We traveled to Brussels on a whim from London, taking Eurostar from St. Pancras to Brussels-Midi. After some research, we were able to procure three nights at the Hotel Amigo; from Midi, the hotel advised us to take a quick local train ride, one stop to Centrale station; which left us only five blocks or so from the Hotel Amigo -- an excellent tip! Unfortunately, we did not count on how difficult it would be to wield large, over-packed suitcases on Brussels' cobblestoned streets and sidewalks. Twenty minutes later - and still a good 20 feet from the hotel driveway - a well-dressed, smiling doorman came running out with words of welcome, having spotted us struggling from afar, to help. This turned out to be Haluk, an angel who was to later make our stay in Brussels and at the Hotel Amigo quite memorable, in his role as concierge. We were pleased with the very quiet (per our request) classic King room on a high floor, with a comfortable bed, good air conditioning and a big, marble-floored bathroom with a luxurious, deep- soaking tub. The Irene Forte bath products were also lovely (the apricot body wash smelled divine). Unfortunately, as with other luxury hotels in Europe, the glass half-door on the shower did not quite keep the water in! Thanks to housekeeping for setting that right every day. As we had not read up on the city, we did not realize that the Amigo is only a block from the Grand Place – a spectacular, historical square of architectural marvels. And while the area is a bit touristy, the hotel is walking distance to most of central Brussels, if you like to walk. Fortunately, Haluk advised us daily on walking routes through the city, to see all the major sights in an order that made perfect sense; this included a weekend market with antique jewelry and a sculpture garden in the Parc de Bruxelles, near the Royal Palace (things we never would have found on our own). We stopped nearby for hot chocolate during a surprise hailstorm – perfect timing! When we asked for good Asian food, Haluk also recommended Fanny Thai - walking distance to the hotel, on a lively street lined with restaurants, with excellent Pan Asian fare and a local crowd (we loved it so much, we ate there several times). These were some of our favorite moments in Brussels; so we were very grateful for his excellent tips! Otherwise, there was only one tiny glitch; somehow, we didn’t realize until the end of our stay that our rate included breakfast! This would have been welcome news; we ate a light meal only once, not realizing we had access to the buffet. A bit confusing, for sure (of course as Brussels is filled with nothing but Belgian waffles, French fries, whipped cream and chocolate, perhaps it’s just as well...). In short, we had a pleasant stay at the Hotel Amigo, and would recommend it to anyone.
Very Good
69 Reviews