HIDDEN GUEST – Danubius Health Spa Resort

LOCATION
The city of Héviz has a tradition of tourism, with today more than 10 hotels and more small pensions and ČARD. Héviz is the capital of Hungarian spas and thermal baths, as in addition to the hotel complexes and thermal water-filled swimming pools it also has a thermal lake. The thermal lake in Héviz is the largest biologically active natural thermal lake in the world. The 4.44ha lake is surrounded by a 60.5ha nature conservation area and it is created by a heat source from a 38m deep crater.
Hotel Danubius qualifies as a central hotel in the city and is located on a small hill above the city centre.

ACCESSIBILITY
The hotel is situated in a quiet hillside location from which both the city centre and thermal lake is about a five-minute walk away. Héviz is about seven kilometres away from Lake Balaton and easily accessible by road from Budapest. Budapest is a major aviation hub for getting to Héviz, despite the fact that near Héviz is a local airport which operates seasonally and is mainly based on charter flights. In front of the hotel is a large outdoor car park, which is more than adequate for the hotel.

COLD APPETIZER – Architecture and Aesthetics
The large hotel building was built in a socialist modernism style, which despite its monolithic size just doesn’t win you over. The entrance has been fully modernized and with its beautifully landscaped park in front of the hotel is quite impressive. The overall surroundings and the hotel are well maintained. The interior is decorated in a classic style and the well-preserved wall elements and ceiling coverings, which despite its retro appearance represent an interesting interior architecture, make quite an impression. The striking chandeliers in the entrance hall that define the space also catch the eye.

WARM APPETIZER – Personnel and cuisine
You can certainly feel the casual spa atmosphere here and the staff is mostly friendly and professional, with the team at pension lunches and breakfast a special highlight. Breakfast is classic with no special surprises and the setting of restaurant is very much ‘retro’, the experience of the pension lunch and dinner with delicious cuisine a much better one. However, the repetition of dishes bothered us and the offer is tailored mostly to the predominance of older guests. The bar offer is average and given the profile of guests closes just a bit too early for conference guests who might be looking for some more fun.

MAIN DISH – The hotel’s congress service
The rooms are very well maintained, clean and decorated in a classic style. At first glance they can seem a bit old fashioned and reminiscent of other times, so there is room for improvement. This first impression, however, can be outweighed by the magnificent views of the thermal lake that can be had from the upper floors.
There are 6 rooms to choose from for your congress. The biggest, “Shakespeare”, can accommodate up to 210 persons. A very interesting and alternative place to organise your events is in the Retro bar.

DESSERT – Extras
The big pool and treatment area is extremely good.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES
Slow elevators.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES
Good quality for good money.

OVERALL IMPRESSION AND CREDIBILITY

Spa tourism is booming and its Hungarian engine is in Héviz. During the times of the ‘Iron Curtain’, Héviz was a very popular holiday destination for Germans, as this was one of the rare places where East and West Germans could meet. Today the Berlin Wall is gone, but the Germans are still coming to Héviz, where they now mingle with Poles, Slovaks, Dutch, Italians and Russians.
In our opinion the city is suitable for organising events. If you like more traditional hotels and peaceful destinations, you will love this place. You don’t have to worry about excellent service and flexible staff, as it is standard here. If you are looking for a combination with wellness, this is one of the best options in Hungary.