Hilton Brussels City {BEL}
Oct 7, 2015, 3:33 am
#166
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Antwerpen - Belgium
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Melia Silver, NH silver, H10 Class
Posts: 659
Thank you, Cymro, Sisosig, treppenlaeufer, ges123, and Delectatio. The idea of a a small room appeals (the smaller the better for me), but the fitness center neglect doesn't. I've got a decent rate on a cancellable reservation. (99 euro on a non-refundable right now doesn't tempt me.) It sounds like I could do worse...or better, so I'll keep shopping. Shopping is easier when I know the pluses and minuses here, so thanks!
I wish I wasn't burned out on the neighboring Sheraton; the club lounge and fitness center there just aren't.
I wish I wasn't burned out on the neighboring Sheraton; the club lounge and fitness center there just aren't.
Oct 7, 2015, 10:04 am
#167
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: HH D
Posts: 1,641
Like I said, it was on a National or Flemish or French Language community holiday. Probably the cleaners started late that day. Shouldn't have happened anyway. Wellness center is pretty decent by itself (showers, lockers etc.)
Oct 7, 2015, 4:44 pm
#168
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,470
Oct 8, 2015, 10:35 am
#169
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: On the road, 24/7/365
Posts: 3,467
At my "usual" Brussels hotel, seasons/months/weeks matter a lot. I watch rates before my travels. Some times of year, 250 euros is good; other times, I'm in for under 50 euros (refundable). That's not an answer to your query about this Hilton, but I expect the same market vicissitudes drive rates here.
Dec 31, 2015, 11:39 am
#170
Join Date: Apr 2007
Programs: QF, VA, AC, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 3,784
Decent
Hilton Brussels City
Place Rogier 20 Brussels, BE 1210
RecommendedLiked: LocationServiceFoodAmenitiesRoom
Decent (0 Photo)
Hilton Brussels City
I had a three night stay here recently and was quite satisfied overall.
Check In
I had arrived by train from Paris. The cost of a taxi from Bruxelles-Midi station was EUR13.50.
The young check-in agent was exceptionally helpful, professional and enthusiastic. He enquired as to the cost of my taxi and when I told him he commented that anything over EUR15 was excessive. A good start in Bruseels for me.I had been upgraded from the entry level single room to a king deluxe which I believe to be a three level upgrade. The agent provided me with a generic welcome letter which included three drink vouchers for use at the hotel's bar (there is no lounge at this property). I had made an AP reservation only three days prior and as my credit card hadn't yet been charged I was able to pay in cash.
Room
My king deluxe room was on the corner of one of the upper floors and had windows on two sides. It had wooden floors and a low-sitting true king bed (not one of those crappy two singles pushed together and labelled a king). There was a fairly long but reasonably narrow bench that acted as the desk, a day-bed style lounge, large cupboard and a large (and cold) refrigerator. There was no minibar, though.
The bathroom was reasonable in size but the shower/tub combo was narrow. On the second and third nights of my stay the hot water was only lukewarm. There is also no light switch for the bathroom; it is activated by sensor but can be turned off by a central switch by the bed.
The curtains/blinds were solid and blocked out the sunlight (not that there was much).
Service
The front desk agent who checked me in was, as mentioned, exceptional. A few minutes after arriving in my room he telephoned to ensure all was satisfactory.
The other staff I encountered weren't as great but certainly weren't bad.
Dining
The breakfast buffet was a bit average. The orange juice tasted more like cordial and the scrambled eggs were not crash hot. There was a waffle making machine but there isn't a chef for anything made-to-order. The buffet is cleared in earnest promptly at 10.30am (weekdays).
There is a small restaurant-come-cafe off the lobby. I had a lasagna there one night for EUR18 and although it took its time it was very nice.
Location
I found the location good. It was roughly a 15 minute walk to the Grand Place and is situated at the start of a major shopping strip. There is plenty in the area, from clothes shopping, to services like pharmacists and banks to fast food outlets and restaurants.
Gym
The gym is small and doesn't have a lot of equipment but if you're just looking to do some cardio you'll be fine.
There is a large sauna which was quite nice.
Concierge
There is no dedicated concierge but the front desk agents I sought assistance from with things to do were helpful and informed.
Overall
Overall the stay was a little better than I expected. I would be happy to return.
