m_kingdom2 in Brussels!
May 31st, 2004, 11:26 AM
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m_kingdom2 in Brussels!
I've been away since Friday, and have returned but a couple of hours ago...
I'd taken a last minute bargain break to Brussels over the bank holiday week-end, flew BA (I won't detail the flight, although the new uniforms are rather chic) and stayed at the Royal Windsor.
The Place: Lots of impressive buildings clustered around the terribly touristy Grand Place. The Mannequin Pis, small, insignificant, and oh so vulgar. The shops were excellent, off of the Grand Place was Balthazar - stocking collections from Paul Smith and Comme des Garçons, and around 10-30% cheaper than London prices too. The designer staples - Louis Vuitton, Hermés, Chanel, Gucci, etc. lined Avenue Louise. Their prices were comparable to London prices, but none the less still offered all the styles available. The museum of modern art had some superb paintings from Magritte and Picasso to name but a few - highly recommended! On the Saturday the weather was so wonderfully sunny that I decided to walk to Atomium - from the Palais de Justice it was visible in the distance, so I headed in the general direction, after passing through some rundown areas and suburbs, some six miles later I had arrived! The steel sheets cladding Atomium have tarnished since its construction in 1958, but it is still intriguing and rather impressive. Views from the top are equally impressive. After such a long walk in the sun, I decided to use the Metro to return to the centre of town - compared to the trains in London they felt very fast, clean and so efficient, and above all, virtually free! The antiques market off of Rue Sablon on a rainy Sunday afternoon passed time, as well has providing one with the opportunity to purchase mid-quality and mid-priced pieces. The rest of the time I walked around the city and its shops, as well as enjoying its squares and parks. Compared with Amsterdam - similar part of the world, climate, and age - Brussels is more elegant, and even in the more rundown parts of town it never felt ominous or threatening. Everyone speaks French, after all it is one of the official languages, so communication never proved a problem. I won't return as I feel there is very little left to discover, but as a place I didn't dislike it, and in fact felt quite fond of it.
The Hotel: I arrived late afternoon - around 4PM - and was asked to wait twenty minutes for my room to be serviced and inspected. The lobby was dark with low ceilings, cold, small and uninviting. The corridor leading to my room, which was at the very end, was narrow and again suffered from low ceilings. My room was an older style which certainly had not been recently renovated - it was double the size of a standard room with a dressing area and bathroom with separate shower cubicle. However, it looked into an internal well, was dark, gloomy and the decor was decidedly tired looking - in need of refurbishment. The beds were comfortable, but there was the constant noise of what sounded like an air conditioning fan outside.
Breakfast - included in the rate - lacked variety, and the food was of a low standard: powdery scrambled eggs, overcooked/stale breads, overly ripe fruit, etc. - this was coupled with slow, inattentive, and confused service - certainly not worth the 26EUR per head quoted! The hotel's only restaurant was a cafe/bar which served snacky food, again of poor quality.
The "Fitness Room", although "under improvement", featured six pieces of gym equipment, and two saunas in the ladies and gentlemen's changing rooms respectively. This area was reached down a narrow spiral staircase which was shared with the hotel's car park.
I concur with comments on tripadvisor.com that the hotel is not of five star quality nor deserving of its "Leading Hotels of the World" membership. It is comparable to a four star, and not even a good I at that!
As for the business centre - they opened it up on a Sunday to allow me to use the internet, the staff were helpful in this matter. The food and beverages were not madly overpriced, but certainly top heavy given their quality.
I paid 66GBP (approximately 110USD) per night, which for the position - very central near the Grand Place - wasn't too much. However, unless you can get a very cheap rate like this, the hotel quite simply isn't worth it. I looked at Hotel Amigo - much newer, fresher, and a more luxurious feel.
If I had to return to Brussels (which is very unlikely) I'd never stay at this hotel which is overly pretentious and lacks any quality!
I'd taken a last minute bargain break to Brussels over the bank holiday week-end, flew BA (I won't detail the flight, although the new uniforms are rather chic) and stayed at the Royal Windsor.
