Floreal-L'obe

I really love this place. I’d booked a different hotel down the street, but its owners locked the doors and left, with no idea when they’d be back. I’d already been traveling for about 36 hours, so I had to find somewhere else quickly. This hotel was also closed for the evening when I arrived. I was starting to think I’d have to sleep in my rental car when a very kind woman came over with her two kids and opened the front door. She worked there, though I regret not getting her name so I could thank her personally. After some back and forth in French, since they weren’t expecting me, she managed to rent me a room for the night. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her kindness. The room was lovely, the shower was top notch, and the bed was comfortable. It’s right downtown, with plenty of shops and restaurants an easy walk away.

The portions were generous and everything tasted really fresh. My curry had lots of lovely fresh shrimp, and the salad was super fresh too, with very crispy goat cheese. The staff were incredibly kind. I’d definitely recommend it.

The location is the main thing this hotel has going for it. There’s a very good bakery next door for breakfast, we always found parking nearby even during the busy event period, and there are lots of restaurants close by for dinner. But being right in central Malmedy also meant a lot of night noise, and during crowded periods you probably won’t sleep well. We stayed at Le Floreal for the F1 Grand Prix. It was a very expensive stay for the service, though Belgium was heavily booked because of the event. The room was poor quality and got really hot in summer. I know it’s a 3-star hotel and don’t expect much room service, even though similar hotels sometimes do better, but they could at least have taken out the garbage once during our five nights. The shower head was nearly broken, as the attached image shows. You pay too much for a place whose only real plus is its location. If you have a rental car, I’d look at accommodation nearby, around 10-20 km away.

We ate the best meal of our visit to Malmedy here. The food was great, portions were massive, and the hosts were really friendly. Good value too. I’d definitely recommend the steak with camembert.