Novotel Brussels City Centre

“Very good overall”

Stayed here several times as the hotel is easy to get to either walking from Centrale Station (12 mins) or a bus (5 mins). The rooms are of very good quality with strong walk-in showers and clean.

“Disappointing Stay – Not What I Expect from a 4-Star Hotel”

I stayed at Novotel Brussels City Centre for five nights and, unfortunately, the experience fell well below what I would expect from a 4-star hotel. The biggest issue was the hotel's approach to drinking water during a heatwave. Despite having two guests in the room, the hotel refused to provide e… more

I stayed at Novotel Brussels City Centre for five nights and, unfortunately, the experience fell well below what I would expect from a 4-star hotel. The biggest issue was the hotel's approach to drinking water during a heatwave. Despite having two guests in the room, the hotel refused to provide even two complimentary bottles of water per day. Staff repeatedly stated that guests could drink tap water instead. However, there was no information in the room confirming the safety of the tap water, no welcome notice, and no reassurance for international travellers unfamiliar with local water standards. During extremely hot weather, providing adequate drinking water should be a basic hospitality standard, particularly for a 4-star hotel. The breakfast was another disappointment. For the entire five-day stay, the hot breakfast selection remained virtually unchanged. In my experience, most 4-star and 5-star hotels vary at least some of their hot breakfast offerings from day to day. Eating exactly the same breakfast every morning for nearly a week became monotonous and did not reflect the quality or variety expected at this level. The room layout was also problematic. The toilet (WC) was separated from the bathroom and was exceptionally small. An average-sized adult would struggle to use it comfortably. As a parent travelling with a child, it was almost impossible to assist my child in the WC unless the door was left open. Basic amenities were not available in the room. Items such as a shower cap and sewing kit had to be requested from reception rather than being provided as standard. The hotel does have a swimming pool, which is a positive feature, but there were no bathrobes available for guests. This meant having to walk between the room and pool wrapped in towels, which was inconvenient. I would happily have paid a refundable deposit for a robe had that option been offered. Overall, this felt much closer to a 2- or 3-star experience than a 4-star one. The lack of attention to guest comfort, particularly regarding drinking water during a heatwave, was especially disappointing. While the location is good, the service standards and guest experience did not meet expectations, and I left feeling let down by both the management and the hotel's policies.

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