Hi,
I have just returned from an easter break in Brussels and stayed at the Hilton Brussels City and Hilton Brusssels: My impressions are as follows
Hilton Brussels City
Place Rogier
29th-30th March
Room on 8th Floor
Rate : 99 Euro.
I arrived around 6pm after a short 5minute walk from the Gare du Nord. The hotel is beside the Crown Plaza and is on the opposite side of the square to the Sheraton. The hotel looked new and modern. Check in was quick and was given a room on the 8th floor (9 in total). Do not think there was a executive lounge.
My room looked into the courtyard and the window opened.The room was large and well maintained. It had a wooden floor with a large rug over a part of the area, well lit, with a minibar, room safe ironing board and well soundproofed. The bathroom was well lit , clean and with good water pressure. I liked the fact that at the bedside table you had switches for the individual bed lights and one for the entire room. You had to put your key card in a switch by the door to turn the lights on.
I found the bed a little strange as as it was a King size bed but had 2 single duvets .
The overall impression was of a scanidinavian feel as the back of the bed and all the wardrobes were of browwn wood.
The guest facilites folder had the Scandic Albert Premier Hotel ( previous name of the hotel)
The hotel had no pool but a steam room,hamman and fitness room which was fine and the bar was good.
It is about a 15 minute walk to the Grand Place.
In the morning the breakfast buffet ( included in the rate) was very good with self service orange juice, cereal, fruit, hot breakfast plates, bread and pastries etc . Upon walking outside , The area immediately to the north of the hotel had demolition work going on but I did not hear it in my room on the inside but could hear it slightly from the elevator lounge onthe 8th floor.
I asked for a late check out to 2pm and got in with no problem. However as I returned at 1:15pm to pack my keycard did not work ( back to the lobby) .The check in lady said that the key was programmed to not work after 12 noon and she was apologetic that she forgot to programme the key when I asked for the check out earlier. She offered to put by case in the left luggage room nbut I declined as I was going straight to the Hilton Brussels. Check out was rapid and the bill correct.
Hilton Brussels
Boulevard du Waterloo
Room 1220
30th March-1st April
Rate 125 Euro per night ( breakfast included)
I checked in at 2:30pm and although not upgraded to the executive floors (16-24) I was given a very nice corner room facing northwest ( one of the better corner rooms ) as it looked towards the lower town , grand place and the atomium. There was a welcome plate of strwaberries, raspberries and blackcurrants and mini belgian chocolate easter eggs.
The room also contained a bathrobe, safe, mini bar ,slippers.
Allltohugh not requested when I returned in the evening, I found my bed had been turned down with another couple of easter eggs and the ice bucjet had been filled with ice ( i did not see an ice machine on my floor)-which was a nice touch.
The Breakfast buffet in the cafe D'Ergemont is in a good location overlooking the Jardins d'Ergemont and had a reasonable selection of fruit, cereal ,bread etc ( including a couple of crossiants and a couple of hard boiled painted eggs and mini chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday). The quality was good but I have had alarger selection at other Hiltons but I prefer the orange juice to be self service rather than being offered only 1 glass and no refills.
Overall I prefered the breakfast at the Brussels City Hilton
The gym( no swimming pool) is on the 16th floor( helth studio is past reception on the ground floor) and you have to get a special key from reception which is only valid once then the next time you wish to use the gym -need to get another key. Some of the elevators are dedicated to the executive floors which I found out asfter the gym as I went into an elevator only to find it was going to the lobby and had to go back up).
The bar "le bar" is fine although on Sunday they aparently do not serve coffee in the bar after 5pm -I had to go to the lobby lounge.
At peak times in the morning I had to wait several minutes for a lift as it was full of American tourists on a Vantage Holiday ( they were easily recoginsable as they had large lapel badges saying
" Bob
New Hampshire"
( names have been changed to protect the innocent!!) and they even wore them when going outside for a walk (how to identify yourself as a tourist in 1 easy lesson!!
)
A note was placed on the bed with the chocolates advising us of the time change and the laundry was not avaialable on Monday ( Bank Holiday) which was a nice touch
Check out was quick and correct and it was a short walk to the Louisa Metro station.
Overall a fine hotel ( better buffet and a swimming pool would upgrade this to a very good hotel)
They also had BBC 1 and BBC2 tv channels
Thank for bearing with me
Hope your easter was a good one!!
[Edited for a better review of the breakfast buffet]
[This message has been edited by The _Banking_Scot (edited 04-03-2002).]