Star Inn Hotel Budapest Centrum, by Comfort

From the outside the hotel looks quite plain, with a minimal brick-and-glass decor -- but inside it is quiet and warm. The lobby is sleek and bright, with white floors and white leather sofas, and gold lamps. Large potted plants soften the surroundings and there’s a courtyard with plenty of foliage. The hotel is popular with budget travelers, business people who are there to use the conference spaces, and couples who want to be close to the nightlife.

Centrally located, the Star Inn Hotel is one street down from Adrassy Street. Heroes' Square is a 25-minute walk away, and the Chain Bridge over the Danube will take about 20 minutes to reach on foot. There’s plenty of nightclubs nearby, and the Ernst Museum takes under 10-minutes to walk to.

The rooms are modern with bright ambience and basic comforts. Many of the rooms seem to have the hotel’s signature red and gold theme, which may be too over-the-top for some. Furnishings are light wood, and so are the bed frames. Overall, the look is pretty bare bones and utilitarian, but all come with work desks, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Some have terraces, but all lack coffeemakers and safes. While rooms are reasonably well soundproofed from the outside -- as much as they can be -- noise between rooms can be an issue, as well as outside street noise.

Bathrooms are clean and well-maintained with tiny walk-in showers and wall-mounted toiletries and hairdryers, but lighting is generally poor throughout and brown-colored sinks are surely a relic from the 1970s.

A buffet breakfast is served in the breakfast room at the back of the hotel -- it's flooded with natural light and is decorated with a raised platform supported by pillars and a striped veranda. Ornamental sailing ships are fitted near the buffet area. Breakfast is not included in the rate, but the price is reasonable for Budapest. The bar provides a cozy and welcoming spot; it’s small but perfectly comfortable -- watch out for high drink prices. Wi-Fi is free throughout. A pretty outdoor courtyard with benches and parasols, surrounded by old walls with creeper plants, makes for a great chill-out spot.