CEU Conference Center

DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE POSITIVE REVIEWS!!! If you are considering staying at this dormitory as a student or even just for a few nights – read this before you sign anything. I spent several months here as a student and I can say that this dormitory operates on the very edge of what could still be called accommodation worthy of the 21st century. Hygiene and Kitchens The shared kitchens on each floor have been a long-term problem – small insects, garbage, and theft of food from fridges is the daily norm here. This was repeatedly reported to management. The result? Zero. Students eventually started buying their own mini cameras and installing them above the fridges to catch whoever was stealing their frozen pizzas (some were carrying them out hidden under their jackets – and that is not a joke). Meanwhile, management continues to pay significant sums to external companies and collect fees from students. Buying 20 cameras for the kitchens would apparently be too great an investment. Safety The water fountain near the vending machines on the ground floor repeatedly leaked near an electrical socket. Reported multiple times. The security response? They came, had a look, and went back to finish watching their movie. Honestly – I envy them that job. The disappearance of money and valuables from students’ rooms by cleaning staff is a topic that regularly comes up in the unofficial CEU residents’ WhatsApp group chat – so this is far from an isolated case. Reception and Security The receptionists largely operate with a “tied hands” attitude. The standard response to any problem is: “write an email to dormitory management.” So what exactly are these people here for? A single computer with some software would achieve the same result. Security staff spend their working hours watching movies and series – or falling asleep on the job. From my perspective, they could comfortably launch a film review club and share their thoughts on the titles they get through during their shift. I was a direct witness to a situation where a girl in a hijab came to borrow a vacuum cleaner – the staff treated her in a dismissive and frankly disgusting manner. Immediately after her, a Hungarian-speaking student arrived and the receptionist instantly “switched settings” – smiling, helpful, happy to assist with a postal package. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable. Living Conditions The doors on the rooms are smaller than the door frames – sound insulation does not exist. The hallway is your living room whether you like it or not. The water quality is, based on my personal experience, poor – my health issues worsened during my stay here. The vacuum cleaners available to rent are never emptied by anyone. After half an hour of vacuuming your room will be clean, but it will smell like a clogged filter – because hundreds of students before you vacuumed up crumbs, hair and everything else and nobody ever emptied it. Scented vacuum capsules cost around 1–2 € – but that would require someone to actually care. Final Note I recommend that dormitory management regularly checks the Google Maps reviews left by people who have stayed here – including those who only stayed briefly, as if it were a hotel. It is worth reading what people write and what they encounter during their stay. Many of these problems do not require large financial investments. They only require attention, willingness, and someone competent. If any of those three things can be found here, there might actually be a reason to stay. - former resident

Beds are short and so are the bed sheets. Even if you're not taller than 182 it's uncomfortably short. For the price you pay it's okay, pool was nice and mostly empty so that was a large plus for this place.

Where do I begin? I'm a CEU alumn that unexpectedly had to stay 2 nights in Budapest and immediately looked up the CEU Conference Center. Students, faculty, and alumni receive generous discounts (up to 50%) so this was a no brainer. I called twice on a Thursday around 4 PM to make a reservation, but nobody at the reception answered. Since I was in a hurry, I made the reservation for the apartment via Booking.com to prevent arriving at the hotel and finding out there are no rooms available. Upon arrival, I inquired about the discount but was told by the receptionist that reservations made online are ineligible for the discount. The receptionist said that I had to make the reservation by calling, even though I repeatedly said that nobody answered my calls earlier that day. He said I can talk to a manager the next day. The following day, I spoke with another receptionist that basically gave the same story, however she called the manager to confirm this. I followed up with an email to the Residence Manager politely explaining my situation, notifying her that I previously called without success and since I was in a hurry made the booking online. Do you want to know what her response was? She said that sometimes the reception is unattended during lunch and dinner times i.e. "sorry nobody picked up the phone - sucks for you". She also claimed my apartment was "ineligible" for the discount as it's "refurbished". First of all, none of these requirements and limitations were listed anywhere at the hotel or website. The "policy" of no discounts is also pure rubbish as hotels can easily issue refunds regardless of where the booking was made. Her justifications were preposterous and her emails arrogant. To make matters worse - the same day after finally getting in touch with the manager - she leaves for vacation for two weeks as notified in the automatic email reply. I would never recommend this place after receiving such poor customer service. The manager needs to be reprimanded immediately. If this place is not welcoming to CEU alumni, I can only imagine the experience for anyone else.