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February 15, 2005
Hilton Budapest
I chose the Hilton Budapest because I was attending a conference there in October 2000. It's location on Castle Hill near the Fisherman�s Bastion was top notch, providing Danube River views for many of the guestrooms. The hotel doesn't promote itself as a green hotel but it did adopt several green practices.
Though there were hangers/tents promoting towel and sheet re-use, requests weren't honored. It would seem their green training wasn't effective. My room had durable drinking glasses. The guestroom windows opened, allowing fresh air to circulate in the room. One of their unique green efforts was the way the modern hotel structure incorporated the walls of the ancient monastery -- the ultimate in recycling. A magnificent job was done, giving you a sense of history. There were non-smoking guestrooms.
Unfortunately I didn't take notes about my green hotel experience while in Budapest so cant' comment on the issues I generally look for; fabric shower curtains and liners, bulk amenities, unlined waste baskets, compact fluorescent light bulbs, low-flow showers and toilets, and recycling. Since European hotels tend to be ahead of US hotels, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the Hilton Budapest Hotel is taking more green steps than I remember, and maybe even more than they were during my visit.
Posted by Kit Cassingham
