Renaissance Brussels, Belgium [Master Thread]
 

Introduction Despite that the rooms in this hotel have a little bit a dated look I love this hotel for the smiles I get from the staff and the excellent treatment for elites. Check In Check-in has always been a pleasent experience at this hotel. Staff are friendly, start a little conversation. As a platinum member I got a paper where I could choose my welcome gift.On my first stay I arrived around 6PM on a friday evening and some sort of happy hour was going on apparently and I promptly received a glass of wine. Room Rooms have a little dated look. Beds are comfortable though. TV in the room is brand new with a USB interface.Bathrooms are rather small but include a nice set of amenities. Only the executive suite came with a bigger bathroom. I have stayed in a club level room, junior suite and excecutive suite. All three rooms offered bath robes by default.My last stay was in a junior suite. This room has a seperate small office. The room is twice as large as the regular rooms but not very practical. A wide open space between the bed and the TV on the opposite wall. A sofa is placed along the right wall, not really in a good position to watch the TV either.The last picture shows the welcome gift we received as Platinum member. Service This is the main reason I like this hotel as much. I feel welcome from the moment I enter this hotel. Everybody who works here is very friendly and polite from the reception to the restaurant to the gym. (which is operated by a 3rd party)My first stay here was a surprise for my wife for our wedding anniversary. I had booked an arrangement that included some cocktails but as I mentioned this during check-in (they asked something along the line "what brings you here") they promptly upgraded us to the executive suite and upgraded the cocktails to a 3-course meal in the restaurant.On all my subsequent stays I always received at least an upgrade to a club-level room and as mentioned earlier on my last stay as Platinum member to a junior suite.I should say all my stays were on a Friday or Saterday evening. Dining BreakfastThe breakfast buffett is pretty extensive. I cannot think of something I miss. Gold & Platinum elite members get a free American bfast for 2.DinnerIt has been a while since we had dinner in the restaurant but I remember that it was pretty much OK. Food as well as the wine were certainly OK. Service was very friendly over here as well. It was no problem to change some aspects of the set menu. There were also quite some other customers in the restaurant, which makes it always more cozy. Location The hotel is very well located for everything related to the European offices in Brussels. But Brussels is not that big, 20 minutes walking will take you to the central square, 15 minutes to the royal square.This hotel offers very interesting rates over the weekend so I would certainly recommend to pick this hotel during the weekends for your city-trip to Brussels. Fitness - Parking - Lounge FitnessAs a guest of the hotel you have access to the World Class fitness center located adjacent to the hotel. Entrance is on -1. The fitness offers a heated pool, a gym and bot a mixed sauna (dressed) as a naked sauna (in the changing rooms)Use of all the facilities and the lockers is free. On Saterday morning this place is rather busy.Parking:The hotel has a large parking facility that it shares with the Marriott Executive Appartments nextdoors. At first it can be tricky to find the entrance to the parking. The sign is a bit hidden (it hangs on a wall for the opposite traffic direction whilst the street is one-way). The entrance is in the Rue de Parnasse, almost opposite the Vietnamese restaurant, before you reach the entrance of the hotel.You may find parking spots in the street as well but you need to pay for parking along the street during the week as well as on saterday.Lounge:As mentioned earlier I never really made use of the lounge as it's not open during the weekend. I did however take a peek during my stays and I must say it doesn't look very attractive. It looks rather small for the large amount of elite members I suppose will stay in this hotel during the week. These are however just assumptions.

I wouldn't disagree with anything in kcaluwae's review. A few things have changed. COVID era, the lounge is closed, though there is a breakfast buffet that I'm guessing is reduced size...but nice and adequate. The rooms are now dated-plus-4 years. My junior suite was okay, and everything worked, though the carpet was torn and stained. There wasn't an alarm clock, and the nearest electrical outlet to the head of the bed was about 8 feet away, on the wall near the foot of the bed. No USB ports anywhere.

