Hotel La Merveilleuse

There’s a lot to like here: a spacious, peaceful room with a private sauna, a big terrace, a good location, and plenty of parking. The only issue was the cleaning. Hair was left on the supposedly clean sheets and under the shower, and there were problems with the toilet door and other spots.

We had a large, comfortable room, and the woman at the front desk was great. It’s an easy walk into town, though getting back means going up a steep hill, so be prepared for that. If you like beer, the museum is worth a look.

The views from our room, #103, over the river, Citadel, and town were exceptional. That’s why I chose this hotel, and this side of the river does have the best views. You can tell it’s a real Cloister: there’s a tiny rough wooden prayer chair outside each room, and the rooms are sparse, with bare walls apart from a TV, a small desk, a couple of chairs, and a footstool. The little rough wooden armoire looks like it might date from the 1700s, and there’s only room for a few clothes. We asked, but there are no luggage racks, so bags have to go on the floor or maybe the footstool. There’s a hair dryer, and the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom has mostly been renovated, and there’s a very nice renovated Common Area with a bar and breakfast. Breakfast was very good, with lots of choices, including hot food. We also got a welcome drink of our choice, which was a nice touch. The room was clean, though a bit worn in places. There’s no safe, but our computers and passports were fine without one. The bedding was too hot with the duvet inside the cover, so we took it out and used the cover on its own, which worked fine. Sleep depends on who’s around. There’s no soundproofing in the walls or ceilings. On Thursday, the people on either side went to bed at a reasonable hour and it was quiet. On Friday, people checked in upstairs at 11:30 p.m. and walked around until 12:30 a.m. I’m sure they were just walking normally, but without soundproofing it sounded like stomping. We gave up trying to sleep and started working. The receptionist also works as the bartender, and those spots are quite far apart. Picking up or handing in the key took five minutes once, but usually ten or more, so plan to wait around. The staff are friendly and helpful, just a bit slow to get to the desk. Coming by train from Brussels, be aware that the elevator on that side of the station is broken, so you’ll have to carry your luggage up three flights of stairs. The hotel is close to the station, but the walk up is fairly steep, so take it slowly. It’s a three-star hotel with a four-star experience, as long as you’re ready for a stay in a real, live Cloister. Get the Combo Ticket for the Citadel, Gondola, and Boat Ride. They were all really good. By the way, you buy the ticket at the bottom of the gondola, not at the Tourist Info.

The rooms were good and the service excellent. Getting drink vouchers on arrival was a nice bonus. The air conditioning was noisy, though, and it was locked so we couldn’t switch it off.