charder

I just spend a weekend night there and can underline all that was said so far. Overall a positive experience for the given rate of 57€, but never worth 150€ during the week due to lack of additional services.

As platinum welcome I was offered 250pts, belgian chocolate or breakfast. I took the breakfast which is either 3 pieces (6€), 6 pieces (10€) or all (25€) The 6 pieces are the ones for plat.

I got a "corner" handicapped room which was a little bigger. But you can cleary hear your neighbor and people talking in front of your room.

Strange was that I was given back 7€ in cash at check-out because it was already deducted during check in as deposit which I was not aware of.

late check-out was not a problem at all.

Overall impression. Aloft is for W what four points is for sheraton. Reduced to the basics

frudd38

Just spent a 3 night weekend stay with BRG for 61 euros.

No platinum benefits as expected, besides the welcome amenity.

It really is just a clean, modern budget hotel nice to come back to after a day of checking out Brussels. 5 minute walk to Schuman metro which is just a few stops into the old town.

47/60 euros from/to airport respectively for a minivan, since we had large luggage for 4 adults. It seemed quite expensive but based on what I saw online datapoints of 35 euros for a regular cab, I just went with it.

Nice staff, free coffee voucher per night per room.

I saw the Le Meridien in town which is right off the central station. It was 2.5x the price for my weekend, so whatever works for your situation.

KittyCat

Disclosure: I live less than 10km away from Aloft Brussels, but use it for a combination of MR & nights out in Brussels (... provided room rates are below what it would cost me to take taxi back home ... which is unfortunately not uncommon)

Overall like the hotel very much, but admittedly would not easily pay the 180EUR+ often quoted for weekdays

x Rooms: relatively large for Brussels, good quality bed & other furniture, good TVs
x Public area: a bit funky, guess that's what's Aloft is trying to achieve :-)
x Staff: maybe I've been lucky, but only good or great experiences in about 10 stays in past 2 years - front desk, bar, anyone walking around

Hints:
x Place Jourdan is less than 5min away: some of the cosiest bars & restaurants in Brussels outside of the tourist district. One of the best know "French fries" places in Brussels as well
x Place Luxembourg is a bit under 10min walk: the party-place of Bxl on Wed & Thu evenings (guess EU people tend to go home over WE ;-))
x Place Flagey is a bit further, about 20min walk, but o so worth it: good ambiance any day, bars & restaurants abound (admittedly the FP Brussels is a lot closer for that one, less than 5min). Oh, "Frit Flagey" also well-known for the French fries thingy, and Belga, Bar-du-Marché, Valeras are pretty much landmark bars
x ... well ... if you want to go to old centre & core tourist district: 15-20min walk - not as great a location as LM for that, but still do-able

andymo99

Aloft is a reliable option in Brussels. I'm not sure why the reviews above are so mixed.

This isn't Le Meridien, but if you want a full-service hotel like that at a higher rate, you can get that instead in BRU.

The bus from the airport to Schuman is 4 Euros, 30 minutes, and easy. I arrived at Aloft after a TATL flight, and I was given a room at ~930am.

The front desk staff was very helpful. They spoke great English and cheerfully oriented me to the surroundings on a map, complete with tourist suggestions.

If you have stayed in an Aloft before, anywhere, then you know exactly what to expect of the room. It is hardly distinguishable from any other I've been in.

The location is good. They say it is 25 minutes walk to the city center. I say it is 15-20 minutes at a New Yorker's pace.

gojko88

Just a heads-up: the MAGC vouchers now give 250 instead of 500 Starpoints, in line with Four Points Brussels.

MVA03

For those who have stayed at both would you recommend aloft or Sheraton? We will be there on vacation so convenient location is our primary concern. I stay at an aloft every week so no concerns about the aloft atmosphere. Thanks!

gojko88

If location is key, go for the Sheraton. Right on top of a metro station and the main shopping street, 5-minute walk to the historical city centre. Also has a Club Floor & Lounge. However, the property is a bit older, and some rooms are reportedly rather worn.

hendricks

Sheraton for sure if you want to see the city - the Aloft is in the dead EU district and is less convenient for the metro.

Some rooms are indeed worn, though, as gojko88 mentions, to the point where the bathrooms are right out of the 70s.

discostu

Planning a trip to Brussels, looking between this and the Sheraton now that the LM is gone. I have stayed in Alofts before so know what I am getting. This will be the first time we will be there, roughly 2 days, and will want to see the city. I am a bit of a hotel snob, so the "dated" rooms at the Sheraton do scare me a bit. Any advice?

gojko88

If you only have two days, you'll want to minimise the time you spend "in transit" while sightseeing, so I'd say go for the Sheraton.

365RoadWarrior

I'm with gojoko88. The Sheraton is more central to the popular tourist sites. It's not a stellar property, but it's no less functional than the aloft. Just spend your time somewhere other then your hotel room.

FD1971

There is hardly any differece for a tourist between the Aloft and the Sheraton, the Aloft is right on Schuman (the EU, normally a major tourist sight), the Sheraton is right on Rogier at the end of the pedestrian zone, both are roughly 15-20 away from Grand Place, which first time visitors might want to consider the place to start sightseeing. Places like the Atomium, Waterloo or the Herge Museum are far far away. Other sights like Catherine are closer to the Sheraton, places on the upper level of town (Louise, Royal Palace) are closer to the Aloft.

If you are a hotel snob, you should avoid the SPG properties in town, maybe with the exception of the recently renovated Sheraton Brussels Airport. The difference between a really good hotel like the Rocco Forte Amigo (perfect location) and places like the Sheraton is below € 100 for most nights, so well worth the difference between a mediocre early 1970's hotel like the Sheraton and a true 5* property. The 4 Points is somewhere in between, the location is pretty good, right off Louise.

If you want to save some $$$ and get a stay credit, opt for a SPG property, if you want a really good hotel, opt for the Amigo.

gojko88

Uhm, let's see:

1) Aloft is almost twice the walking distance to Grand Place compared to Sheraton.

2) The walk from Sheraton takes you through Rue Neuve and Place de la Monnaie, whereas the walk from Aloft takes you through... Nothing, really.

3) The metro trip to Atomium is at least 20 minutes shorter from the Sheraton.

I'm a huge fan of Aloft Brussels, but given the circumstances (and staying within SPG limits), the Sheraton is a no-brainer for a two-day stay.

FD1971

Oh boy, Air Serbia (An Ethiad partner airline!) is striking again.

Walking from Schuman down to Grand Place, i.e. via Parc Bruxelles, The Royal Palace, Palace des Academieres (especially the view down there is just blahhh!!!) is indeed just plain ugly and not nearly as beautiful as one of the biggest construction sites in all of Europe, around Place Rogier. The view of the Hilton from the Sheraton is second to none, I always admire the folks, who were able to get a view room at the Sheraton. The rooms are so exclusive, they do not even sell them officially.

And since you mentioned Rue Neuve, all those 1970's department store buildings sitting empty...or being rebuild to house another H&M? Amazing, I love all those stores, Pimkie, Zara, even Zara Home. Just beautiful.

How often did you visit Brussels as a tourist. Let me guess? Twice.

Well, in this case months of working there cannot make up for your vast experience as a weekend tourist, so please keep it coming @:-)

gojko88

I acknowledge the fact that you have to turn every FT interaction into a duel, but I really don't want to poison this thread as well.

Still, for the benefit of the OP, I have to point out that actually going through Parc Bruxelles and next to the Palais Royal is a further detour to the already long walk from the Aloft to the city centre. A 6 km hike to and fro the city centre is not how most tourists envision a two-day city break.