Jan 3, 2016, 2:54 am
#171
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Antwerpen - Belgium
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Melia Silver, NH silver, H10 Class
Posts: 659
Glad you had a good stay. I also still like this hotel, despite what some people say...
Jan 3, 2016, 3:06 am
#172
Join Date: Apr 2007
Programs: QF, VA, AC, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 3,784
Wow. Absolutely spot on. It was indeed Mathijs.
Jan 8, 2016, 9:58 am
#173
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Astraveln
Programs: AA ex Plat, IC Plat , Hilton Diamond
Posts: 491
I just spent 3 nights for New Years, second stay at this property.
2 drink vouchers per night, breakfast Buffet is decent. Good location. Double Occ going for about 99Euro, its a good deal!
2 drink vouchers per night, breakfast Buffet is decent. Good location. Double Occ going for about 99Euro, its a good deal!
Mar 21, 2016, 2:12 pm
#174
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 4,287
March 2016 review
Hi,
Had a quick one night stay here over the weekend. This was on Earth Day (I seem to be at some hotel unintentionally on this particular day). This was also my 3rd or 4th stay, but was about 2 years ago since staying here.
Check-in: Was quick, wishes a welcome back even though it approx 2 years ago. Was told about my benefits again and given a welcome letter. Was informed I was upgraded (not mentioned which room -but I guess a Queen Deluxe).
Room: The room was located at the corner - room size itself was nice and big, however the bathroom was rather narrow. There was one bottle of still and sparkling water. Bed quality was not the best - there was something amiss with the bed, just could not pinpoint it - though one clear problem was that close to the edge, the bed sloped down. View from the room was not the best, looking over to the next door building. Windows were a bit thin - the whole night long, I could hear every time sirens went by.
Bathroom: It was narrow and the worst was the bathtub - it was very narrow and because it has no shower curtain but those glass wall, the whole place flooded every time you shower, no matter how careful you try to be.
Internet: Was not given any Premium internet, just told to log in with your room number and name.
Breakfast: I felt that breakfast was a let down. Cold options were ok, however the hot options were in my opinion a big let down. Instead of sausages, they had some kind of meatballs which clearly was full of salt/chemicals. The bacon was very badly prepared - half of it was soggy and the other half overcooked - it was just basically more or less soggy type to the front and the overcooked one behind. Sadly to say the best was most probably the waffle. Even the fresh fruit was a letdown - how could the cook think that Kiwi's which was clearly not ready for consumption be served - super sour and nearly not possible to cut with the knife! Staff was also basically not interested in serving anyone - not a single smile - all of them were basically just like robots. A table next to me requested for an omelet - and basically the staff did not acknowledge the request (the woman just stared at him walking away) but though later did turn up with an omelet a short while later.
Elite benefit: Basically just the drink voucher. Even at the bar, I felt that there is a cut back, it is very normal in Belgium that drinks are served with some tidbits. This time - just received the drinks and that was it. This seem to be the only benefit as far as I can see. For a hotel without a lounge - just a simple drink voucher especially for Diamonds in my opinion just don't cut it.
Even the room upgrade benefit - not sure if I was tricked out of it - but when I made the reservation - I had wanted to book the single room (but to be used for 2) - but I was told this was not valid for the 2nd guest stay free (I had to call to correct some website problems - reservation kept timing out but later discovered I made 3x reservation)- so I had upgrade my original selection.
Generic: In my opinion, I feel that the quality has dropped rather drastically - lots of clear cost cutting - no face/hand towels, no glasses in the room, breakfast quality. To me this is more of a Hilton Garden Inn/Double Tree rather than of Hilton quality. I would have thought that they would up their game since there is now a newer Hilton. Rather disappointed with the stay compared to what I received just a week before at the Rotterdam Hilton.
Cheers!
Had a quick one night stay here over the weekend. This was on Earth Day (I seem to be at some hotel unintentionally on this particular day). This was also my 3rd or 4th stay, but was about 2 years ago since staying here.
Check-in: Was quick, wishes a welcome back even though it approx 2 years ago. Was told about my benefits again and given a welcome letter. Was informed I was upgraded (not mentioned which room -but I guess a Queen Deluxe).
