sized rooms at the Lion’s Garden Hotel are modern with wood floors and wooden desks and closets, with an overall color palette of brown and neutrals. Some rooms could benefit from a little more attention to cleaning, but overall guest rooms are well-kept. Rooms have small showers, minibars, LCD TVs with international channels, and free internet. Sixth-floor rooms have balconies with great views of the city and streets below, especially at night. Some lower level rooms also offer a nice view of the beautiful church across the street, and rooms with pull-out sofas are available. For a fee, guests can get the business upgrade for a free minibar, coffee/tea facilities, robe and slippers and Wi-Fi. There's also a romantic package available, which includes rose petals decorating the bed and a vase with roses on the desk.

The hotel has a restaurant serving a varied breakfast buffet with hot and cold items, and a Hungarian menu with items like rabbit stew or stuffed green peppers for lunch and dinner. A bar inside the restaurant serves a variety of cocktails and wines, as well as Hungarian Soproni beer on draft. All guests can access the lovely indoor pool and hot tub, fitness center with two treadmills and other machines, and the sauna. A meeting room and two tech-equipped conference rooms, with lots of natural light and brown decor, are available for catered holiday parties or business meetings. Wi-Fi is free throughout.