Are you Hungary?

We just got back from a 3-day meeting in beautiful Budapest, Hungary. This capital city, with a population of more than two million residents, sits just down the Danube River from Vienna and is often overlooked by tourists.

Aside from all the sightseeing and local history to take in, one of the most interesting aspects of Budapest culture is the local cuisine. The famous Hungarian goulash is a must-have and is surprising when it turns out to be a spicy, thin soup instead of the thick stew I was expecting. There many more local delicacies that also should to be sampled. Shockingly, Budapest is known for it’s smoked goose liver, which everyone had to try. At first I was skeptical, but eventually I succumbed to peer pressure. To my surprise, it was really delicious... the perfect start to a fabulous meal!

One of our pharmaceutical clients needed to host an investigator meeting in a central European destination and asked BUCOM to recommend a solution. After an extensive search, BUCOM selected the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest. The meeting space was absolutely perfect for our client’s needs – all with close proximity and easy access to the business center. One of our favorite amenities provided by the Kempinski was complimentary wireless internet access EVERYWHERE in the hotel. You don’t even need a password to connect. This is very rare for a hotel of this size & stature, and was a huge convenience factor for our participants and staff alike.

The concierge staff at the Kempinski was extremely helpful, more so than the other properties we have worked with in Budapest. They went out of their way to ensure that our group was treated like VIPs. Not only did they assist us in pulling our shipments out of customs (which is very strict and notoriously slow) but also followed-up to ensure that they were delivered to our office as soon as they arrived to the hotel. They were very attentive and provided top-notch customer service to all of our attendees when called upon.

Since the hotel was located in the city center, the participants were able to see many of the most popular local attractions. The sightseeing highlights include Heroe’s Square (pictured above), Buda Castle, Szechenyi Public Baths, and the Museum of Applied Arts. If you have time, I also suggest the twilight dinner cruises on the Danube River.

All in all, the attendees had a very productive meeting and our client was extremely pleased with the outcome. While we have hosted many programs in Budapest over the last 20 years, the rave reviews from our client ensure that we will be returning again very soon.