RoxAnn24

I see you’ve already booked a hotel 8n Brussels, but I stayed at the NH Grand Sablon last August and it was delightful. The breakfast was wonderful. Lovely area, walking distance to so many places and great restaurants all around. The NH in Ghent was beautiful and convenient also.

julies

RoxAnn24--Yes, reviews of the breakfast at Grand Sablon were uniformly great, and that had appeal to me.

AlessandraZoe

So excited that you made your hotel decision with your travel needs met! Good for you for taking the time to investigate so thoroughly. You have your Brussel neighborhood more or less, you are close to Central, and you seem more assured about it. Your quote, "We're all different" is the essence of good travel.

Enjoy!
AZ

julies

Ok, now I am second guessing my booking at Le Dixseptieme primarily due to its location. I am in Amsterdam right now and staying on the edge of the Museum Quarte, an area which I really like. Central Amsterdam, in the middle of all the super touristy places, jam packed full of restaurants and bars and souvenirs, with people packing the streets did absolutely nothing for me. I much prefer (as I always have) to be in places that are convenient for tourism but not solely tourism dependent--nice neighborhoods where not everything is a tourist trap.

My research told me that Hotel le Dixseptieme is set on a quiet street, so that's not a concern. But, as soon as I leave the hotel immediate environs will I be in the midst of jam-packed tourist central with all the tourist traps just as Amsterdam central is? This hotel is located between the central train station and Grand Place.

Thanks for your insights.

lavandula

There are a few chocolate shops near you, perhaps a shop that sells post cards. Have a look at Google Street View, there's not much there. It's not pretty-pretty, just a normal street. The frites and waffles start at the square outside the Novotel (is it called the Agora?), you are still before all that starts. It definitely won't be thronged by tourists because it's not in the centre near the Grand' Place. The shops near you are there because there are a few hotels in your neighbourhood. But if you really can't stand it, Place du Grand Sablon (NH) won't be like this - there are chocolate shops at one end, and other shops are a couple of cafés and some antique shops.

If you want to be out of tourist areas but not devoid of life, have a look at the Louise / Stéphanie areas. They are busy but not tourist areas in spite of the numerous hotels. The 'bustle' is mostly locals. Lots of shops and a restaurant street. It's the area my family and I mostly stay in, but you would have to take the metro to De Brouckère or Gare Centrale to access the tourist areas.

Lavandula

WeisserTee

There is no need to over-think this. Your visit is fairly short and all of the choices are good ones. FWIW, I would not dismiss the NH Sablon as just another bog-standard chain hotel. Years ago, it was an independent hotel that had a slide in quality. The NH took it over and made upgrades that were significantly needed from both systems (AC, plumbing, wifi etc) and aesthetic angles. Moreover, the Sablon is one of the prettiest places in Brussels.

If you wish to look at the Louise area (we lived a block from the Place Louise for a few years), then suggest the Thon Bristol Hotel which is on the Avenue Louise a little past the Place Stephanie. However, it is also a chain hotel, which seems to be an automatic negative in your book. https://www.thonhotels.com/our-hotel...tol-stephanie/

RoxAnn24

I would not discount NH Grand Sablon. It’s a lovely area, easy walking distance from everything. Yes it is a bit of a hill from the train, so just grab a cab. Very short ride. Chocolate and sorbet shop down the street. Cafe Leffe across the street and Les Petit Oignons just down the block. Both very reasonable and yummy. We did the Viator walking tour where you pay a couple euros and then tip what you feel. Our guide was excellent, fun, and very knowledgeable. Enjoy!

julies

Thanks for the additional feedback. I am going to reexamine the additional possibilities you suggest. Perhaps my original reservation will be fine and I was just nervously reacting to having been turned off by the super touristy areas of Amsterdam. And of course, there are many fewer possibilities as my dates get closer.

lavandula

Brussels gets less tourism than Amsterdam - while there are plenty of tourists in the centre-ville, they won't be anything like Amsterdam. It's Bruges that gets mobbed by tourists, and even then you can dodge them by getting into some of the more outlying areas. But I assume you will have solved the Bruges question by the time you get to Brussels ...

