An Overpriced and Tired Hotel - Anglais. Date of travel: Nov 2007
I am a regular business traveller to Brussels. I have stayed in many Brussels hotels (my favourite for the EU institutions for example is the EU Radisson in the Place de Lux, modern, well designed, free net access, good food and well priced). By contrast I had the sad experience yesterday (November 7th) of staying in the Metropole. It is the last grand 19th Century hotel in Brussels. Unfortunately the refurbishment has not kept up with its great lineage. Generally the decor is tired and dingy and could do with a major overhaul. The rooms are dingy and with an old and very noisy air conditioning system which would have kept me awake-save for the fact that I always take ear plugs with me. The swisscom wifi is complicated to access and costs €22. And beware the killer lift doors. The lifts are ornate reproduction 19th century lifts-however the doors snap back if you don't watch it-I have now have a small wound on the side of my head as a momento of the Metropole. For all these delights I paid €255. This is very expensive for central Brussels. I paid the previous week €150 at the EU Radisson-for which I received a lot more. One final issue-if you are use to using a hotel gym, the Metropole does not have a gym-unlike the EU Radisson and most of the major Brussels hotels.