Brussels Bliss: Hilton Garden Inn's City Center Escape!
Brussels Bliss: Hilton Garden Inn's City Center Escape! - A Review That's Actually Real (and Possibly a Little Crazy)
Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the Brussels Bliss: Hilton Garden Inn's City Center Escape! I just got back, and my brain is still buzzing from the waffles (more on those later!). This isn't your typical cookie-cutter review; consider this a rambling, honest, and hopefully helpful peek inside the hotel, warts and all.
First things first: Accessibility and Safety - Because Let's Be Real, It Matters.
Okay, so, I'm not in a wheelchair myself, but I’m always looking out for accessibility. I snooped around (discreetly, of course!) and found the elevator definitely exists, which is a huge plus. They have facilities for disabled guests, always a win. And the front desk is 24-hour, which is great if you have a late arrival or, like me, you suddenly need a chocolate croissant at 3 am. The exterior corridor situation wasn't for me, but it made for easier access outside!
Now, safety. In these times, it's front and center. The Brussels Bliss gets a solid score here. They're clearly taking things seriously. Saw a lot of hand sanitizer stations (needed after all those frite cravings, am I right?). The daily disinfection in common areas was visibly happening, which made me feel a lot better. They also have CCTV in common areas and outside, which is a good thing. Plus, the staff are trained in safety protocols, not something you always notice but makes you feel seen and safe. They even have anti-viral cleaning products – fancy!
Accessibility Rating: đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť (4/5, good job Hilton!)
Rooms - My Sanctuary (mostly!)
The non-smoking rooms were a breath of fresh air (literally!). The air conditioning was a lifesaver because, let’s be honest, I get hot, fast. My room had wi-fi [free], which is a must. Also, I was chuffed to see a window that opens! (I like fresh air.) The blackout curtains were a godsend for sleeping off the chocolate coma I'd inevitably slip into.
Now, the nitty gritty. The desk was big enough to work on; the air conditioning was a bless; the closet was of a decent size; the coffee/tea maker was essential. But the best part was the extra long bed, and trust me, after a day of sightseeing, you NEED that.
I also have no idea if the bathroom phone works, but I like that it's there. The toiletries were basic but did the job.
Room Rating: đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť (3/5, good for a business stay, not the most intimate but definitely a good bang for your buck!)
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking - The Stuff Dreams (and Waistlines) Are Made Of
Ah, the food. This is where things got interesting. There’s a restaurant, which is a good starting point. The breakfast [buffet] was… well, it was a buffet. It had Asian breakfast options (which I didn't try, but hey, options!), and Western breakfast too, but the real star of the show was the COFFEE. I'm a fiend for coffee and the quality had me buzzing all day.
They also had coffee/tea in restaurant, duh. Speaking of Happy hour, let me tell you, it was necessary after the stress of navigating the cobblestone streets. There was also a bar. And a poolside bar! And a snack bar.
Dining Rating: đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť (4/5, for the location near a bustling city, and the coffee. Seriously, that coffee.)
Things to Do & Ways to Relax - Beyond the Waffles
Okay, so, a disclaimer: I'm not a spa person. But I do love a good swim. They have a swimming pool [outdoor] which I fully appreciate. And a fitness center. This could be my go-to vacation spot if they had a sauna.
Things to do Rating: đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť (3/5, for me, I was there to drink and explore. I'd give it a top score!)
Services & Conveniences - The Little Things That Matter
The concierge was super helpful, and the daily housekeeping was a godsend after I’d, well, let's just say I'd made a bit of a mess with my snacks. They even had a convenience store (lifesaver!). There’s luggage storage, which is essential because I always overpack. Laundry service to get rid of the evidence of my eating habits. I think I like the elevator the most!
Services & Conveniences Rating: đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť (4/5, the essentials covered beautifully)
For the Kids - Because, Family!
While I wasn't traveling with kids, I did see a few families around (they looked happy!). They had family/child friendly facilities. The babysitting service could be useful.
For the Kids Rating: đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť (3/5, family-friendly, need more details!)
Getting around - That's one of my favorite sections.
The airport transfer was smooth as silk, which is a huge relief after a long flight. They have car park [on-site] too.
