I had a difficult time deciding on a hotel for Brussels. I finally chose the Crowne Plaza because of a United Airline mileage bonus. Although on my list, it was not my first choice. Although I tend to spend minimal time in my hotel room I still look forward to a certain standard and felt comfortable that this brand would provide what I needed.

For me the location is always most important even if I have to pay a little more. The Crowne Plaza location is pretty good but not prime. It is located right next door to the Double Tree and within shouting distance of the Sheraton in a very busy area near the NorthTrain Station.

I arrived by train from the Brussels Airport. There is an express train that leaves the airport every 15minues. The walk from the station to the hotel is about 15 minutes with suitcase in tow.

The surrounding area is very busy and safe. I love to walk and had no problem walking comfortably to Grand Place in about 20 minutes.

Don’t expect to be wowed by this hotel. There is really nothing distinctive that stands out but nothing really disappoint either. The hotel lobby ares is large and inviting but not great or outstanding. The staff on the other hand I thought were outstanding. The front desk is very professional and accommodating.

 

 

On my last night I started to hear this loud noise and could not figure out what it was. I finally called down to the front desk asking if they could check the room next door. Turns out it was noise from the furnace. Not sure why I did not hear it on the previous nights. It was pretty late and I had to wake early the next morning. The manager worked very quickly to  move me into a nice room and apologized profusely. He also gave me a voucher for breakfast. The tip here is to ask for a quiet room to avoid this problem.

 Otherwise the hotel is quiet and the rooms are large. Everything was clean and in working order but the interior is a little muted with bland colors. Comfortable but not what I consider contemporary. The breakfast buffet is nice but I would recommend dining outside of the hotel since there are so many choices.

In addition to being so close to the North Train Station, the Rogier metro station is right outside the entrance. There is also tons of shopping nearby. This is a good choice if you are like me and tend to spend very little time in the room but require a certain level of comfort – no frills here.