Is the Aria Hotel the Best Hotel in Budapest?
The Aria Hotel Budapest is not only Hungary's only musical themed hotel, it is also ranked as the # 1 hotel in Budapest on TripAdvisor!
This is an impressive achievement and it's obvious why they're ranked so highly: the Aria is in the perfect location, it's luxurious, it's comfortable and the spa and service are impeccable.
We stayed for one night and this is what we thought:
Check in
Before we'd even stepped into the Aria Hotel we were impressed - by the location: the Aria is less than a two minute walk from St Stephen's Basilikum (the Cathedral) I don't think you can get more centrally located in Budapest than this. It was the perfect spot for a hotel.
Check in is at 3pm, but if you arrive early it's no problem, you can leave your luggage in a safe place and enjoy the spa area or start exploring Budapest.
We were shown up to our room and taught about the special sound system and shown how we could control everything (lights, curtains, sound) from the bed. There was also a beautiful tray of fresh fruit to welcome us.
Our room
We stayed in the Aria Signature Room with a Music Garden Balcony view. Our room was very comfy, with a king size bed and a massive shower and separate bath.
The room came with mineral water, a selection of newspapers, fine chocolates, fresh fruit and a Nespresso machine.
The room also had an intelligent Multi-Media system with a great sound system. There were even speakers in the bathroom so you could listen to music or TV.
There was also an iPad in the room!
Wine and Cheese reception
Everyday between 4pm and 6pm, guests of the Aria can enjoy a wine and cheese reception. We LOVE good cheese, luckily the Aria catered to that by having four absolutely divine cheeses: a goat's cheese, a blue cheese, a soft cheese and a Gouda.
We tried a white wine which paired beautifully with all the cheeses. It was citrusy and sweet.
To go with the cheese there were also bread, olives, dried fruits and fresh fruits. We tried a bit of everything and it was all delectable.
Rooftop bar
The rooftop bar - High Notes Sky Bar - has an absolutely stunning 360 degree view. This makes it perfect for both evening cocktails when the sun is going down, and morning yoga when the sun is rising!
As the Aria is so central, you can enjoy views of all the main attractions up here: the Basilikum, the Parliament and Castle Hill, just to name a few!
Note: drink orders come with a complimentary snack!
Harmony Spa Wellness Centre
The Aria Hotel has one of the best spas we've ever seen in a hotel. It has a heated indoor pool, it was only 28 degree celsius, but this was the perfect temperature for cooling off in after a trip to their saunas (one is 50 degrees Celsius, the other 80 degrees) or the aromatic steam room, or even the jacuzzi!
Dotted around the swimming pool are plenty of comfy coaches and beds to chill out in. It's such a relaxing atmosphere with mood lighting, candles and calming music. We had a great time in here, it was probably our favourite part of the whole hotel.
It's no wonder the Aria was awarded Europe's Best Wellness Spa in 2015.
We also tried out the gym, which is fully equipped and the screens on the machines give you access to the internet! You can watch inspirational YouTube videos as you work out!
Breakfast
Breakfast was very good. The staff were friendly, helpful and very nice. There was a large selection of cereals, breads, cheeses, cold meats, fruit, yoghurts and dried fruit. You can also order eggs in any way you'd like, and tea, coffee and fruit juice were served too.
The omelettes were especially good. We had an omelette for breakfast in almost every hotel we stayed in in Asia and none of them compared to these ones. It was perfect.
The musical theme
The Aria Hotel is the only hotel in Hungary that is a musically themed hotel, and the music was impressive. Upbeat music greeted us when we first arrived in our room, cool & classy live jazz was played during wine and cheese, relaxing Eastern music was played in the spa and calming classical music could be heard at breakfast. The music always fitted the mood and was always at an appropriate noise level.
The Aria has four wings, and each is dedicated to a major genre of music: Classical, Jazz, Contemporary and Opera. We were in the classical wing and classical music played in our hallway.
Nearby attractions
I wouldn't be surprised if you stayed at the Aria and didn't leave the premises, it has such a nice atmosphere and everything is so luxurious it's hard to leave. However, it's worth noting that the Aria Hotel is also in the absolute best location in Budapest. Here are some nearby attractions:
- Saint Stephen's Basilika - largest church in Budapest, with impressive views from the roof and the 1000 year old hand of St Stephen himself preserved in the chapel. (1 minute walk)
- Hungarian Parliament House - extremely beautiful building and the third largest parliament house in Europe (15 minutes walk)
- Buda Castle - historical place of Hungarian royalty (10 minutes drive)
- Deak Ferenc Square - the nearest tube station (3 minutes walk)
Even the airport is only 30 minutes away (car).
But despite being so centrally located, we were never disturbed by the noise of the city.
They are also right next to a shop that sells these impressive rose shaped ice creams! Instagood!
Further information
Conclusion
As I'm sure you can tell, we loved our stay at the Aria Hotel, everything was perfect: the staff, the rooms, the food, everything was comfy and well thought out. What really made the Aria stand out for us though, was the Spa and the location - they can't be beaten!
To make your reservations, head over to the Aria's own website: www.ariahotelbudapest.com you can also find them on Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor.
Make sure you pin this to your Budapest bucket-list:
Travelling Weasels were invited as guests of the Aria, but all opinions are our own as always.
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