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Capital One Travel is offering a limited-time offer of up to $200 off hotel stays in its Premier Collection for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Business cardmembers with no minimum spend through December 31st or while supplies last. I found the Mystery Hotel Budapest for just a bit over this amount and booked it for one night during our recent trip. It’s a unique hotel with a spa, good restaurant, and quirky decor.
Anthony’s Take: Booking through Capital One Travel offers great value with a $100 property credit (that nearly covered our dinner), a buffet breakfast, and a nice room. The hotel’s location is not as convenient many other hotels near the main shopping area and attractions, but it was a quick taxi ride from everywhere we wanted to go in the city.
Booking
As mentioned above, I booked a Deluxe King Room through Capital One Travel. I wanted to take advantage of a limited-time coupon that offered a $200 discount off of any room rate (more here). My rate was $247.22 per night and included breakfast. Once the $200 and the $9.10 I had left from my annual $300 travel credit from my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was deducted, I paid $38.12 for the room, including a $100 property credit, and breakfast.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We took a taxi from the Ritz-Carlton Budapest where were staying the night before to the hotel. It cost $5 and took around 8 minutes to drive the 2.6 kilometers between the hotels. When we left the hotel, we took a taxi back to the Ritz-Carlton for a similar price and duration.
Location
The hotel is located near a train station. Attractions and Christmas markets are a short taxi ride away. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is about a 15-minute walk. There are several restaurants and stores near the hotel.
Check-in
We arrived at the hotel around 5:00 PM and our room was ready. The agent at the front desk was friendly and she explained the Capital One benefits. She also told us that we were upgraded to a suite. We got our keys and we were in our suite a few moments later. The carpet looping from the floor to the ceiling was a whimsical addition to the lobby.
The Capital One Premier Collection benefits are similar to American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts and quite valuable. These benefits include a $100 dining experience, breakfast, Wi-Fi, and a room upgrade, early check-in, and late checkout when available.
We were also given a voucher for free drinks and 10% off of dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. This was applied in addition to our $100 credit.
The lobby has a beautiful staircase in the center.
The elevators are located on the left side of the lobby.
Citrus-infused water was available near the elevators.
I liked that the hotel was decked out for Christmas.
Our room was located on the sixth floor.
The hallways were filled with all sorts of cool and kitschy art.
Everywhere you look there are patterns and textures.
The rooms overlooked an open atrium and the spa below.
Suite, 1 King Bed with Sofa Bed (611)
There are 82 rooms and suites at the Mystery Hotel.
A closet was on the left side upon entering the room. Curtains covered it instead of doors. Curtains were used to separate all areas of the room with the exception of the bathroom. Robes, slippers, hangers, and a safe were found in here.
The hotel has two cool door hangers to use when you want to be left alone or want service.
A separate area houses a bathtub on the other side of the wall with the closets.
It’s a large space and takes up quite a bit of the room’s real estate.
RITUALS brand shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were mounted to the wall. Smaller bottles of toiletries were also on the table.
Across from the space with the tub is a living area. Here you’ll find a couch, chairs, a table, and TV.
The bed was to the left of the living area. Another curtain was there to separate the bedroom if desired. The headboard was a playful twist on the Mona Lisa.
A mini bar and Nespresso machine were to the left of the bed.
The refrigerator was filled with drinks for sale, but it also had some space for personal items.
A fun phone was also found here.
The bathroom was to the left of the bed. It was a tight space with a vanity, toilet, and glassed-in shower.
More RITUALS products were mounted to the wall here. No bar soap was provided.
The toilet was across from the vanity.
The shower was also tight. Water pressure was fine and another set of RITUALS shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel were mounted here.
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the hotel’s restaurant each morning. It’s a buffet and while on the smaller side, was adequate. It included multiple hot dishes as well as some meat, cheeses, smoked fish, pastries, cereal, and fruit.
Scrambled eggs
Bacon
Pancakes and French Toast
Sausage and beans
Grapes and cookies
Cereal and more fruit
Meat
Cheese
Salad
Bread and a self-serve toaster
Smoked fish and condiments
A coffee machine was off to the side and the staff was happy to make you coffee.
Water, orange juice, and iced tea
The dining room is a gorgeous, open space.
Another Christmas tree was near the buffet.
Dinner
A $100 credit and 10% off coupon were provided at check-in. Dinner needs to be billed to your room to receive these credits. The menu is limited, but everything we ordered was well prepared and tasty.
We started with a glass of still and sparkling rosé.
A goat cheese and grape amuse-bouche was brought out shortly after our wine.
I started with the Duck Liver Paté with Balsamic Glaze. It was an excellent starter both in presentation and taste.
My husband ordered the Pheasant Consommé. He enjoyed it as well.
For an entrée, I selected the Venison Tenderloin. It was perfectly cooked.
My husband had Pumpkin Risotto, which he said was flavorful.
Service was good and the total bill with tip came out to $109. This meal was well worth the $9 it cost after the credit was removed.
Public Areas & Amenities
I loved all of the seating throughout the hotel and the art that adorned many of the walls. The hotel also has a computer for guest use, Wi-Fi, and a spa with fitness center off of the lobby.
Art ranged from classic to quirky.
Screens were throughout the restaurant and hotel with moving paintings displayed.
An area off of the lobby had a cool chandelier display with mirrors to make it look like it went on forever.
Walking down the stairs from our room found seating on each floor.
A computer and printer were available for guest use.
The spa was located on the lobby level.
It had wallpaper throughout that reminded me of The Golden Girls.
The spa had a jacuzzi in the center.
A steam room was to the right side.
The fitness center had a limited amount of equipment.
Overall Impression: The Mystery Hotel is a fun and eccentric place to stay in Budapest. The room was comfortable and it offers a lot of value if booking through Capital One’s Premier Collection.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
2 comments
Having stayed at the Radisson Blu Beke around the corner a number of times I like the area. The massively touristy areas are an easy walk but you still have lots of bars and restaurants nearby and the Tesco facing the train station is super convenient. The pinball museum is also nearby.
I’d frankly forgotten about the CapOne hotel deal after I fruitlessly searched for hours for a hotel. Is it still alive and do the stays have to be complete by the end of the year?
I’m not sure.