Hotel le Dixseptième

The rooms and accommodations were first class, and the location made sightseeing easy. We stayed three nights, found the staff top notch, and would highly recommend it. I'll stay here whenever I'm in Brussels.

The rooms are huge, and while the fittings aren't modern, the place has plenty of charm and character. Friendly staff and an excellent location make it a great choice for families too. Highly recommend it as a fantastic way to experience Brussels.

I booked a terrace suite, but several things made the stay disappointing. The faucet was difficult to use, and sometimes the water stopped for more than ten minutes. Hot water was often unavailable, leaving only cold water. Drinking water also wasn't complimentary, despite this being a four-star hotel. The jacuzzi had yellow spots and was dirty, so we couldn't use it. I also couldn't light the terrace fire, which was the main reason I booked that room. The room was clean and quiet at night, which earns the two stars, but the stay didn't meet expectations. I wouldn't recommend it unless they make major improvements.

We booked the Garden Standard room directly on the hotel's website, and the process went smoothly. Our room (3103, Landyut) was very clean and quiet, at the end of a first-floor corridor with windows onto the courtyard. Mostly we heard the cleaner during the day; otherwise, it was so peaceful it sometimes felt eerie. The bed was comfortable, and I liked the pillows because they weren't overly puffy and could be shaped to support my neck. That suited me as a side-sleeper, since hotel pillows often feel too soft and almost suffocating. A caution about the shower: in our room the floor was the same smooth stone tile as the walls, and became slippery with soap or shampoo. There were no safety rails, so older guests or families with children should take care. The air conditioning worked well and the blackout curtains helped, though they were a little too narrow and always let some light through a gap. Laundry service is available, with per-item prices listed on the wardrobe door. If I remember right, a T-shirt was about €4 and a skirt €8-10, with no extra service fee. Laundry had to be dropped at reception in its bag before 9 a.m. for return that day around 4 or 5 p.m. Dropping it off between 9 and 12 for same-day service meant an express charge of around €60 added to the bill. There was a mini fridge too, but I found the prices excessive: €4 for a 500ml water, €4 for a small Coke, and a whopping €40 for half a bottle of Moët. Reception service was always very friendly, whoever was working. Breakfast was mixed: the food quality was good, but the choice was extremely limited. Once we saw how small the hotel is, that made sense, but €22 felt far too expensive for what was on offer. Hot food was limited to scrambled eggs, some kind of wurst sausages and bacon. There was also bread with a changing choice of cold cuts, cheese and vegetables, plus yogurt, muesli and fruit. The dining room waitress was always friendly, kept tables tidy and served coffee. The location deserves praise. Many museums and sights are within a kilometer, and the main train station and a metro stop are just a couple hundred meters away. Beside the train station there's a small grocery shop, handy for reasonably priced snacks and drinks.