i agree with world20, the Conrad is great and far better than the Hilton, unless the risk of coming across of "night butterflies", as the Indonesians say, on the Avenue Louise street ( where the Conrad is located) bothers you...
the last post reminds me of an Aussie who came to talk to me when I was recently on holiday in Seoul and kept complaining because the food, the weather, the customs and the language were not like in down under... It's a pity that there are people who can't go beyond the appearances and whose knowledge and understanding of the local people is limited to the way they are treated at check=in or in the business lounge of a 5*hotel...
Obviously, Brussels is certainly not the most beautiful city on earth. However, its Grand Place is a jewel and its modern art as well as cartoons museums are very interesting. french food is at its best in Belgium but with a lot more on your plate than in France. Belgian beers, more than 200 different ones, called "special beers/bieres speciales" ( brown, blonde, sweet, bitter, fruity, you name it...), are appealing to all tastes, delicious and far better than the dishwater beers offered elsewhere.
Moreover, Brussels is very strategically located and a visit to Belgium should not be limited to this city and Brugge. Do visit Antwerp, Gent, the villages along the Schelde river ( which crosses Antwerp) as well as the French=speaking part called "Wallonia" which has very nice small towns like Tournai (beautiful grand place, churches and old houses), Ath, Mons (where NATO Supreme headquarter for Europe is located), Namur (capital of the State), etc. There are also very nice small villages in the Ardennes to spend good family hiking weekends (on the way to Luxembourg).Interested? check this site ( also in English): [URL=http://www.wallonie.be]www.wallonie.be
LL
[This message has been edited by LordLuck (edited 10-21-2000).]