No it's the same lounge operated by DB but allows comfort 1 passengers to use it as well.
Have a look on the DB website for more information.
It's not as good as say the Virgin Lounge @ London Euston but the machine makes a decent coffee & it's a lot quieter than sitting in the food court.

I have always disliked this train station very much.
It has a dark and gloomy atmosphere and like some people have said, it is unsafe.
In recent times, a young man got stabbed and died because he refused to hand over his iPod.

Good stations all, but pickpockets do target people who are distracted there, and they don;t much care what language we use or call them. ;)

And what I ate yesterday at 55 Degrees Restaurant in Sacramento / SMF was called "Belgian beef stew" - but guess what, it was carbonnade, even with a Walloon chef. Yum! :D

Hmm it might be a bit gloomy, but I've never felt unsafe at Brussels Midi. I think if you seem purposeful they'll leave you alone.

There is a bog standard hotel, I'd think it's an IBIS, about 150 meters from the station. They have an acceptable bar with food being served all day and televisions with news channels on. The toilets are locked and only opened by staff upon request.

I have found this hotel to be the most pleasant waiting place around Brussels Midi. And agree that this station and the surrounding ghetto is not really an attraction in itself.

Have a nephew going into Midi, for a first timer to Europe (only English speaking) tourist, will it be tough to find a cab stand ?

It's easy enough to find the taxi rank, but if he's coming off a busy train, it might be the taxis themselves that are harder to come by... The station is well connected by public transport, however.

No problem speaking English, it's the lingua franca between Flemings and Walloons anyway.

Robbed in Brussels
 

I can verify first hand. My wife and I were there this past Wed. We were boarding a train and someone was trying to "help" me get my bag on a train. After 10 seconds of going from telling this person "No" "I don't need help" to finally almost yelling "get your hand off of me and my bag" my wallet got lifted. Within 15 minutes, before I could contact my bank, my cards were charged with about $4,800.

Do not go to Brussels train ststion...if you do..do not accept help to get onto a train. Shout rape, murder whatever......if someone grabs your bag handle and says they will help snatch it back.....yell.....anything...because they are likely trying to rob you.

Just wondering if anyone had any recent experiences with this. I am headed out there in March with my parents and get the impression our group could easily be labeled tourist and therefore target.

Oh, please. Things happen in every city and in every train station. Bad luck happens everywhere, but it isn't like there is someone waiting behing every pillar waiting to pounce on you. We wandered around Midi totally lost for 30 minutes and nothing happened to us - use common city sense and you will most likely be fine.

Not every station!
We've been fine in Union Station in Chicago, Union Station, Washington DC, Cologne, Munich, all London Sations....
Have been to Midi on 2 return trips & noticed it going on all around us.
You & I have just been lucky so far but it couls still happen.
All i am saying is that you should be extra vigillant at this station as it has a European wide reputation.

I go quite often to Brussels Midi and I can tell you it is Disneyland compared to Brussels Nord! I'm from the mean streets of Chicago so I know how to take care of myself and not appear as a victim. However when walking around Brussels Nord, I always keep my eyes moving to scan the surroundings. Unfortunately Brussels Nord is where the best priced chain hotels are (Sheraton Brussels, Crowne Plaza, Hilton).

But as others said, there are pickpockets at nearly every big city train station in Europe. Perhaps less so in London due to the 1000+ video cameras, but for the rest, just take proper precautions.

LOL.. ok. Fair enough. This thread made it sound pretty bad so its good to hear that its no better or worse that walking in LA. Don't be stupid and you should be fine, check :) I know pickpocketing is a problem anywhere there are large numbers of people; just wanted to make sure it wasn't extraordinarily bad or aggressive. Thanks for the heads up. I figure I will just hang out in the Thalys waiting area (which I assume is not a lounge per se and eligible to Comfort 2 tickets?) .

Yes, the Thalys lounge is open to anyone. If you have a Cybelys or GV card you can use that lounge. There is no Comfort 1 lounge at Midi that I am aware of.

The Thalys waiting areas are 2 sectioned off areas with glass doors.
We felt marginally safer there as we were able to keep a look out more easily.
Anyone can just wander in or out & there are no facilities there except some rubbish bins & rows of seats.
On the plus side it is off of the main drag which can act as a deterrent as there are easier pickings eleswhere in the station.