The Place: Lots of impressive buildings clustered around the terribly touristy Grand Place. The Mannequin Pis, small, insignificant, and oh so vulgar. The shops were excellent, off of the Grand Place was Balthazar - stocking collections from Paul Smith and Comme des Garçons, and around 10-30% cheaper than London prices too. The designer staples - Louis Vuitton, Hermés, Chanel, Gucci, etc. lined Avenue Louise. Their prices were comparable to London prices, but none the less still offered all the styles available. The museum of modern art had some superb paintings from Magritte and Picasso to name but a few - highly recommended! On the Saturday the weather was so wonderfully sunny that I decided to walk to Atomium - from the Palais de Justice it was visible in the distance, so I headed in the general direction, after passing through some rundown areas and suburbs, some six miles later I had arrived! The steel sheets cladding Atomium have tarnished since its construction in 1958, but it is still intriguing and rather impressive. Views from the top are equally impressive. After such a long walk in the sun, I decided to use the Metro to return to the centre of town - compared to the trains in London they felt very fast, clean and so efficient, and above all, virtually free! The antiques market off of Rue Sablon on a rainy Sunday afternoon passed time, as well has providing one with the opportunity to purchase mid-quality and mid-priced pieces. The rest of the time I walked around the city and its shops, as well as enjoying its squares and parks. Compared with Amsterdam - similar part of the world, climate, and age - Brussels is more elegant, and even in the more rundown parts of town it never felt ominous or threatening. Everyone speaks French, after all it is one of the official languages, so communication never proved a problem. I won't return as I feel there is very little left to discover, but as a place I didn't dislike it, and in fact felt quite fond of it.
The Hotel: I arrived late afternoon - around 4PM - and was asked to wait twenty minutes for my room to be serviced and inspected. The lobby was dark with low ceilings, cold, small and uninviting. The corridor leading to my room, which was at the very end, was narrow and again suffered from low ceilings. My room was an older style which certainly had not been recently renovated - it was double the size of a standard room with a dressing area and bathroom with separate shower cubicle. However, it looked into an internal well, was dark, gloomy and the decor was decidedly tired looking - in need of refurbishment. The beds were comfortable, but there was the constant noise of what sounded like an air conditioning fan outside.
Breakfast - included in the rate - lacked variety, and the food was of a low standard: powdery scrambled eggs, overcooked/stale breads, overly ripe fruit, etc. - this was coupled with slow, inattentive, and confused service - certainly not worth the 26EUR per head quoted! The hotel's only restaurant was a cafe/bar which served snacky food, again of poor quality.
The "Fitness Room", although "under improvement", featured six pieces of gym equipment, and two saunas in the ladies and gentlemen's changing rooms respectively. This area was reached down a narrow spiral staircase which was shared with the hotel's car park.
I concur with comments on tripadvisor.com that the hotel is not of five star quality nor deserving of its "Leading Hotels of the World" membership. It is comparable to a four star, and not even a good I at that!
As for the business centre - they opened it up on a Sunday to allow me to use the internet, the staff were helpful in this matter. The food and beverages were not madly overpriced, but certainly top heavy given their quality.
I paid 66GBP (approximately 110USD) per night, which for the position - very central near the Grand Place - wasn't too much. However, unless you can get a very cheap rate like this, the hotel quite simply isn't worth it. I looked at Hotel Amigo - much newer, fresher, and a more luxurious feel.
If I had to return to Brussels (which is very unlikely) I'd never stay at this hotel which is overly pretentious and lacks any quality!
May 31st, 2004, 11:38 AM
#2
i have taken to train for a day trip there. stopped at he top of a main street to the Sonya Rykiel shop(this was before she went logo/glitter crazy and lunched at one of the many terrace cafes before heading back. Undfortunately, it was a Monday, so most places were closed. that were of interest to me.
May 31st, 2004, 03:01 PM
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The position of the Royal Windsor is more user-friendly, but the hotel is not comparable.
I booked it just a week before travel, it was no disaster and cost me virtually nothing, I enjoyed Brussels and spent as little time as possible at the hotel.
I booked it just a week before travel, it was no disaster and cost me virtually nothing, I enjoyed Brussels and spent as little time as possible at the hotel.
May 31st, 2004, 03:31 PM
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"small, insignificant...and oh so vulgar! The Mannekin Pis, ah yes! This is giving me a good laugh-Mk2-you're talking about the symbol of Brussels, nay, of Belgium-the little fellow is on every souvenir you buy! So so sacrosanct -yet he's surely no Michaelangelo's David! You might be pleased to know that they dress him for special occasions in a tri-corner hat, and he gets maybe a cape of some sort for Aids Day. Are you SURE you didn't get your picture taken with him? (smile)
May 31st, 2004, 03:59 PM
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How on earth did you book a "five-star" "Leading Hotels of the World" hotel for the equivalent of $110 a night? Your description makes it sound terribly inferior to the 3-star Paris hotels I have stayed in, for a slightly higher price. Perhaps that room you got reflected the price you paid.
And you paid 26 euros for breakfast? MY DEAR, as you so like to say, wouldn't it be obvious you could leave the hotel and get a far better breakfast elsewhere?
I agree the Mannekin Pis is not Europe's finest example of a statue. It held precious little interest for me.