Getting around Rating: đź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ťđź‘Ť (4/5, so practical, can't complain!)
The Messy, Glorious Heart of It… My Brussels Bliss Experience!
Okay, so, I promised you honesty, right? Here goes. I’m not going to talk about my room specifically. The best part was the location. The hotel is right in the heart of everything. I wandered for hours, getting lost in cobblestone streets, stumbling upon incredible chocolate shops (yes, plural), and then back to the comfort of my hotel.
The highlight? Definitely the waffles. Seriously, the Brussels Bliss is located near a waffel shop. I had a waffle every morning. It was pure, unadulterated bliss. Now, if that's not a reason to book, I don't know what is.
My Recommendation
Now, before you go thinking this place is perfect, let me be clear: it has its quirks. But overall, the Brussels Bliss: Hilton Garden Inn's City Center Escape! is a solid choice. The location is perfect, the staff is friendly, and the waffles are legendary.
Offer Time!
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Alright, buckle up buttercups, because we're about to plunge headfirst into my Brussels adventure. And trust me, it's gonna be less "perfectly curated Instagram feed" and more "slightly-too-much-chocolate-and-beer-induced-hilarity." We're staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Brussels City Centre – a perfectly adequate launching pad for my (mis)adventures. Here we go…
Brussels Blitz: A Week of Waffles, Woes, and Wonderful Weirdness
Day 1: Arrival & Mild Panic (and Waffles!)
- 10:00 AM: Ugh, the flight. Let's just say my attempts at "in-flight relaxation" mostly involved battling turbulence and the existential dread of being trapped in a metal tube thousands of feet in the air. Arrived at Zaventem Airport, grabbed my bag (miraculously intact! Victory!), and found the train to Brussels Central. It took me, oh, about three attempts to tap the correct zone on the ticket machine. Don't judge!
- 11:30 AM: Check-in at the Hilton Garden Inn. It's… fine. Rooms are clean, the staff seems genuinely nice, and the view… well, it's a view of other buildings. But hey, you get what you pay for. And after the early morning, I was in no shape to complain.
- 1:00 PM: Waffles. Glorious, life-affirming waffles. Found a little place near the Grand Place (more on that later – it's a sensory overload, trust me). Thick, fluffy, smothered in whipped cream and strawberries. Almost cried from happiness. This is what I came for. No regrets.
- 2:00 PM-4:00 PM: Wandering aimlessly around the Grand Place. Honestly, it’s breathtaking. Like, seriously. The ornate guildhalls, the gold leaf shimmering in the sun… I took approximately 700 photos. Maybe a bit much. Lost track of time. Found myself just staring and soaking it all in. Felt a little bit like a kid again.
- 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: Attempted to navigate the backstreets to find Manneken Pis. Let’s just say my sense of direction is, shall we say, fluid. Ended up wandering down a dead-end alley. Found a cat. Made a new friend. Still no Manneken Pis.
- 6:00 PM: FINALLY. Found him. He's tiny. But, hey. He is what he is.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner at a touristy restaurant near the Grand Place. Moules frites. Perfectly fine. A little noisy. Watched a couple arguing at the next table and felt strangely comforted by the fact that other people’s lives are just as confusing as mine.
- 9:00 PM: Collapsed in bed. Jet lag is a beast. And the waffles… well, they're still working their magic. Sleep coma.
Day 2: Chocolate, Comics & Catastrophes
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. The buffet. A sea of pastries and questionable coffee. But I'm not complaining. Got myself a decent coffee.
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Chocolate tour! God, it was heavenly. Learned about the history of Belgian chocolate (apparently, it’s a serious business). Sampled everything. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, truffles, pralines - I think I've found my heaven. Spent far too much money. No regrets.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Wandered to the Comic Art Museum. I’m no expert but, I absolutely loved it!
- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: A mission: find a decent friterie (fries shop). Turns out Brussel’s is teeming with them, and the search (and subsequent consumption) was an epic one. Found one, fries were amazing, and I ended up talking to an old local man who spoke no English but still managed to make me laugh.
- 4:00 PM: Disaster strikes! Tried to take the train to Bruges for a day-trip and completely, utterly, embarrassingly missed my train. Raging at myself.
