Different Guests Have Different Needs
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For Romance: Andrei or Max -
For Location: Olive, Sarah, Belle, or Max
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For Value: Olive or Jeff’s Place
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For Larger Groups: Belle & Sarah joined or Jeff’s Place
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For Luxury: Max or Andrei
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For Kids: Belle & Sarah joined or Jeff’s Place
Apartments Max, Belle, Sarah, Andrei, Olive, and Jeff’s Place share an attention to detail and amenity, a love of the City, a vibrant location, and our commitment to provide far more than just a place to stay. But they are different and one may suit your needs better than another, so here’s a review of the options, sorted two different ways - first by type of group traveling together, and then by apartment:
If You Are:
An individual traveling alone...
any of the five is worth considering, Olive might be ideal, Jeff’s Place perhaps the biggest bargain in the city, and Max or Andrei might possibly be a bit more than you need
A couple...
Apartment Max is a wonderful and special setting, a step back in time to the understated grandeur and serenity of Budapest at its peak, it’s simply impossible to imagine a more lovely or romantic way to spend a vacation; Apartment Andrei has many of the same features, and rents for a good bit less because it is a tad further from the center of the city -- for an optimal combination of comfort, grace, and value, Andrei is hard to beat; Apartment Belle and Apartment Sarah are a bit less opulent but ample for most couples; Apartment Olive is a snug, small garden apartment optimized for a couple or a single traveler in a great location, with period furnishings that evoke an upscale country cottage in the middle of the city center. Apartment Jeff’s shared bath and kitchen allow it to offer many of the amenities of the other apartments at roughly half the cost. A bit further from the city center, it nevertheless has great access to almost everything and is tucked a block away from both of the city’s two most alive gallery/pub/cafe neighborhoods.
Two unrelated adults...
Perhaps Apartment Sarah, with the privacy between the sleeping area and the livingroom; or Apartment Max, with separate access to the two rooms; or even Apts. Apartment Andrei is slightly less convenient for unrelated adults than Max because its shower facilities are in the en suite bathroom, but it has the space and the facilities to do quite well nonetheless. Belle and Sarah joined, with total privacy and total autonomy -- two baths, two toilets, two kitchens, and connecting doors that, like all good doors, can be closed. If you book separately, at the other end of the cost spectrum, Apartment Jeff can provide two separate bedrooms (and shared dining and bath facilities) for a surprisingly low cost.
A family...
Depending on size and budget, Max, Andrei, Sarah, Belle, Belle & Sarah joined, and Jeff’s Place all have advantages...see their pros and cons listed by apartment below... Apartment Olive might be quite lovely for a couple with a young child who want a balance between privacy and contact between the two sleeping areas, but there’s not enough space or privacy to suit it to a larger group or older children.
Two unrelated couples...
On a budget, Jeff’s Place (larger and more elbow room, but a bath and kitchen shared with other guests), or Sarah, or Belle (though Sarah has more privacy) would do very well for the money. If there is some leeway financially, it’s hard to beat Belle and Sarah joined: again, the privacy, the autonomy, the two baths and kitchens all make a tangible difference in quality of the stay; Apartment Max is a close second to the Belle/Sarah combination, and the view and milieu might make it preferable for many. Olive is a bit too small and offers a bit too little privacy.
Three unrelated couples...
On a budget, Jeff’s Place is hard to beat as a three bedroom, 1.5 bath apartment, sleeping up to 9 comfortably. In fact, Jeff’s is optimal in terms of space and amenity for a larger group. It’s a little further from the center of the tourist scene, but that is an advantage to many and its location is still walkable to most sights and embedded in the midst of two lively cultural neighborhoods. Belle and Sarah joined: might also work, though not so well: there are two full baths, plus a wc, and two kitchens, two tvs, and so on, but two is not the same as three, and in the end it’s a bit small and lacks a bit of the privacy that Jeff’s Place offers.
Two families traveling together, or a multigenerational extended family...
can’t beat the experience of Belle and Sarah joined...again, 2 baths, 2 kitchens, privacy and yet easy access to each other. Jeff’s Place is similar, a bit further afield and one fewer shower, but three full bedrooms and a large and comfortable eat-in kitchen.
