Hilton Garden Inn Brussels Airport

Umut and Ali at reception made the stay feel easy and special. They were professional, warm, and attentive to details. The hotel itself is handy for both the airport and city center, and my room was comfortable, peaceful, and had a lovely view. I also liked the gym a lot. It was clean, had brand-new equipment, and was one of the most comfortable hotel gyms I've used. The food was fresh, tasty, and nicely presented, just what I wanted after a long travel day. Comfort, location, service, and views all worked for me. I'd happily come back and recommend it.

Breakfast needs attention: the hot food was lukewarm at best, sometimes cold. The gym also needs more frequent cleaning. A dirty towel stayed in the changing room for four days during my visit. The staff were the highlight. Alexandra from Russia was lovely and welcoming, and took time to get to know us as guests. It was the best staff experience I've had at a hotel, and they deserve recognition for their service. Bruno from Brazil was brilliant too. As soon as I sat down at the bar, he knew my drink order and started making it. I expect I'll see them again when I stay here.

The run of problems here ended up ruining our vacation. The hotel isn't convenient for getting to a station, restaurants, or shops, and the airport shuttle costs extra even though the airport is about 15 minutes away. They said they'd pick us up for free but not take us back, which wasn't made clear when we booked. I thought most big hotels near an airport offered a free shuttle. The staff were unfriendly and seemed junior, untrained, and often unsure what to do. At check-in, the desk worker got the woman ahead of us checked in but forgot to give her a room key. Our check-in was also mishandled, with the room number missing from the card. There was no soap in our room. We called reception several times and were told it would be sent up, but it never arrived. It seemed like one person was meant to manage the whole hotel. Whenever we called reception, we had to wait at least 30-40 minutes. We had one bad experience after another, and I recommend avoiding this place.

I stayed here twice for work, and both times the same middle-aged man at reception caused a problem at checkout. He seemed to misread the system and said I'd paid for just one night, then asked me to pay again for the second. I always pay for the full stay when I check in. The first time, I had to explain everything and show my booking confirmation and payment email. Later, the manager contacted my company to apologize and confirmed the extra payment request was a mistake. On my most recent visit, the same thing happened. I said I wasn't going through that discussion again, and another staff member stepped in to explain that the receptionist had read the system incorrectly. They confirmed the stay was already paid in full. It's frustrating to have this happen repeatedly. Staff need better training on the booking and payment system. Guests shouldn't have to keep proving they've paid. And the room has its own problems: the sound of water running through the pipes keeps echoing, and although there are cups, tea, and coffee, there's no kettle.