Crowne Plaza Antwerp by IHG

There are water dispensers throughout the hotel, so you can refill your bottle whenever you like. The rooms were clean and good, with soundproofing, though we heard some morning buzz from the nearby motorway. From the start, the staff welcomed us with smiles and explained everything we needed for our stay. Breakfast was very good, and the restaurant staff were attentive. The fitness center, with a pool, sauna, steam bath and gym, was available most of the day. Perfect for unwinding after a cold day.

The room itself was clean, but that's about the only good thing. Water drained so slowly from the shower that after roughly 5-7 minutes the whole bathroom flooded. A bedside light was broken, and the TV was so dark I couldn't see the screen; changing the settings didn't help. We reported all the room problems on the first morning, but nothing was fixed by checkout the next day. Breakfast wasn't worthy of a 4-star hotel. It was a bare-minimum, Ibis Budget-style spread with the usual items, very little fresh fruit, and scrambled eggs that didn't seem like real eggs. We went to the wellness area and it felt like urban exploring: dark, cold, with more tiles fallen off the walls than still attached. In the men's room, of the three showers, one had no door, one had a door that wouldn't close, and one worked as intended. All had dirty grout and soap residue. In the women's room, the cleaning lady was watching Netflix and didn't care if anyone saw her. The pool was properly breathtakingly cold, colder than pools my girlfriend, a former competitive swimmer, had used. The steam sauna was okay, but there was no way to clean or rinse the sitting area. The dry sauna was strange too. We go to saunas nearly every month, and this was the first time the wood was so hot it burned me through my towel. We left after three minutes because we couldn't stay seated. If you're booking for the wellness facilities, don't bother, they're not worth it. For meeting business partners and spending one night, it's acceptable, though there are other options in Antwerp.

Lucio, Christel, Julianna and Lucy were kind, professional and helpful, and we were very satisfied with the hotel. The pool, sauna and hamman felt new and well cared for. Breakfast had a good range of choices too. We'll definitely be back!

The price reflects the quality and the convenient location, but the quality is high too. I booked a premium Queen room, which was spacious, modern and had an excellent shower and bathroom. The expo is next door, and there's a tram stop beside it for the city center and central train station. The garage next door has a food court with different chains and food options, handy for a quick dinner or breakfast. The hotel restaurant is fine, but pricey as you'd expect. If you're traveling on a budget, you might want to stay elsewhere in the city and take the tram to the expo.