My wife and I stayed at the Metropole Hotel in Brussels in September 2018. Some thoughts about our stay.
Recommendations and reservation
We chose the Metropole based on recommendations in Frommer’s and Lonely Planet. The price seemed decent — Brussels isn’t a particularly expensive place to stay, at least in late September. Since we have the Citi Prestige card with its 4th-night-free benefit, we booked through that (you must use their website or concierge to get it).
Getting there from the airport
Having luggage, we took an Uber from Brussels airport rather than the train to Brussels Central. The driver dropped us on the far side of the square — not ideal, as we had to lug our bags all the way across after first figuring out where the hotel even was (construction out front was obscuring the sign). The entrance is rather nondescript, but once inside, the lobby and decor are Belle Époque — grand and charming.
Room
We booked a “Privilege Double” for a refurbished room. It was decently large and nicely decorated with period furniture — we really felt we were experiencing a different era.
The bed was king-size and comfortable — except I could easily feel the gap between the two mattresses; clearly two singles combined under a thin pad. The carpet was reasonably thick — enough that praying on it was no problem for my aging knees. Internet was decent (a work emergency forced me onto a video conference back to the States — no problem), and getting the qibla direction was fine too.
Bathroom
Huge, with a tub, separate stand-up shower and twin sinks, nicely finished in good-looking marble.
The tap/sink layout was fine for washing hands, arms and face when making wudu, and the height worked for washing feet. However, there weren’t enough racks for the towels (note the pile of towels on the sink), and the shower door — nice-looking as it is — let some water leak onto the floor even when shut (seemingly) completely.
The biggest issue was the toilet. It’s in a separate room (good), but the room is so small you can’t sit comfortably.
Note the (lack of) space between the seat and the wall
Location
The Metropole is well located: close to the Central train station, walking distance to Grand Place and plenty of eateries. Breakfast wasn’t in our rate, and we didn’t eat a single meal at the hotel. There’s a Metro stop right out front with a direct line to the South station for international trains. One caveat: our credit card wouldn’t work in the automatic ticket machines (tip: bring a chip-and-PIN card — ours had no PIN), so we had to walk a couple of blocks to a staffed booth at the Metro’s main entrance. No mosque close by, though.
Links
https://www.frommers.com/destinations/brussels/hotels/mtropole
Originally posted on the old ReviewSity, November 2018.