Room: The room was located at the corner - room size itself was nice and big, however the bathroom was rather narrow. There was one bottle of still and sparkling water. Bed quality was not the best - there was something amiss with the bed, just could not pinpoint it - though one clear problem was that close to the edge, the bed sloped down. View from the room was not the best, looking over to the next door building. Windows were a bit thin - the whole night long, I could hear every time sirens went by.
Bathroom: It was narrow and the worst was the bathtub - it was very narrow and because it has no shower curtain but those glass wall, the whole place flooded every time you shower, no matter how careful you try to be.
Internet: Was not given any Premium internet, just told to log in with your room number and name.
Breakfast: I felt that breakfast was a let down. Cold options were ok, however the hot options were in my opinion a big let down. Instead of sausages, they had some kind of meatballs which clearly was full of salt/chemicals. The bacon was very badly prepared - half of it was soggy and the other half overcooked - it was just basically more or less soggy type to the front and the overcooked one behind. Sadly to say the best was most probably the waffle. Even the fresh fruit was a letdown - how could the cook think that Kiwi's which was clearly not ready for consumption be served - super sour and nearly not possible to cut with the knife! Staff was also basically not interested in serving anyone - not a single smile - all of them were basically just like robots. A table next to me requested for an omelet - and basically the staff did not acknowledge the request (the woman just stared at him walking away) but though later did turn up with an omelet a short while later.
Elite benefit: Basically just the drink voucher. Even at the bar, I felt that there is a cut back, it is very normal in Belgium that drinks are served with some tidbits. This time - just received the drinks and that was it. This seem to be the only benefit as far as I can see. For a hotel without a lounge - just a simple drink voucher especially for Diamonds in my opinion just don't cut it.
Even the room upgrade benefit - not sure if I was tricked out of it - but when I made the reservation - I had wanted to book the single room (but to be used for 2) - but I was told this was not valid for the 2nd guest stay free (I had to call to correct some website problems - reservation kept timing out but later discovered I made 3x reservation)- so I had upgrade my original selection.
Generic: In my opinion, I feel that the quality has dropped rather drastically - lots of clear cost cutting - no face/hand towels, no glasses in the room, breakfast quality. To me this is more of a Hilton Garden Inn/Double Tree rather than of Hilton quality. I would have thought that they would up their game since there is now a newer Hilton. Rather disappointed with the stay compared to what I received just a week before at the Rotterdam Hilton.
Cheers!
Nov 22, 2016, 5:35 am
#175
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Germany
Programs: Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Gold, LH Senator, …
Posts: 259
I've stayed at the Hilton a couple of times in 2016 because it is a company preferred hotel. I would agree with the statement that this hotel is not what I would expect from a Hilton brand hotel. Standard rooms are extremely small and felt uncomfortable to me. Reception staff was normally friendly and professional. Bar and restaurant staff was unfriendly and slow in all 90% of my visits to the bar. Food quality was average but I had the worst Cesar salad I have ever had at this hotel. Fitness center was small but fine for me and normally not very crowded. 2 cross trainers, two cycling machines, 2 running belts, some free weights and a tower. I tried the steam room once but left after a couple of minutes because the steam it produced smelled like rotten water. I guess this is due to the 24 hour availability and a lack of maintenance. Showers in the sauna area were dirty and unkept. As a HH Dia I received one upgrade in 6 stays at this hotel. The drink vouchers you receive at check in can be used for beer, (terrible) wine, soft- and hot drinks. I found the breakfast selection a big disappointment. Especially on the weekends where they have an even smaller selection than during the week.
To sum it up I would recommend to stay somewhere else if you spend a lot of time at the hotel and have the choice. My rate with under 100€ was ok and the beds were comfortable enough for me to stay at the Hilton Central when no better options were available. I only come to the hotel to sleep and grabbed something for breakfast on the way to work. Be aware of the taxi drivers in from of the hotel. I had all kinds of crazy situations. The worst being a 74€ taxi bill for a route which is normally between 14 and 20€. After that I started to use Uber whenever I am in Brussels.
To sum it up I would recommend to stay somewhere else if you spend a lot of time at the hotel and have the choice. My rate with under 100€ was ok and the beds were comfortable enough for me to stay at the Hilton Central when no better options were available. I only come to the hotel to sleep and grabbed something for breakfast on the way to work. Be aware of the taxi drivers in from of the hotel. I had all kinds of crazy situations. The worst being a 74€ taxi bill for a route which is normally between 14 and 20€. After that I started to use Uber whenever I am in Brussels.
