KurHotel Brussel

This was nowhere near four-star service. The receptionist, especially the older woman with dark-rimmed glasses, was rude. Booking showed no requirement to pay on arrival, and when I wanted to pay at checkout, as I do at four- or five-star hotels, she and her colleague argued with me about it. The room was dark but fairly large and very quiet. The bed was far too soft and left my back sore. The shower joint leaked, spreading water around the bathroom. The towels were old and frayed. I left them hanging because I wanted to use them for two days, but they were changed anyway. The shoe-cleaning machine at reception had no polish, and using it meant pushing the button with your second foot, which was almost impossible without losing your balance. The elevator was very slow. At 7:30 in the morning, cleaning staff knocked to ask if they could clean my room. Really, that early? Even without a do not disturb sign, people should be allowed to sleep. She spoke to me in German three times before trying Czech, then bluntly said she had other rooms to do and might or might not come back. I asked them to return in 30 minutes while I had breakfast, but they never came, so I had to go downstairs and ask reception to call them. At breakfast, there was no cutlery on my table. When I asked for a knife and fork, the staff said they wouldn't have expected anyone to sit where a breakfast setting wasn't ready. I apologized for not seeing one on my first morning, and only then did they bring it. The breakfast area staff weren't wearing masks, even during Covid times. Breakfast ran only from 7 to 9 AM, but by 8:30 there wasn't much left to choose from. There were no hot vegetable options and no fresh fruit besides apples. The cappuccino wasn't tasty at all. The so-called wellness area was a pool and sauna open only from 5 to 9 PM, exactly when you'd want to go to dinner and have some fun. I asked if they could turn on the sauna earlier and was refused. Before booking, I called to ask if late checkout was possible without charge and was told yes. I was leaving early on checkout day, but the older receptionist still asked if I'd reserved late checkout on Booking for €20. Be careful, they lie and cheat here. Save yourself the nerves and money and find somewhere better.