Novotel Brussels Centre Midi Station

The breakfast was great, and I liked the restaurant. The bar is small, but they do their best. The hotel is right across from the train station, which is perfect, and there’s a supermarket down the street towards it, plus a few places to eat. As a permanent wheelchair user, I found the first room unsuitable because I couldn’t get through the bathroom door. I managed the second room with some manoeuvring. The area looks rough, there’s no parking, and it’s about 1.25 mile from the city centre. The paths are terrible, and at night it’s a very dodgy place to be.

Breakfast had fresh, good-quality food and a great range of choices, and our room was spotless, comfortable and very quiet. We slept extremely well. The service throughout our stay at Novotel was top-class, and we felt cared for from the start. Éleonone went above and beyond to make my daughter’s birthday special. Her kindness and attention to detail gave us a memory we’ll cherish. We highly recommend the hotel and will happily use Novotel again.

The hotel is right outside Brussels-Midi, which is different from Brussels-Central, and it was very convenient. It’s about a 20 minute uphill walk into town. My flight was delayed both ways, so I arrived a bit late, but they sorted out all the details quickly. They also stored my luggage, so I could explore on my final day without worrying about my bags. The rooms were clean and sound proof, with a kettle and fridge.

The location was the major problem. There’s a significant homeless encampment under a bridge opposite the hotel, and graffiti covers pretty much everything outside. The area looks very deprived, and we saw a scuffle break out at the local bar in the middle of the afternoon. For a pleasure trip or a business stay, I’d suggest staying in the centre instead. Being close to the Eurostar doesn’t make up for being far from anything else that isn’t dirty, covered in graffiti, or involved in low level crime or the drug trade. The hotel itself was clean, tidy and functional, and all the staff were friendly and helpful. There were a few minor issues: the USB ports by the bed were broken, plaster board in the bathroom ceiling was damaged, and the bath simply couldn’t be shorter!