Apartment Max...
has vastly high (4.5 metre, 15’) ceilings and a sense of grandeur, tranquility, and beauty. It’s perfect for a couple looking for a very special place to stay, a honeymoon or a soothing respite on a long trip. While all the apartments are quiet and restful, the dominant presence of the park, the balcony, the verdant feeling of a life that takes a step back from the hectic pace of modern times all combine to make Max utterly unique among the Budapest rental apartments we have seen. Large, with ample bath, kitchen, and entry areas, the apartment is almost as big as Belle and Sarah joined, and the study area outside the livingroom (and the separate entries from the hall to the living room and bedroom), together with the daybed and convertible in the livingroom, make it a wonderful place for a family or two unrelated couples.
Apartment Andrei...
has lower ceilings than Max, but that vast balcony (narrow, but the entire length of the apartment) and the light streaming through the many panes of glass in the great room make it feel almost limitless. Queen bed, queen convertible, a convertible single bed in the living room, it sleeps five comfortably (but the shower is in the bathroom off the bedroom, so it’s not optimal for large unrelated groups). It works best for a longer, more leisurely stay, say, five nights or more, when you can wander in ambling loops and take advantage of the nearness of the cafés and the Palace of the Arts. It’s an apartment for travelers who want to feel that they are getting into the real life of the city, not just seeing its sights. It’s the apartment you’ve always wished you had in a cosmopolitan foreign capital city, fully stocked and waiting for you to drop back in and pick up where you left off.
Apartment Belle...
has a sweeping cathedral ceiling and a very large sleeping/study area that opens out onto the livingroom. It has a queen-sized bed and a a dining table that can expand to seat 8. Somewhat less counter space in the kitchen, but a cozy family living area below; less privacy between the two sleeping areas than Sarah (a virtue for some families), a bit warmer in winter and cooler in summer. A combined bath/wc; a somewhat easier staircase to navigate. Ideal for an individual, a couple, a family; perhaps a bit less inviting than Sarah for two couples or a multi-generational group.
Apartment Sarah...
is extremely bright and sunny, and sports a lovely little balcony overlooking the courtyard, complete with bistro table and chairs. Somewhat more counter space than Belle, and a separate wc, may make it a better choice for two unrelated couples on a budget, or for a family with two or more adult generations. The sleeping area is small, an d the mattress a bit smaller than in Belle, and the stairway up to the sleeping area is a bit tighter, resulting in full privacy between the sleeping area and the living room. There’s a separate small dining area/reading nook. It’s also great for an individual, a couple, or a family where privacy is desirable.
Apartments Belle and Sarah joined...
Of course, when the connecting doors between Belle and Sarah are opened, the apartment becomes a large space that has the advantages of both its components. For two unrelated couples it’s a luxurious ideal: two baths, two kitchens, a separate wc...the balcony over the courtyard and as much privacy from each other (or as little) as you’d like. There are even two separate entries, served by two different elevators, two TVs and two dvd players, and yet all the intimacy of a single apartment.
Apartment Olive...
Is warm and cozy and snug, with easy access from the street and a lush courtyard just outside the door. Its size is perfect for 1-2 people, maybe even a couple with a young child; the kitchen is tiny but well-equipped (three induction burners, under-counter fridge, a microwave, a sink, a small clothes washer [no dryer, no dishwasher], Nespresso system, electric kettle, all needed utensils). The arched passage from living room to bedroom lacks a door, but the bathroom is ample and luxurious.
Jeff’s Place...
Takes on the character of its occupants. It can be a rambling apartment for 1-2 people if no one else is in residence, or when fully occupied by three diverse groups it can become a guesthouse or almost a B&B. The common spaces invite interaction among kindred groups, or if the entire apartment is rented by one large group it affords a kind of intimacy that few places in Budapest can offer. Just a few metres outside the center city, it’s location remains ideal, and the universities and trendier café´s and galleries are just around the corner, while the National Museum is just two blocks down the street. It is priced to be a bargain but furnished with amenities that make it strongly competitive with four star hotels.
