Robert Brady Travel Blog: Skate, wine and dine on the panoramic rooftop of Budapest’s Hotel President

WeLoveBudapest EN
Skate, wine and dine on the panoramic rooftop of Budapest’s Hotel President

The overlook from the rooftop terrace of the Hotel President affords views as far as the Parliament building and Buda hills on clear nights. Its weekly Hütte Party, which channels the feeling of après ski parties so popular at Alpine resorts, makes full use of this panoramic vision every Sunday between 6-10pm. A DJ kicks off with classic Hütte music, and then transitions into today’s electronic hits, beckoning guests onto the ice rink, which doubles as the dance floor.

The rink is actually made of a durable hard plastic, remarkably similar to gliding on real ice! After a few false tries, skaters get more confident on their feet, and are soon sweeping with ease around the arena. If you’re not so seasoned on skates yourself, never fear – falling on plastic hurts a lot less than falling on ice!

A full menu of food and drink is offered at the rooftop party, catering to sweet and savoury tastes. Warming Tokaj wine soup, dumplings in a vanilla sauce and pork rillettes with red onion are among the options. Mulled wine is served steaming hot to ward off winter chills, but cocktails and spirits are also available to kick off the fun. Careful skaters can bring their drinks onto the ice.

Non-alcoholic beverages include hot chocolate and warm apple juice. The event is child-friendly.

Outside of Hütte Party hours, the skating rink operates Mondays to Fridays 4pm-9pm, weekends 2pm-9pm. Entry is free to hotel guests, otherwise admission is only 1,000 forints. Up to 25 people can skate comfortably at once.

Festive decorations transform the terrace into a Christmas-y wonderland, with stocking hanging from the railing, jars of fairy lights on the tables and coloured lights strung up high above the rink. Round up your friends and spend the evening slipping and sliding to the music. When you’re ready to take a break, bundle up in the blankets provided and revel in the view.