- 5:00 PM: Dejected, I sulked back to the hotel a bit sad. Bought a bottle of wine in the hotel lobby and drank it in my room. Feeling sorry for myself.
- 7:00 PM: A burst of inspiration (or maybe just the wine) - decided to embrace the impromptu Brussels evening. Found a tiny, charming pub off the main square.
- 8:00 PM: Dinner. Local restaurant, the food was simple but delicious.
- 9:00 PM: Made a new friend, a fellow traveler. We laughed and chatted. Much better than feeling sorry for myself.
Day 3: Brewery Tour and Artful Awkwardness
- 10:00 AM: Wake up with a mild headache (shocker). Regret the wine.
- 11:00 AM: Brewery tour. Learning how beer is made. Enjoying the samples. Decently educational…but mainly enjoyable.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch at a nearby café. Ordered something random from the French-only menu. Got a weird sandwich. Ate it anyway.
- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Art museums. Trying to look sophisticated. Spent too much time staring at a painting I didn't understand. Pretended to be enlightened. Failed.
- 6:00 PM: Wandered through the Sablon neighborhood. Found some interesting antique and souvenir shops. It was lovely.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner. Trying to be adventurous. Ordered something I couldn't pronounce at a small restaurant that looked promising. It was… unusual. Not bad, just… unusual.
- 9:00 PM: Early night. Getting old.
Day 4: The Atomium, A Belgian Miracle (and More Chocolate!)
- 10:00 AM: Headed to the Atomium. That giant metal monstrosity. It's surprisingly cool. The view from the top is spectacular, even if my fear of heights threatened to shut down the entire experience.
- 1:00 PM: Another chocolate shop! And a new bag for my already rapidly expanding chocolate collection. I think I'm developing a serious dependency.
- 2:00 PM: Walked around the park near the Atomium. Found a pond. Sat and watched ducks for an hour. Pure bliss.
- 4:00 PM: Decided to be a proper tourist and go for a waffle in the shape of a penis (yes, really). Ate it. Regretted nothing.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner at a restaurant recommended by someone at the hotel. Absolutely wonderful. Simple, authentic food. Beautiful.
- 9:00 PM: Stumbled into a bar. Met a local and ended up talking for hours about everything and nothing. Brussels is starting to feel like home.
Day 5: Departure (Almost) and a Sweet Farewell
- 9:00 AM: Checked out of the Hilton Garden Inn. Said goodbye to the front desk staff, who’d become my friends.
- 10:00 AM: Final chocolate shop visit. Stocked up on souvenirs for everyone back home.
- 11:00 AM: Airport. The usual security anxieties. Found my gate.
- 1:00 PM: On the plane, looking back at my Brussels adventures. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't picturesque, sometimes it was downright messy. But it was mine. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.
- 2:00 PM: (And beyond) Thinking of when I can visit Brussels again.
So there you have it. My Brussels saga. A little bit of everything. And a whole lot of Belgian goodness. Go, explore, get lost, eat the damn waffles (and the chocolate!). Embrace the chaos. You might just find something amazing. And if you see some tipsy, slightly lost woman wandering around the Grand Place, covered in chocolate with a bag full of fries… that's probably me. Don't hesitate to say hi… or offer a waffle.
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Is Brussels Bliss really a "Bliss" or is it just...Brussels?
Alright, let's get real. "Bliss"? That's a *strong* word, marketing team! Look, Brussels is...Brussels. Chocolate, waffles, charming squares, grumpy service. Brussels Bliss, in my experience, is a decent hotel *in* Brussels. It could be "Bliss" adjacent, maybe... like, adjacent to bliss, but not actually *in* bliss. Think of it as that friend who's always trying to be positive, even when life throws you lukewarm fries (speaking from experience, more on that later…).
The Location! Is it actually "City Center"? Because 'City Center' can be a slippery slope.
Okay, *this* is actually pretty good. Yes, it's legit city center-ish. I’m talking a reasonable walk to the Grand Place, which, let's be honest, is what everyone wants to see. You *can* stumble upon a chocolate shop within minutes, which is crucial, because chocolate is a survival skill in Brussels. I took a wrong turn *once* and ended up near a particularly un-picturesque side street, but hey, that’s Brussels for you. Always keep your wits about you, and maybe a good map app.