Fitness center, still operated by a third party and open to the public, is open 7AM-11PM weekdays and 8AM - 8PM weekends. Rules be damned, no one wears a mask except old 365.

I, former Brussels resident, love the location, far from but walkable to (if you must) the Grand Place or Louise or (better) Bois de la Cambre or Ixelles or Churchill or Chaussée de Waterloo

Hotel staff were very good.

Any recent stays? Is club lounge open

Any recent stay? I am thinking to book a three nights stay next May 2024.

We stayed in May 22. Great customer service, some of the best we've had from a marriott. We got there at like 8 am and they checked us into an open room so we could sleep. They then moved all our stuff to an upgraded room later in the day once it was ready. They gave our 7 month old a bag of fun treats including a stuffed Marriott tiger. Breakfast i remember as being pretty nice. No lounge then.

The location isn't the best. Its a bus or long walk from the main square in brussels. The other marriot certainly would be a better tourist location. But the hotel itself was great.

​​​​We don't mind takings bus.
Thanks for rep!y. We were afraid the hotel old and dated. Otherwise as long it kept clean. That ok

I stayed in summer 22. I liked it a lot. Good breakfast and evening cocktail service as well as easy walkability to lots of great restaurant choices.

Any recommendations restaurants around the area? Looking for locals food like mussels and Italian food. Mid range price.
Thanks
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I would walk to Place St Boniface, there are plenty of restaurants very popular among locals. Place Jourdan is also a favorite with many restaurants.

We stayed here and had a very nice time.

Just some small points that might assist others. An Uber to and from the central old town will cost 9-13 EUR.

Be careful if you are parking a car at the hotel on the weekend. Normal parking is 29 eur but on the weekend it should be 16 according to the reception. Inhad to fight to get this reduced rate at checkout.

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The club lounge is accessible directly from the elevator on the first floor. The selection of food was definitely not suitable as a dinner ersatz, at least not any reasonably balanced meal. Red, rose and white wines were available starting at 16:00 as well as beer and other soft drinks.
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I could not figure out how to turn on all the lights so some of them are in the dark.
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Another lounge food photo
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Breakfast is only offered in the main restaurant
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I liked these lamps around the bar and elsewhere in the hotel

Thank you for your recent post which looks great, and I will be parking a car but on weekdays

Over a year since the last post. On a recent stay, as Platinum member, we received a regular room on the first floor, lounge access and breakfast in main restaurant. Lounge offerings are modest, but on one occasion included yummy raspberry tart. Quality wines are not expensive in Brussels, I noticed, but the Renaissance does not offer these in the lounge. Location is a short walk from Trone Metro Station. Room rate was reasonable and less than Marriott Grand Place.

I have been looking at this hotel for a potential side-trip from the Netherlands in Fall. We have been to Brussels before but not actually stayed in Brussels if that makes sense. Either this Renaissance or the Marriott in Ghent are available for virtually the same price so weighing pros and cons of each. On the plus side the Renaissance has a lounge and Ghent does not, so increased meal cost there. Breakfast is in the restaurant in both cases. Ghent accepts NUA but offers nothing of significance, whereas the Renaissance does not participate. Ghent gets better reviews but requires a taxi from the train station as opposed to the one across the street from the Ren. Is there anything to see or do in the area without a lot of walking? I know some areas of Brussels (e.g. Midi) are a little sketchy - is this a safe area? I'd welcome any input and, no, the Grand Place Marriott is way out of budget on my dates. TIA

Is the consensus that the Junior Suite is not worth upgrading to at this hotel? I have a reservation there this Fall and, although they do not participate in NUA, an upgrade opportunity has presented itself for the Junior Suite. I have a regular room booked with cash + points and can now get the Junior Suite for a very modest increase in both (€45 + 9K points daily) plus a significant improvement in the cancel flexibility if the schedule changes. It suggests they have a surplus of these rooms that are not expected to sell.