Just a few minutes from Budapest's Nyugati Train and Subway Station, the affordable Aventura Hostel definitely does not look like much from the street (and can very easily be overlooked thanks to its tiny sign on the right hand side of the building entrance)
but once you get buzzed in to walk past the locked door, up the stairs, and alongside the view of the interior courtyard,
you are greeted by a friendly staff member and quickly shown around this pleasant boutique hostel.
There are no bunk beds here; just an assortment of uniquely decorated lofts ready to offer you a comfortable, restful stay. There are four rooms: the private "Indian" room, the double "Japan" room, the 5-bed "Space" shared room, and the 8-bed "Africa" room. I stayed in the "Africa" room, which as you can see from the photos below, is a split level room with 4 beds on each level.
And here's how it looks from the second level:
You might be wondering if sleeping by that huge hole would be safe but with those strategically placed ropes, I would say that you're safer sleeping in that bed than in your typical top bunk.
The beds were comfortable by hostel standards and there was plenty of space to store your belongings. That being said, if you had anything super valuable, I would question leaving it behind in the locked bed drawers, as they were not meant to be that secure. Nevertheless, I did not feel unsecure in leaving my stuff behind for the day. I'm pretty sure the hostel staff would be able to offer you safer storage space if you asked.
The washrooms were clean and well-maintained.
With its big rooms and huge windows, thanks in part to the extremely high ceilings, I would definitely look for a place like this former apartment, if I were in the market for a loft in Budapest.
The hostel also offers a large, well-equipped kitchen where you can make your own meals and share your travel experiences with other guests and staff at the dining table. Breakfast is also available for a nominal charge but considering I am not a fan of pâté and how I wished to sample life as an ordinary Budapest resident, I passed on the light breakfast offering, and practiced my very limited Hungarian speaking skills at nearby grocery stores and bakeries.
Here's what the street looks like...
Reliable, free wireless internet and computer access is also available.
On top of the superb hostel facilities, the 24/7 hostel staff are top-notch, friendly people. And flexible too. Considering I was only leaving Budapest in the late afternoon of my third day and not wanting to lug my backpack all day long through the streets of Budapest, they had no issues with me leaving my rucksack at the hostel until I was ready to leave for good. They also provided directions to the best place to exchange money on my first day. Not only was it nearby but it also offered the best rates that I saw in all my time in Budapest.
So to summarize, Aventura Hostel was the first boutique hostel I stayed at and I would, without any hesitation, recommend staying here for as long as you need a peaceful, relaxing, and friendly place to dine and sleep in Budapest. Based on my experiences at Aventura, I will be closely looking for other boutique hostels during my future travels.
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Dear Mike,
ReplyDeleteIt's Hédi, one of the owners of Aventura! Thanks for this post, it's very useful for travelers and also for us! We always pay attention to our guests comments and thoughts about our hostel. That is how we can improve day by day :)
I am sorry to hear that you found our lockers a little bit unsecure. We provide pad locks if you don’t have, I think it's quiet impossible to brake it, ones it's locked, and there are even bigger and stronger boxes for bigger suitcases. It would be a big help for us if you can tell us what do you think how we can make our lockers more safe, what did you exactly miss?
We wish you all the best for your future travels, and hope to see you one day again at Aventura!
Hi Hédi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. I will certainly be staying at Aventura again the next time I go to Budapest.
As for the lockers, perhaps we are not thinking about the same thing. I was referring to the lockable drawers under the bed. If memory serves me correctly, it looked as though I could lift up the mattress, pull off or break through the thin wooden panel, and gain access to the inside of the drawer and all its contents. I know that sounds paranoid and to me, I felt comfortable leaving my belongings behind but perhaps others might not find it so. Anyways, I suspect you have other options available to your clients.
All the best with your business!
Thanks for the information about the hotel and keep update like this!
ReplyDeleteAventura Ram