Lavandula

meryleminton2190

Lavandula - I'm going to be in Brussels & Bruges in December for the Christmas markets with girl friends. I'd love any suggestions you might have on restaurants & places to stay. We're interested in moderately priced options, convenient to the city center. Also, any chocolate shop recommendations? Thank you! Meryle

lavandula

HI Meryle, I saw your PM to me first and answered you there - I didn't see this till just now. But if you like you can paste the response here, up to you. Hopefully someone who has been to Bruges recently will respond here as I didn't give you any tips for Bruges (sorry, not a Bruges gal).

Lavandula

KayF

I'm hesitant to add anything because the more opinions, the harder the decision. But ... I just got home from Belgium, stayed in Brussels at the Novotel which is about a minute walk from the hotel you've booked. Directly outside your hotel may be quiet but as soon as you walk from the hotel, there will be crowds. Early in the day, I guess before 9.30ish, it's quieter without the tour groups etc. All the shops are aimed at the tourist market. There are lovely historic covered galleries about 5 mins walk from your hotel (others further away) which get packed with tourists. I'd go for a look early if you can or perhaps late in the day. It's certainly not a bad area and the main reason I chose it was it's so close to the station but it was definitely very busy at times.

julies

KayF

Thanks for taking the time to respond, especially since you were just there. I am going to take another look at options, but having gone back in to check on my reservation, I have also realized that the price I got by booking ahead is significantly better than I can get now at other hotels because it is closer to the date of stay. That is definitely a factor too. And, thanks for the tip about the galleries because they are on my to-see list.

KayF

I stumbled on the Passage du Nord gallery, didn't realise it's where it is. On the long shopping street, opposite C&A (clothing store), near Primark.

In case anyone is wondering, it's not what we would call a gallery. Gallery to me means art gallery. We would call it an arcade. Either way, they are glorious.

julianash

I've been staying in your D option, when I visited Brussels

MyriamC

For chocolate, the best place in Burgge is The Chocolate Line on Simon Stevinplein 19. They also have a shop in Antwerp (which is not good for my cholesterol).

hetismij2

julies, don't worry, it will be fine with the hotel you have booked. The weather is looking pleasant for your bike riding too, not too hot, not too windy, but the occasional shower if you are unlucky.
Enjoy it!

lavandula

It's off the Rue Neuve, the main shopping street for Brussels, just north of the Grand' Place.

Lavandula

julies

I just wanted to report back on my stay at Hotel le Dixseptieme since I had vacillated so much about whether it was a good choice for me.

Because I spent the morning finishing my sightseeing in Bruges, I ended up not arriving in Brussels by train until 3 pm. So, in essence I only had a partial day and one full day to visit Brussels. I was tired when I got off the train, and an irritating, chronic leg injury was acting up, so I was thrilled when I discovered that it only took me 2 to 3 minutes to walk to the hotel from the station. I got their cheapest room, and it was huge--like a suite--and lovely. There was no view because it faced a small, paved inner courtyard with a few shrubs and tables, but that also meant it was extremely quiet (other than the occasional inconsiderate fellow guest). There was a huge tub which I much appreciated, and I had a relaxing soak after having spent 10 days doing a lot of physically strenuous exercise. Breakfast was delicious too. So, all in all, it gave me everything I was looking for. Yes, within a block it does get quite touristy, but this is regular big city touristy that you can get out of within a couple blocks and not central Amsterdam completely overwhelmed with tourists type touristy. However, this hotel is not for those with mobility issues because there are small flights of stairs everywhere; I even had to go up and down some and across the courtyard to get to my room.

I had a terrible time navigating around Brussels; even with Google maps I was constantly lost (and a regular map didn't help too much either). I could just imagine myself walking in circles, dragging my suitcase looking for a hotel that wasn't this convenient. With its location near the train station and close to many sites, my hotel made perfect sense for me, and I was happy I chose it.

hetismij2

Glad the hotel was the right choice. Are you going to do a trip report later? I am curious how your bike and barge trip went.