If the name of Siófok brings the non-stop buzz of the fake palm tree-lined Petőfi Promenade, the beach pimped with house music and sand, and the pumping discotheques into your mind, you have probably not visited the place outside high season. Incredible as it may seem, now real trees and birdsong take centre stage, and you can play outdoor chess in the sunlight filtered through the branches in the park.
Compared to other Balatonside settlements, Siófok is easy to reach by car or by public transportation, but if you really made up your mind to visit, we'd recommend you to book accommodation and dedicate a few days to a weekend spent mostly on the massage table and inside the sauna. It is all the more worthwhile, since the majority of the service providers charge fragments of the harsher-then-winter-cold summer prices for the same treats in the winter.
Talking of leisure and wellness: the Hotel Residence situated a cca.10-minute stroll away from Siófok's city centre has pocketed many a recognition. The freshest success of the 2013 Niveau Prize winner of Hungarian Tourism is the runner-up position of the family hotel top 25 list in Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice 2015 vote; and let's not forget it was among the top 10 wellness hotels in Gault&Millau Hungary last year.
Thanks to the renovation, the popular conference and wellness hotel boasts renewed interior spaces as well as up-to-date and sustainable everyday operation. Hence, electricity is automatically switched off once you leave your room, and the hotel tries to manage water consumption sensibly as well: for instance, bath towels are only replaced if you deem it necessary.
The wellness department of Residence is perfect for recharging: it has everything a hotel of such category has to offer. In addition to the sunlit Oasis sports pool equipped with swim current and neck massage stream and the circular kids' pool with a clown fountain right next to it, it also has an outdoor and an indoor jacuzzi, a cold water Kneipp treading pool to enhance the blood circulation of you legs, and a variety of saunas.
Most people vote for the 90-100°C Finnish sauna when it comes to sweating to benefit body and spirit, but the steam room and its high humidity are also highly recommended, especially because of their beneficial effect on people suffering from respiratory disorders. The sight of mosaic-tiled benches in the dim of the whirling steam would be worth a visit in itself. As opposed to the Finnish sauna, the intimately lit aroma sauna will relax you with a more gentle 50°C, while your entire body is drenched in the detox aroma oils. To wind down, take a rest in the pleasantly warm salt room that will renew you inside out, or try one of the various massages, such as the invigorating coffee massage.
Hotel Residence offers several room types: the standard double rooms are spacious enough for an extra bed, and are equipped with a balcony, air conditioning, an LCD TV, a safe, a mini-bar, and with WIFI internet connection. If you plan on visiting with kids, choose connecting double rooms or a deluxe double room that comes with two separated spaces and two balconies. In search of something exclusive, choose the 100m2 suite with its own living room, jacuzzi, two bedrooms, a spacious bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe and sun terrace around. Residence is pet-friendly, so you can bring your animal companion, unless it's Dumbo - but be sure to check with the hotel in advance.
This time of the year, you can choose from several discount packages from weekday prices through various wellness packages to the Romantic Valentine's Day bundle. The latter includes accommodation in a standard double room, the basic services, like halfboard with a plentiful buffet breakfast, full access to the Wellness Oasis and the kid's room, and extra services, like a welcome drink, a special Valentine's Day surprise in your room, and live entertainment in the evening on Friday and Saturday.
After all that, you might never want to leave the comfort of the hotel, but if you do, you won't be disappointed - and you won't even need a car for most of the programs. Situated in the centre of Siófok, the Water Tower is but a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Here, you can plop down into a comfy armchair and enjoy the view of the entire city, the Somogy Hills and the slopes of the north shore in the distance - the entire floor rotates slowly. The 45-metre-high tower also has an all-round lookout terrace, an entertainment centre with digital gadgets and a café.
The Kálmán Imre Culture Centre (KIKK) is also close by; here you can watch pieces like Peter Shaffer's Amadeus on 14 February - although only in Hungarian. Once you're here, check out one of the numerous sculptures by Imre Varga, the life-size group modeled after a similar piece in Óbuda, Umbrella-bearers in front of the Centre. The recently opened new favourite of Siófok, Lógó Üveg pub is but two minutes on foot towards the train station. Here, you can sit down to a school desk, with a glass of stout in your hand instead of a biro.
From Fő Square, take a walk down to the shore. Follow the Sió Channel to the marina, and check out the Sió flood gate that controls the level of Lake Balaton on the way. On the pier stretching out north from the marina that plays a key role in Balaton's water traffic, there is P.T.Stronsky's sculpture, the Benevolent Angel of Peace.
From here, you can walk back towards the hotel through the Jókai Park. The several acres of green are surrounded by traditional villa buildings, and it also boasts a Japanese garden, as well as a lovely pond, innumerable statues and chess tables.
If you're lucky enough to arrive in cold worthy of Antarctica, you'll find ice suitable for skating in the place of the popular beaches. In suitable weather conditions, the Újhelyi beach in the southwestern part of Siófok is turned into a proper ice rink with buffet and medical service included.