What about the Rooms? Are they clean and functional or are they...hotel room-y?
The rooms are... fine. They're clean, which is, honestly, a solid gold star in my book. I'm not looking for palace-level luxury, I'm looking for a place to crash after a day of waffle-fueled sightseeing. My big complaint? The view! Mine overlooked another building. Solid brick. So, be prepared for a potential view of... nothingness. Pack some earplugs, too, because city noises filter in. One night I *swear* I heard a cat fight, and Brussels is full of eccentric cats, let me tell you.
Food, glorious food! What's breakfast like at Brussels Bliss? Because breakfast can make or break a morning, especially in a new city.
Okay, breakfast. Here's where things get...conflicted. They *had* waffles! But, and this is a big but, the waffle situation was a bit... underwhelming. Not the fluffy, golden, crispy-edged masterpieces you dream of. More like… *waffle-shaped* things. The coffee was, however, adequate. And the pastries! Some were good! Some were clearly from the day before. The buffet was plentiful, though a bit…industrial. Don’t go in expecting Michelin star, but it'll fill a hole. I ended up getting a croissant and a pain au chocolat, I think, and I regretted both of them. Stick to the coffee, and then run out to get a *real* waffle from a street vendor immediately after.
Is the staff helpful? Because nobody wants to be stranded in a foreign country with a broken hairdryer. (Yes, I've been there.)
The staff were… fine. They were present, they were polite, they helped in the way you would expect. No one was *particularly* friendly, unfortunately. But, in truth, I didn't have much interaction with them, and I'm not the most talkative of travelers. They did seem a bit overwhelmed at times, but hey, it's Brussels! Everyone is a bit overwhelmed. I think they probably work really hard, and I'm just a jaundiced, slightly cynical tourist. They probably handle the broken hair dryer situations adequately.
Let's Talk About That "City Center Escape"! Is there actually anything to do at the Hilton Garden Inn?
Okay, this is where the "Escape" part gets a little blurry. There's no pool. There's a small gym – I peeked in; it was… gym-like. You're not going to be escaping *into* the hotel. You're escaping the outside world *by* staying there. That makes sense, right? The 'escape' is that you get to close the door to your room and be alone... eventually. I mainly used the hotel to sleep, clean, and store my chocolate haul. My *real* Brussels bliss was the city itself, and I would spend the absolute minimum amount of time possible at the hotel. Although, I did spend 2 hours trying to figure out the television's remote, which might qualify as an escape from productivity.
Is the wi-fi strong? Because posting Instagram stories of your waffles is vital, obviously.
The wi-fi! Okay, it was...reliable. Not blazing fast, by any means. Enough to check emails, post a blurry photo of a frites (because, of course, frites are essential), and annoy my friends back home with my travel updates. I believe it disconnected me once... in the *middle* of a very important cat video. I'm still recovering. I ended up having to hot-spot off my phone. Prepare for slight online inconveniences. Prioritize your Instagram waffle game accordingly.
What's the overall vibe? Relaxing and charming? Or more 'functional' and…hotel-y?
"Functional." Pretty much nailed it. It’s not a destination in itself. It's a place to sleep and shower. It's a solid, dependable cog in the Brussels machine. Don’t expect to be charmed. Don't expect to feel particularly pampered. Expect functionality, cleanliness, and relative quiet… if you can get a room away from the street. My biggest complaint? The lobby felt sterile, like a brightly lit waiting room. But, let's be honest, the city is the charm, not the hotel.
So, would you recommend Brussels Bliss? Straight up. Tell me if this place is worth my money or not.
Alright, the verdict: Brussels Bliss is… *okay*. It's not going to blow you away, but it's a decent base for exploring Brussels. If the price is right, the location is convenient, and you're not looking for a luxury experience, then yeah, go for it. Just manage your expectations. Focus on the city. The waffles, the chocolate, the history -- those are the real stars. And, most importantly, *don't get stuck in a conversation with a mime*, because Brussels has a *lot* of them. True story. Just...escape! Escape to Brussels, and use the hotel as a place to recover.Ocean View Inn
