Review

A strange and very mixed stay. Loyalty treatment was very under par. The property as a whole is fairly decent as a 3* Mercure. If you are that way inclined the hotel is part of the local casino (I don't gamble).

View of the hotel from the Namur Citadel:



Check-in

Things started strange with this hotel before I even before had arrived. As per usual the stay (one night) was secured via my CC for the night. Before I arrived they emailed me (automatically) that they placed a hold on my card with an amount in excess of the room rate (about €80 more). Now call me old fashioned but the CC secures the first night rate in case I don't show but should not include a cent more (they claimed it was for extras). In my opinion they don't get to play fast and loose with the CC hold. Extras holds are done if and when I actually show up and not in advance.

Anyway, once arrived things did not get better. I was told that the room I had booked (junior suite with terrace) was not available as one of them had a broken balcony door. Now this was a major downer as this was the main reason I had booked this hotel by the river in the first place. After they tried to downgrade me to a normal room which I refused (yes demanding on my part but then give me two adjoining rooms which they refused) and some further back and forth mysteriously the room category I had booked became available. Now call me entitled but this had all the hallmarks of being lied to and this is the one thing I abhor. So it was available but they did not want to give it to me?

2 welcome drinks vouchers were issued (more about this later).

Room

Now the room was pleasant enough. A large bed with not so great bedding (but as I had to remind my travel companion this is not a 5*). A small dining table, an open plan sink, bathtub (with Jacuzzi function), a separate shower and toilet, and a large terrace overlooking the river. The minibar with sparkling and flat water, sparkling wine, beer and two soft drinks was free. Neither the TV nor the safe were working and had to be fixed while being out.













Welcome Amenity

I presume this bag of biscuits was the welcome amenity. No welcome note.



Restaurant

The hotel has a large modern restaurant, which also serves the breakfast. We had some cocktails and dinner on its terrace, also overlooking the river. Cocktails were decent but expensive (and inconsistent) but the food (traditional Belgian fare) was ok, not great but acceptable. Service was mixed too, a long wait ensued between starters and main course. Once done you had to pay at the bar (strange). I charged it to the room as ALL Platinum and upwards guests get a 10% discount on food and drinks at Mercure hotels, I also handed them the drinks vouchers but when I later looked at the bill nothing was discounted. I was too tired to argue more, intend to sort this out at check out.




Breakfast (€24) was so so . Not huge choice of either hot or cold items. Some could be ordered from the kitchen. On the plus side they had a fresh orange juice (squeezed on the spot) machine.





Checkout

Late checkout until 16h was refused, with 14h being granted. As I had feared the 10% restaurant discount was not applied to the bill and another discussion ensued. Frankly the reception staff were bordering on rude. The restaurant manager had to be called in to rectify this but I was told that the 10% and drinks vouchers were mutually exclusive (either one OR the other). Now again this is a lie but I was no more interested in arguing. Luckily the restaurant manager was sensible and applied a greater discount in the end it worked out but none of this made made feel welcome or recognised as Accor premium guest.