Having been spoiled by an incredible stay at Living Lounge Hostel in Lisbon, it was time to check out yet another stylish hostel but this time in Budapest. After a weekend stay in Munich, I’d already come to like the Wombats Hostel chain but then their location in Budapest just blew me away.
My Favourite Hostel in Hungary Is Wombats City Hostel Budapest
Wombats City Hostel Budapest, the biggest hostel in the entire city, is situated in a former hotel. At first glance, this check-in desk may appear the same as every other hostel.
The Common Area
But, wait until you get a glimpse of the hip, modern, and ultra-cool common area. It’s hard to believe that this is a hostel and not a hotel. Here you can eat breakfast, socialize, and even get some sleep in a lounge area full of fluffy pillows.
I spent many hours curled sitting on these chairs, people watching and taking advantage of the hostel’s free wi-fi. Also, I’d seriously love one of these chairs in my own apartment.
The enthusiastic traveller in me loved these suitcases aka tables in the lounge area.
The Bar
One of the perks of staying at this hostel is the free drink ticket that you get upon arrival. After I finished taking photos of the nearby Chain Bridge by night, I returned to the hostel and took advantage of having a nightcap at their bar. My choice was a red Hungarian wine.
It’s a great place to hang out, meet others staying at the hostel, buy cheap drinks, and listen to lively music.
My Private Room
As this was my last trip in Europe before moving back home to Toronto, I booked my own room as I wanted privacy so I could get a good night’s sleep and reflect on my final days in my favorite city. I’ll be honest, I cried more than once during my stay so the private room was perfect.
The room was huge and more than enough for me. As there were two beds, maybe I should have brought a friend with me after all. It was clean (looked after on a daily basis), and bright, and I loved those skylights.
Other bonus features – a full-length mirror and a hair dryer in the bathroom. Perfect for the girlie girl types like me!
The Super Sexy Staircase
I also adored this spiral staircase and am glad the hostel didn’t try to modernize it like they did to other parts of the property. I refused to use the elevator while there and only took the stairs so I could enjoy their beauty.
Location
Good to Know
1) The hostel is located in a central location on the Pest side of the city and there are lots of cool bars, restaurants, and nice shops nearby. In fact, you’re in the midst of the Fashion District on Király Utca.
2) Wi-Fi is available throughout the hostel, in the common areas, and in all of the rooms.
3) You get a free drink ticket upon arrival. Drinks at the hostel bar are quite cheap.
4) There’s a nice buffet breakfast available daily, which is also very affordable.
5) My room cost me about €24 euros a night. Not bad, especially considering it was a private room.
6) The staff are really fun and extra friendly. They gave me tips about how to use public transportation and helped set me up with appointments to check out the former Invisible Exhibition and the Area 51 Project, both seriously cool experiences.
7) If you’d prefer to stay somewhere else than this awesome hostel, take a look at options on booking.com.
Booking.com8) Experience Budapest on a deeper level by booking a guided tour.
9) If you love Budapest as much as I do, read my other blog posts about the city:
- Pay Tribute At The Michael Jackson Memorial Tree In Budapest – The newest addition to our Weird & Offbeat series highlights the Michael Jackson Memorial Tree in Budapest. Visit and pay tribute to the King Of Pop.
- Travel to Hungary and Spend A Weekend in Budapest – Spend a weekend in Budapest. Visit well-known sites, as well as off-the-beaten-path ones, sleep in a boutique hotel, and eat and drink locally.
- Why Is There A Ronald Reagan Statue In Budapest? – The latest piece in our “Weird & Offbeat” series features a 2-meter-high bronze Ronald Reagan statue in Budapest. Find out how this statue even got there!
*Disclosure – This post contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
I’ve stayed in Wombat’s in both Vienna and Berlin – love the bars and the ambience. Definitely going to look into them for my upcoming trip to Budapest.
This looks great. A lot of times I’d rather stay in a private room in a hostel than a hotel, especially if it has a good kitchen. Hostel recommendation posts are always useful, for self but also because people often ask for reliable recs.
I love the Wombats chain too! What I love about the location in Budapest is the giant common area. It’s so beautiful!
Kate – This is a really great hostel! And when a private room comes at this price, I’d rather a hostel too.
Hi Cheryl, I am the Operations Manager of Wombats City Hostels and I am more than glad you enjoyed your stay in our Hostels and wrote this beautiful article about our property in Budapest! There is one thing that changed: we now have free WiFi even in the rooms, hoping that this is another service to our customers.
Once again, thank you very much and hope to see you real soon in one of our Wombats City Hostels!
Lars
Lars – thanks for your kind comment. I’ve updated the post to say free wi-fi throughout. 🙂
This hostel has such a great location, and the rooms look basic but nice, clean and with a free drink in the bar, what else can anyone ask?
Laura – You can’t ask for more. And such a great way to meet other travellers. 🙂
We are going to Budapest in December, we’ll have to check out Wombats. Thanks for the tip.
No problem! It’s a nice hostel and the location is great.
The spiral staircase is stunning! I love boutique hostels and so appreciate those that offer beautifully designed eco-friendly accommodation (including gorgeous private rooms) at great rates. Thank you for sharing a fabulous find!
I love that staircase as well! I really liked this hostel and have a feeling, I’ll be back someday.
Wow! Quite upscale for a hostel.
Yes, I think Europe sets the bar high for the rest of the world. 🙂
I’ve never stayed in a hostel, but this one looks very nice! As you said, it looks more like a hotel than what I picture a hostel to look like.
Good choice on the red wine. I was totally surprised by how good the Hungarian reds were. I’ve never stayed in a hostel, but have seen many photos and heard many stories. Wombats looks like one that I would consider as an option. Love your staircase shot. So glad they left that as is, too.
I never used to be a fan of hostels but I love them now. It’s so much fun meeting other people and even better when it’s this nice. 🙂
Hungarian wine is great! I love it as well and always make sure I have some when visiting Budapest. I also like to buy a Hungarian sparkling wine at my local liquor store in Toronto. 🙂
And agree, that staircase is gorgeous!