Last edited by flo0816; Nov 22, 2016 at 5:40 am
Dec 14, 2016, 11:56 pm
#176
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver, Accor Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 37
Booked this for a weekend trip before I saw the reviews - my experience consistent with others:
Check-in: Quick but no upgrade for Diamond. Booked King standard room. Got King standard room.
Room: 2nd floor - bed was not standard "Hilton bed" but very thin foam mattress on top of a divan. Not uncomfortable per se but not particularly great either.
Internet: Was given premium internet automatically when logged on but was really annoyed as the signal keeps getting dropped
Breakfast: Was expecting the worst given other comments - truly forgettable breakfast and probably the worst Hilton breakfast I've had. Somehow they even manage to ruin the bacon!
Drink voucher: Got complimentary drink voucher for one person (as I was on my own) and you can only have specific kind of house wine (or soft drinks) with it. Not impressed - sort of like an Ibis benefit as a platinum member. I could have stayed down the street in an Ibis for half the price!
Location: Good access to the main shopping streets and direct metro line from Gare du Midi. Hotel is across the street from Rogier metro station.
Verdict: I will probably stay somewhere else next time!
Check-in: Quick but no upgrade for Diamond. Booked King standard room. Got King standard room.
Room: 2nd floor - bed was not standard "Hilton bed" but very thin foam mattress on top of a divan. Not uncomfortable per se but not particularly great either.
Internet: Was given premium internet automatically when logged on but was really annoyed as the signal keeps getting dropped
Breakfast: Was expecting the worst given other comments - truly forgettable breakfast and probably the worst Hilton breakfast I've had. Somehow they even manage to ruin the bacon!
Drink voucher: Got complimentary drink voucher for one person (as I was on my own) and you can only have specific kind of house wine (or soft drinks) with it. Not impressed - sort of like an Ibis benefit as a platinum member. I could have stayed down the street in an Ibis for half the price!
Location: Good access to the main shopping streets and direct metro line from Gare du Midi. Hotel is across the street from Rogier metro station.
Verdict: I will probably stay somewhere else next time!
Dec 16, 2016, 8:38 pm
#177
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: On the road, 24/7/365
Posts: 3,467
I just finished a five-night (something I do a couple of times a year now, having given up on the adjacent Sheraton). Same experience in every way. The breakfast is particularly difficult for strict vegetarians, but that's an aside for a small minority. Still, I come out strongly in favor of future stays (for me), based on location, rates, fine - though still not regularly cleaned - fitness center and great front desk service. I liked the bed and slept well, despite location overlooking Place Rogier. I commute to Ghent; easy trip from Brussels Noord, a stone's throw away. For me, proximity to the shopping area is a negative - crowds and somewhat dumbed-down dining options (just my opinion), but there are three other directions on the compass.
Last edited by 365RoadWarrior; Dec 16, 2016 at 8:44 pm
Dec 16, 2016, 11:07 pm
#178
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Antwerpen - Belgium
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Melia Silver, NH silver, H10 Class
Posts: 659
I agree on most of your points. The Hilton isn't too bad if you manage to get a good rate. Not 'amazing' but definitely ok. I tried out the new Garden Inn Louise last week and even though being brand new, I didn't like it too much. I prefer the Hilton Brussels City.
Aug 6, 2017, 10:28 am
#180
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: norwich, uk
Programs: hhonors diamond
Posts: 5,397
Arrived 3pm, hotels seems strangely empty?.....FD guy very quiet, upgraded one cat from king guest room to king deluxe.......didn't push but hotel is clearly empty so thought they could have done better......room on 7th floor, huge strange looking bed? very low ......room reasonable size, robes & slipppers, two waters on desk.
Went for a walk down to grand place , plenty of shops and attractions.
Just got back and still it's quiet, I've honestly not seen another person here yet!.......now off to sauna and later who knows?......will report back!
Went for a walk down to grand place , plenty of shops and attractions.
Just got back and still it's quiet, I've honestly not seen another person here yet!.......now off to sauna and later who knows?......will report back!