Review: Steigenbeger Grandhotel Brussels

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The Steigenberger Grandhotel is one of American Expresses’s Fine Hotels and Resorts, and boy does it certainly fall into the “fine” category.

The Steigenberger is centrally located, a 5 minute walk from the nearest subway station. It’s located in the trendy shopping district of Brussels, complete with all the fine clothiers, jewelers and the like. It’s the pricey neighborhood you want to have your checkbook with you when you shop.

You know its a good hotel when there is a Maseratti parked out front. 🙂 The hotel is just offset from the street, which is a great thing as it greatly reduces the amount of noise and hustle and bustle that always seems to interfere with big hotels located directly on the main drag streets.

Once inside, you’re greeted to the concierge desk to the right, and then up a short flight of stairs a vast lobby with the front desk on the other end.

Once at the front desk, I was greeted by a very nice Greek clerk who already had my room key and paperwork prepared. One of the great things about the Amex Fine Hotel and Resorts is that most of their properties already have all of the room paperwork and keys ready PRIOR to your arrival, which makes for a fast check-in process. Included with my stay, as with all Amex Fine Hotel stays was:

• An early check-in of 12 noon
• An upgraded room
• Breakfast for 2
• An 85 Euro food and beverage credit
• Late check-out of 4p

I thanked the clerk for my benefits and proceeded to my room.

The room was well appointed and very large for European standards. It had a beautiful marble bathroom, and the room itself had plenty of room to walk around in (which is not the norm in European hotels).  I was upgraded to a room with a balcony, and while my view was only of the center of the hotel, having the doors kept open to breathe the fresh air outside was certainly a plus.

The best benefit of my stay was the 85 Euro food and beverage credit. This credit is given per STAY, not matter how many people are in the room or how long you are staying. So, it pays to only stay for one night and only have one person in the room. 🙂

My dinner actually ran about 10 Euros over my 85 Euro allotment, which I paid with my no foreign transaction fee American Express Platinum card. The best part about dinner was the view.  When I had gone down to the restaurant earlier in the afternoon, I asked the host for a menu at which point he asked whether I’d like to reserve a table for later. I told him I’d love to make a reservation for 7:30, at which point he escorted me into the dining room and offered me the best table with a view, right near the window, and right near the street. It was absolutely perfect, and really was the best view in the house. I was so surprised that he was willing and able to reserve this table for me, a one person solo traveler using a free food and beverage credit from the hotel. Heck, who cares! It was great!

The following morning I had breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and was treated to a buffet of eggs, bacon, pastries and fresh squeezed juice.

I’d definitely stay in the Steigenberger again, as it was in a great location and the amenities were outstanding. The hotel staff were very kind and always more than willing to provide a map or set of directions to where I was headed. If you can find a good rate here (which I did), it’s a no brainer option if you’re in need of a hotel in Brussels.