Heysel Expo

My reservation was cancelled by the hotel on the evening of my first night in Brussels. It had been booked through a company platform, and I think they probably gave the room to another customer. I had luggage, was worn out after the day, and had to find somewhere else at 8pm on my first day in the city. It was a very stressful last-minute scramble.

After a long drive from Germany with our two underage children, we arrived at Hotel Expo to find nobody at reception. We waited several minutes before someone appeared, looking overwhelmed by basic tasks. Then we were assigned the wrong room. I showed our correct reservation on my phone, and was told, “There’s already another family in that room.” No apology, no backup plan. The only alternative was to put our children in a separate room 2-3 floors below us while we stayed upstairs. That was unacceptable, especially with young children in a foreign country and the hotel in such disarray. With no workable solution, we drove all the way back to Germany that night. We’ll be taking legal action over this. It was a logistical and emotional disaster, not a hotel night. I'd have been better off in a tent by the road. I've never had service this miserable, not even in a third-world country, and I never thought it could happen in the capital of Europe. Even Alcatraz prison seems more welcoming. This so-called hotel is an insult and a prime example of customer service failure. Save your money, nerves and dignity, stay elsewhere. Anywhere is better, even the zoo. Never again.

One of my worst hotel experiences. We had booked rooms through booking, but their system showed none available, so we had to switch hotels. The receptionist left early, and we waited around 30 minutes for another staff member, not knowing whether or when he'd arrive. Our cards were blocked, and we were standing beside a man being checked in. The woman was swearing and seemed unwell, then left. Their room assignment system seemed chaotic, which may have been why she'd lost her temper. Just don't go there.

The automated AC, fan and heater setup was a real treat. It was nearly 30°C, I was dehydrated, and we'd walked 10km+ in the sun. The location is very close to the Expo arenas and public transport, including tram, bus and train. Our receptionist was super friendly. Each room has a binder with useful information, plus plenty of bar soaps, body wash, shampoo and 4-5 towels. There was a hairdryer, sterile plastic-wrapped cups, a TV, desk/workspace, reading nook, and a closet with lots of hangers. Breakfast runs from 6.30am-10am. My one complaint isn't about the hotel: Google Maps said we could cut through the "Station" to reach our arena, but it was locked and nobody was outside. 😂 We wandered around for ages trying to work out what was wrong. 😶‍🌫️ It'd be really helpful if someone updated Google Maps to route around the gates near the stadium.