Brussels Hotel Recommendations.
 

I'm thinking about going to Brussels in November with a friend and we have 3 hotels to choose from. They are-Vendome, Tulip Inn Brussels Boulevard and Hilton Brussels City. Does anyone have any knowledge or opinions about these hotels? Thanks!!

Topping for local experts!
Of the three hotels, I'm only familiar with the Hilton which is not bad but it's still a Hilton (feels like you're in the US). It does have a well regarded restaurant. It is located on a very large ring boulevard in the sablon/uppertown. I prefer staying around the smaller winding streets in the lowertown where there are more restaurants & cafes.

I have to go downtown and take a look at these properties to make sure they're the ones I think they are. Re the Vendome, I *think* it's a hotel that primarily caters to Asian tour groups, especially Chinese and Korean, which is neither good nor bad, just something to be aware of. If it's the place I'm thinking of, it also has a very good Chinese restaurant--it's always packed with Chinese who seem to be enjoying their dinner. I'll have to doublecheck.

We travelled to Brussels in December and loved our trip. We had a reservation at the Meridien Hotel but cancelled when we arrived. The print-out we had from the web site stated that the room included breakfast but they said it did not. We heard them tell the person checking in before us the same story. I felt cheated so we went to the Royal Windsor and had a great stay. The rooms are small but clean. The hotel includes a nice breakfast and the front desk was very helpful and welcoming. (this hotel is part of a chain) We were very close to the main plaza and were able to walk to the train in about 20 minutes. We would not have liked staying by the train station.
PS We have never changed hotels in all our travels.

The Royal Windsor is very disappointing, I'll bring my report on it back up to the top for the benefit of anyone interested.

the downtown hilton is on place rogier - the square is full of hotels; including a sheraton. it was fully renovated 2-3 years ago.
They have different sizes in their rooms (offered at the same rate !).
This is not the hilton referred to by Dax and has no famous restaurant (that is the uptown Hilton)!
about the neighbourhood - it is close to the north railwaystation (one metrostop or 5 mins by foot), there is a metro stop on the square.
accross the boulevard starts the downtown pedestrian shopping area (rue neuve) which is pretty empty in the evenings.
if you continue on that street, you walk in 10 minutes to the opera house and a bit longer to the grand place.
mentioning the station ... there is a red light district in the narrow streets behind the sheraton.

There are better locations, but neither the Tulip Inn, nor the Vendome's location are any better.

enjoy your trip !

I stayed at the Tupil... It was a nice hotel with an abundant completemary breakfast (which is always nice). Nothing to complain about, really. It's located near Place Rogier (they're doing a lot of work to rebuild the place, last time I was there) and you'll be close to Rogier subway station where both subway lines and the trams intersects. So, I'd go with the Tulip.

If you're open to other hotels, I highly recommend Le Dixseptième, a lovely townhouse hotel with rooms named after Belgian painters. It's somewhat more expensive but very much more attractive than those you mention, which are more business- and tour group-oriented. It's around the corner from the Grand Place and very near the Central Station.

http://www.ledixseptieme.be/main.html

We stayed at the Conrad. Huge room,very nice.

We stayed at the Renaissance Brussels. It was a beautiful 4-5* hotel located very near the Parliament building and within walking distance to the Sablon district. Bus transportation was just a block away.

The best part was that we only paid $46 a night because we booked this hotel with priceline.com!