Ronda

Need to find out where Ave. Louise is and a business hotel near there with a meeting room that will hold 50 people. I'm going to look for a map on the net next, but any helpful suggestions? Thanks.

PB

The avenue Louise runs from the Place Louise, near the Palais de Justice (courthouse) out to the Bois (the large forest/park.<BR><BR>There are several hotels along the avenue Louise itself - two are the Conrad,right next to the Place Louise, and a Hilton on the boulevard de Waterloo which is also very near the Place Louise - both of these have business conference rooms.<BR><BR>PB

BTilke

Hi Ronda,<BR><BR>I live just off the Avenue Louise and would be glad to help. The Conrad is the "name" business and diplomatic hotel in Brussels; I walk by it every day and there is always some EU-related meeting going on. Another excellent hotel to consider is the Chatelain, an all-suites luxury hotel farther up the Ave. Louise near the Place Chatelain. It's may be slightly cheaper than the Conrad, but still expensive. The service there is very professional. <BR>The Hilton is one step down and is used for a lot of meetings, but the businessmen I know who've stayed there for meetings give it mixed reviews. Service is not what it used to be, but it's still good.<BR>Another possibility is the new Hyatt Barsey Hotel, a very elegant hotel near the Jardin du Roi area of the Ave. Louise. We will be walking past that today and I will pop in and ask if they have conference rooms for 50. What kind of table set up do you have in mind--rows of tables, a rectangle--what services do you need? <BR>Two cheaper possibilities, but on the Chaussee du Charleroi (just off the Place Stephanie and close to the Ave. Louise) are the Holiday Inn City Centre and the NH Hotel (formerly the Tulip). I have been to the NH a couple of times for drinks and their service seems a bit off, so I don't think they're too reliable. <BR>Will your attendees be staying overnight or is the meeting room all you want? Do you want to be near good restaurants? The Ave. Louise is served by two tram lines, the 93 and 94 and they run frequently except on Sundays when it's only the 94. There is a subway stop at the Place Louise and a large cab stand outside the Conrad. <BR>BTilke (Brussels)

Ronda

Thanks so much for all the great info! I'm trying to help my husband since so will ask him more questions.<BR><BR>If the Via Michelin map I looked at was correct, the Brussels offices he will be visiting are on Ave. Louise near Bois de la Cambre (?).

BTilke

I think the offices are in the Blue Tower at the corner of Ave. Louise and rue Vleurgat. We stopped in at two hotels today to check out their conference facilities, the Hyatt and Le Chatelain. I'll email you privately with more info. <BR>BTilke (Brussels)

Mia

Hi there,<BR><BR>Just felt the need to throw in my two cents on this one. A few years ago, my husband and I ended our Luxembourg/Brugge trip with a "splurge" night at the Conrad in Brussels. We couldn't have been more disappointed. First, our room, which was lovely, wasn't ready when we arrived. Then, once we finally got into our room, it took literally hours (4-5) for them to bring us our luggage, even after we repeatedly asked for it. Then they brought us someone else's bags, followed by some (not all) of ours. They finally got it right and there wasn't any explanation offered. (Eventually, we talked to a manager to let him know what what going on and he was most apologetic.) And, though we had requested a crib in the room for our infant son and confirmed that piece of the reservation, we were told that they were all out, so we were out of luck. Nice. Anyway, we spent most of our available afternoon waiting around for clothes to change into - not how we envisioned things. We had far better service at the roadside Hampton Inn (Conrad's humble step-sibling) outside of Gary, Indiana!

BTilke

Mia,<BR>Once in a great while, I get the urge for a club sandwich, so I go to the Conrad. And I know what you mean about the service. It takes quite a while to get someone's attention and then when I finally order, the sandwich can take up to 40 minutes to arrive (it really is good, the only reason I give in to the craving about 3x a year). Usually, I pass the time reading the Wall Street Journal and Int. Herald Tribune, but it's irritating to have this kind of service from a supposedly luxury hotel. The Conrad caters to its VIP guests and everyone else gets second class service. Far better to stay at the new Hyatt Barsey (probably the best hotel in Brussels at the moment) or Le Chatelain if you're staying in the Ave. Louise area.