I've been to Brussels on business and for pleasure a number of times, though none very recently. I personally find it a very enjoyable and cosmopolitan city. I'm always amazed at the bad rap it gets. I think it's easier to dine well in Brussels than in most any other European city, except maybe Paris.
And FYI, we have taken several trips JUST to Belgium, a small country that has a tremendous variety of attractions. I think the Meuse valley is one of Europe's prettiest drives. As well, we have taken trips that combined Belgium and France and the Netherlands. But Belgium alone is not a trip to be sneered at.
And you paid 26 euros for breakfast? MY DEAR, as you so like to say, wouldn't it be obvious you could leave the hotel and get a far better breakfast elsewhere?
I agree the Mannekin Pis is not Europe's finest example of a statue. It held precious little interest for me.
I've been to Brussels on business and for pleasure a number of times, though none very recently. I personally find it a very enjoyable and cosmopolitan city. I'm always amazed at the bad rap it gets. I think it's easier to dine well in Brussels than in most any other European city, except maybe Paris.
And FYI, we have taken several trips JUST to Belgium, a small country that has a tremendous variety of attractions. I think the Meuse valley is one of Europe's prettiest drives. As well, we have taken trips that combined Belgium and France and the Netherlands. But Belgium alone is not a trip to be sneered at.
May 31st, 2004, 04:07 PM
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Thanks so much for posting about your holiday weekend. I had to chuckle imagining you walking 6 miles in the sun. After all the "hullabaloo" about clothing and footwear on these boards I positively couldn't help wondering about your choice of footwear and clothing for that jaunt across town.
May 31st, 2004, 04:37 PM
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m_kingdom2,
You said you were "quite fond" of Brussels but it was very unlikely you would return. Is this primarily because you felt you saw enough on a long weekend? I have not been, and at present it is very low on my list. Friends here in US have likened it to Philadelphia: a nice enough place for a weekend or combined with other cities but not worthy of transatlantic travel for it's own sake.
You said you were "quite fond" of Brussels but it was very unlikely you would return. Is this primarily because you felt you saw enough on a long weekend? I have not been, and at present it is very low on my list. Friends here in US have likened it to Philadelphia: a nice enough place for a weekend or combined with other cities but not worthy of transatlantic travel for it's own sake.
May 31st, 2004, 05:15 PM
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Actually--horrors!--Faux has to agree with StCirq about Brussels and Belgium. In Faux's opinion, Belgium does not get the attention it deserves from North American tourists because Paris is relatively nearby.
Good food, friendly people, plenty of museums, etc. What more can you ask?
Good food, friendly people, plenty of museums, etc. What more can you ask?
Well, you could ask for good beer, but they have that too!
May 31st, 2004, 07:49 PM
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mk2, I thank you for bringing a smile to my face this evening. Growing up, my father was a urologist, and we had Mannequin Pis statues all over the house! I haven't thought of him in ages! Please, pardon my slang, but what a hoot!
May 31st, 2004, 07:52 PM
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It sounds to me like you paid ( VERYlow) exactly the right price for what you got..at the Royal Windsor. You survived fine, however the complaints are right in line with the price. Their web site paints an entirely different picture than you did ! For the price you paid you obviously got one of their "not so nice' rooms than needed renovated.ANd they also seem to have 3 lovely restaurants.(contradictory to what you stated)
Teasing aside,,It also sounds like you had a great time exploring the city and got a good overview of Brussels.....and you saw a lot, did a lot, and enjoyed yourself....making you a good "traveler", not a "tourist". (the above sentence being a compliment to you). I don't agree ,however,with your former posts on taking so many clothes (which I think makes you a not so good a "traveler"....but again, to each his own, and it is your own business as to your clothes.
Teasing aside,,It also sounds like you had a great time exploring the city and got a good overview of Brussels.....and you saw a lot, did a lot, and enjoyed yourself....making you a good "traveler", not a "tourist". (the above sentence being a compliment to you). I don't agree ,however,with your former posts on taking so many clothes (which I think makes you a not so good a "traveler"....but again, to each his own, and it is your own business as to your clothes.
May 31st, 2004, 08:00 PM
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Hmmm...the shops you mentioned--Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, etc. are NOT on the Avenue Louise--you could walk the entire Avenue Louise and back and not come cross any of them. They are all on the Boulevard Waterloo.
Odd that you say there is nothing left to discover, yet based on your description you saw very little of Ixelles and nothing of Uccle, or the Woluwes (you don't say which parks you went to) or if you did, it was on Sunday when most things were closed.
Funny that I've lived here for almost five years and still find things to discover, but you've done it all in just a short week-end.
I must be a slow learner...
