Review: a brief look at Corinthia Brussels – stunning, but ….

This is a brief review of the Corinthia Brussels hotel, one of the most expensive hotel renovations to open in Europe in the past year.

I spent two days there last week attending a Global Hotel Alliance function. For various reasons – because the hotel is not yet fully open and because I was on a tight schedule – I don’t want to give the impression that this is a ‘proper’ review. Our group didn’t even eat breakfast in the normal restaurant.

It is a truly stunning renovation (the hotel had been derelict for some years when Corinthia bought and extended it) and I can wholeheartedly recommend it for an event. I’m not sure I can fully recommend it for a stay.

The Corinthia Brussels website is here.

Where is Corinthia Brussels?

The hotel is on Rue Royale in Notre Dame aux Neiges. Opened in 1910, it is an impressive piece of Belle Époque architecture.

The road itself is non-descript. The hotel is not surrounded by retail or restaurants of a similar calibre. Grand Place is around a 20 minute walk away, downhill. If you come by Eurostar, you will need to get a taxi or a hotel car (they sent me a Maybach!) from Brussels Midi / Zuid unless you are travelling light as it is a 30 minute walk.

The renovation kept the original lobby and public spaces but the rooms are entirely new. The hotel has also expanded upwards (the 5th and 6th floors are still not finished and only 86 of the eventual 126 rooms are open) and into an adjacent building.

My Grand Deluxe room at Corinthia Brussels

I have to be honest. I had real issues with my room. On the upside, the wi-fi worked for me and I know others in the group struggled.

Things that annoyed me:

• my toilet didn’t flush (it trickled, but it didn’t flush) – I didn’t realise this until it was too late and I was forced to, erm, take matters into my own hands. It’s not quite what you expect for €700 per night.

• there is a weird control box for the lights which is literally bolted onto the bedside table. It means you can’t put books or anything else down. Even weirder, if you have even the mildest level of OCD, you will be frustrated that the box is bolted down at a weird angle. I discussed this with our group the next day and virtually everyone had the same feeling.

• there is an access point for cabling cut into the carpet in the middle of the room, which was annoying to walk on (you can just see it in front of the bed in the image above)

• the windows (I was streetside) were filthy

• the alarm clock had been set by the previous guest and went off the next morning – housekeeping should always check that any alarm clock has been turned off

• there was no desk. Every time I left the room more stuff kept arriving and was piled up on the little table where I was trying to work – a hotel-shaped cake, a plate with cotton napkins, a separate plate with a napkin and fork for the cake, a kettle and a tea bag ‘for a night-time drink’, multiple bags containing gifts, the Corinthia newsletter (A3 size), a cufflink tray ….

• the lights look easy to operate at first glance but there is something weird about them – I never managed to turn them all off. I ended up walking to the door and flicking the master, and then stumbling back to my bed in pitch darkness.

The bathroom was more successful, apart from the non-flushing loo. A large double sink, a separate loo (with a door), a stand-alone shower and a large bath. Guests even get a free Sisley hand cream worth around £50 to take away. Toiletries were from Diptyque.

Whilst I’m not looking at breakfast in detail because we were in a separate area and not the main room, I should say that the eggs royale I had was shocking. The eggs were fine but I have no idea what they were sat on. It seemed like a bizarrely deep, very dense and uncooked version of what is usually used.

The only reason to justify €700 per night (which gets you a lot in Brussels) on a relatively small and faulty room would be if you intend to take full advantage of the amazing spa and restaurant.

The public areas are marvellous

Irrespective of the rooms, the public spaces are astonishing. If you’re planning an event in Brussels, this is now the place.

These are all PR photographs – it was difficult to get better images because we were in a group.

The Palm Court is the core of the hotel, and will be serving afternoon tea from September. The original skylight was recreated from old photographs to replace a flat replacement which was installed at some point. I’d strongly recommend popping in here if you are in Brussels.

Under The Stairs is a hidden cocktail bar which has just opened and includes a decent outdoor space.

Palais Royal is a beautiful dining room where we got to try a tasting menu by two Michelin-starred Anwerp chef David Martin:

Salon Elizabeth is where you would normally have breakfast, although Global Hotel Alliance had taken it over for its conference during my stay:

The spa looks fabulous – I mean, it’s got a fireplace overlooking the pool, burning away, just because – although we were not given a detailed tour because it was being used by guests:

Astoria Club is a nature-themed salon off the lobby, overlooking the street, which is only open for special events. The hotel is hoping to find a way of putting it into daily use, and it is a real shame that guests cannot access it (my photo):

It is also worth a visit to Coutume, one of the smartest boutiques I’ve seen in a luxury hotel for some time. It sells ‘exquisite floral arrangements to cutting-edge digital frames, luxurious textiles and artistic antique tableware, each piece reflecting a dialogue between tradition and modernity, curated to inspire and delight.’ There is an entrance from the street if you are passing.

Conclusion

Corinthia has spent a huge amount of time (eight years) and money revitalising the Grand Hotel Astoria and it deserves full credit.

The public spaces, the spa and the Palais Royal restaurant are beautiful.

Where it went wrong, for me, was in my room, which had too many issues to justify the €700 rate. You feel that no-one from the management team has ever spent a night there.

You can find out more, and book, on the Corinthia Brussels website here.