Novotel Budapest Danube

The hotel is located on the 'Pest' side of Budapest. It has the castles, and the Pest hospital museum from WWII. August 17 - 20 was a major festival. August 20 was St. Stephen's Day, which ended with an awesome 30 minute fireworks display. We just had to cross the road from our hotel to have a great view. Also on the 20th, starting at 9:00 a.m. they had 8 fighter jets performing overhead, then 4 different types of helicopters performing over the Danube, again just across the road from our hotel. It ended with 5 parachuters all landing on the same small platform floating on the Danube. A few blocks away began the food kiosks, which sold cheeses, baked goods, fish stews, Hungarian goulash, beers, wines, lemonades, chicken skewers, roasted pig on a spit. To get to the top of the castle one can pay to take the funicular rail up. There were long lines to buy the tickets, then to line up to take it. We walked about 3 blocks further and took an escalator up, which was free. From there we took an escalator. We ended in the same spot and no lines. As for the hotel, the carpets were filthy. I had to let the front desk know it had not been vacuumed well, as there were toe nails from previous occupants on the carpet. There were two elevators near the front desk, and only one was working. Staff did not tell us that further down was a 3rd elevator. We discovered it on our own. It worked much faster. Staff sometimes came across abrupt, thus unfriendly.