Odd that you say there is nothing left to discover, yet based on your description you saw very little of Ixelles and nothing of Uccle, or the Woluwes (you don't say which parks you went to) or if you did, it was on Sunday when most things were closed.
Funny that I've lived here for almost five years and still find things to discover, but you've done it all in just a short week-end.
I must be a slow learner...
May 31st, 2004, 10:16 PM
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<<I'd imagine most Americans couple Brussels with other European destinations rather than simply do Belgium?>>
So, m_kingdom2, ... you think you have DONE Belgium? There's a lot more to see in Belgium than just Brussels.
Jun 1st, 2004, 01:42 AM
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I'm amazed to learn Gucci, Hermes, etc. aren't on Avenue Louise when the street sign stated I was there, oh well too late to go back!
I visited the Botanical Gardens, or rather the park nearby, the park at the end of what I though was Avenue Louise, and as for the footwear on my long walk - always stylish, of course, certainly no hiking wear!
As for the hotel, the breakfast was included in the rate, I wouldn't pay a penny for the buffet provided. For lunch I tried the only restaurant that was open, I ordered a pizza and some salmon dish, the pizza was the sort one finds for a few EUR in some Spanish restaurant (or rather a pizza restaurant in Spain), the salmon was overcooked and dry - not worth the 12 and 21 EUR charged respectively. Also I had a champagne cocktail, at 10EUR it seemed cheap, but far too much brandy, too little champagne, and that that was in the drink was flat, vile!
It was cheap, so I can't complain too much, but it isn't five star - the public areas, service and food quite simply aren't up to that standard. I have written to Leading Hotels to advise that they re-examine their membership of this property - if you're interested look at tripadvisor.com - my comments concur with many others!
My comment about Americans not going to Belgium as a destination: I'd love to have gone to Antwerp to buy collections from the "Antwerp six", however, this was not possible! I feel I have little left to see in Brussels, some more art perhaps, and more shops, but nothing that warrants going on holiday there again. Next time I'm in Belgium, it'll be Antwerp!
I visited the Botanical Gardens, or rather the park nearby, the park at the end of what I though was Avenue Louise, and as for the footwear on my long walk - always stylish, of course, certainly no hiking wear!
As for the hotel, the breakfast was included in the rate, I wouldn't pay a penny for the buffet provided. For lunch I tried the only restaurant that was open, I ordered a pizza and some salmon dish, the pizza was the sort one finds for a few EUR in some Spanish restaurant (or rather a pizza restaurant in Spain), the salmon was overcooked and dry - not worth the 12 and 21 EUR charged respectively. Also I had a champagne cocktail, at 10EUR it seemed cheap, but far too much brandy, too little champagne, and that that was in the drink was flat, vile!
It was cheap, so I can't complain too much, but it isn't five star - the public areas, service and food quite simply aren't up to that standard. I have written to Leading Hotels to advise that they re-examine their membership of this property - if you're interested look at tripadvisor.com - my comments concur with many others!
My comment about Americans not going to Belgium as a destination: I'd love to have gone to Antwerp to buy collections from the "Antwerp six", however, this was not possible! I feel I have little left to see in Brussels, some more art perhaps, and more shops, but nothing that warrants going on holiday there again. Next time I'm in Belgium, it'll be Antwerp!
Jun 1st, 2004, 02:05 AM
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"I'm amazed to learn Gucci, Hermes, etc. aren't on Avenue Louise when the street sign stated I was there."
You're trying to waffle, but no gaufre. There is no way that the sign on the Boulevard de Waterloo said Avenue Louise. Gucci is on the corner of Blvd. Waterloo and *Place* Louise, but the rest are very clearly on the Blvd. de Waterloo and that is EXACTLY what the street sign says.
You only found one restaurant open? Again, hmmm....if you had asked, I could have recommended dozens that were open on the weekend. But you know best, as always.
From this report, MK2, seems like there's a lot of Brussels that you DIDN'T discover or got just plain wrong!
P.S. Designers that *are* on the Avenue Louise include Lancel, Longchamp, Mayerline, and best of all, Natan.
You're trying to waffle, but no gaufre. There is no way that the sign on the Boulevard de Waterloo said Avenue Louise. Gucci is on the corner of Blvd. Waterloo and *Place* Louise, but the rest are very clearly on the Blvd. de Waterloo and that is EXACTLY what the street sign says.
You only found one restaurant open? Again, hmmm....if you had asked, I could have recommended dozens that were open on the weekend. But you know best, as always.
From this report, MK2, seems like there's a lot of Brussels that you DIDN'T discover or got just plain wrong!
P.S. Designers that *are* on the Avenue Louise include Lancel, Longchamp, Mayerline, and best of all, Natan.
