We stayed at the Hotel Normafa in Budapest for three nights before beginning a three-week "volunteer vacation" in Romania. We chose the hotel based on various positive online reviews. It was the right choice. While it is away from the city center, transportation is efficient. A bus, which originates within sight of the hotel, ambles down the Buda hills into Budapest proper. The ride down has some lovely views and provides a glimpse into local life. Within 20 minutes or so you'll arrive at Moscow Terrace, from which you can transfer to the subway, other buses, or a variety of trams. You can also walk across the Danube into the city center or up a hill to the castle district. Budapest is wonderfully walkable--we thoroughly enjoyed exploring on foot.

The staff was quite helpful. I had focused my language acquisition on Romanian, so knew only a few words of Hungarian. The staff were easily able, in English, to direct us to the places we wanted to go. The rooms were comfortable and clean. We chose the least expensive option, but our room was more-than-adequate for our needs. We had a view of the lovely pool area and the dining-room terrace. The grounds are very nice and include picnic tables and a small playground. We stopped at a market on the bus route one evening and brought picnic supplies back to the hotel for our dinner--a nice alternative when faced with an exchange rate that was far from wallet-friendly.

Breakfast was wonderful. We were able to eat heartily in pleasant surroundings--a great way to start long days of sightseeing. In-room internet access is extra, but the hotel provides one freely-accessible computer in a small room off the lobby.

If you don't mind being away from the "action," the Hotel Normafa is a lovely alternative.

This hotel is situated at the top of Buda Hills in Normafa overlooking Budapest, a bus ride (buses very regular throughout the week) to Moscow Square (15 mins) , which is a central point for buses, trams and Metro which can take you where you want to go. Yes this hotel is away from the hub bub of the centre but if you want some peace and rest after a busy day, this is the place to go. There are nice walks through the woods when you feel you want to be away from the busy City. I was travelling alone so I appreciated the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. The rooms were comfortable and yes, they did have tea and coffee facilities. There are 2 restaurants which provide a fairly good menu. The breakfast has an excellent choice and after eating that I did not need anything until evening. One of the excellent ideas of this hotel was the half board. It cost 12 euros a night but instead of having to pay up front, you received vouchers and were only charged when you used these. The only negative comment I would give is that I felt a bit rushed at the table, but I am sure if they knew this, things would change. There is a nice outside swimming pool which is kept warm, whatever the weather. The gym is small but adequate and they have evening exercise classes. I did enjoy doing a hungarian workout. I was there for 2 weeks and by the end was very familiar with the public transport which is excellent and cheap. I am not sure this would be the place for young adults who want to be in the centre of the hub hub of life, but for others and families (nice play area for children), I think it would be good.

We have just come back from a trip to Budapest. I had booked us in the Normafa after having read the many positive reviews of the place on TripAdvisor and Expedia. We weren't disappointed.

The Normafa is a wonderful chalet-style hotel, beautifully located in the hills on the Buda side of Budapest. The hotel staff were friendly and efficient, nothing seemed too much trouble. I had requested a double room (refurbished if possible) and got a suite! It had a little lounge area (sofa and chair) and cofee/tea making facilities. We were very happy with the extra space.

The hotel has a swimming pool at the back which is one of the reasons I booked it. I thought we could use it after a long, hot day in the city! Unfortunately the weather wasn't that hot when we were there, but we did take a dip once, if only just to try it! I can imagine it's wonderful to cool off in during the hot summer months.

Breakfast was included and can be taken in the restaurant downstairs (which overlooks the pool). It is a continental-style breakfast with cereals, rolls, bread, yogurts, boiled eggs, cold meats, jam etc. There was plenty to choose from and you can have as much as you want - so that'll keep you going during those long sightseeing days! Also what is excellent is you can order a cooked breakfast like scrambled eggs, french toast or sausages and bacon and it won't cost you extra (or so it says on the placemats on the tables).

The restaurant is also great for evening dining, although a bit more 'haute cuisine' and - so I felt - a bit more pricey than some places in town, but convenient as you don't have to go down the hill again. There is also the Normafa grill, on the road, which also belongs to the hotel, and which has an extensive menu. Try the home-made bread, they bake it fresh for you and it's yummy!

The thing you need to know about the Normafa is that it is out of town. It takes about 20 minutes by bus to get to Moskva Tér (Moscow Square), from which you can take a tram or metro to get to the city centre. I was aware of this beforehand and it didn't bother us. The buses (number 21 or 90) are very frequent and stop right outside the hotel.

I recommend buying a Budapest Card (available for 48 or 72 hours) which covers public transport, discounts to some sights (museums, river cruises, hop-on-hop-off tours), and discounts in some restaurants. Or there is a card for public transport only which you can buy for one or multiple (up to 7) days. They are excellent value for money. You can buy the Budapest card at the hotel; they also do one-way tickets but not the 'transport-only' card. You can buy these at train and metro stations or tourist offices.

Public transport is excellent in Budapest; there are trams, buses, metro (underground/subway) and a cog railway up into the hills. All transport within the city boundaries is provided by 'BKV' and is included in the cards you buy. Also useful to know: there is a direct train to Ferihegy airport terminals 1 and 2 from the Western ('Nyugati') Railway station. Note: this is not included in the pass as it's outside the boundaries of BKV, but costs only 300HUF.

Things to do and see in Budapest:
- Buda: the Royal Palace, (take the funicular up if you can); Matthias Church, Gellert Hill, 'Mammut' (shopping mall);
- Margit-sziget (Margaret Island) for an afternoon stroll;
- Pest: tour of the Parliament (be sure to get there early in the morning to avoid disappointment!, St Stephen's Basilica, the Great Synagogue, Heroes' Square, Városliget (City Park), Opera house, Oktagon, Andrássy út and Vaci utca (shopping streets)
- Take a cruise on the Danube river

There is much, much more but I can't remember it all and it would be too much to write it down! But I'd be happy to try and answer any questions you may still have after reading my review.

My husband and I have just returned from a four night stay at the Normafa Hotel. The hotel is situated in the Buda hills as stated by previous reviewer, but this added to the charm and overall enjoyment of our holiday. After a long day's sightseeing it was lovely to return to the peace and tranquilty of the area, you could hardly believe the bustling city centre was just a short distance away. The breakfast buffet was really good and it was lovely to dine on the terrace overlooking the pool. We also ate in both hotel restaurants, the food was good but quite pricey. The reception staff could'nt have been any friendlier, they explained the public transport system to us and it's easy to use, the bus stops just outside the hotel and takes you to the centre of Buda(Moscow Square), if you want to go to Pest it's easy on the metro, just 3 stops and your'e in the centre.The transport system is very old but extremely efficient, we just bought books of 10 single tickets as we like to walk alot, but these proved good value. Budapest is beautiful, a cruise on the Danube is not to be missed! But it isn't Blue! There are some lovely buildings but alot have been badly neglected and overall I think the city is a little run down in places, also there appears to be a big homeless community and quite a few beggars, although you do see this in most cities. I also found Budapest expensive compared to other East European cities such as Prague.
The hotel was faultless, spotlessly clean, friendly staff, lovely big rooms,( we had a suite with a balcony) and it had a gorgeous heated pool. We spent a relaxing few hours by the pool to recharge the batteries for more sightseeing. I would definately recommend the Normafa, it's a great hotel in all ways...