Brussels: The Conrad Forever

The Brussels Conrad

I used to be a great Hilton fan. Growing up in Athens in the 1970s, the Hilton was the place to be. A relic of the early 1960s, with all the optimistic American mindset that went with it, the Athens Hilton was the place to stay, to eat, to attend a conference, etc. By the mid-1980s, it was faded and desperately needed a renovation. The food was atrocious, the staff indifferent, and the rooftop Galaxy Bar was more often than not beset by phalanxes of little old ladies with purple hair and Chanel bags. It took the renovation for the 2004 Athens Olympics to restore something of its former greatness, although in my opinion the verdict is still out.

The Hilton brand in the UK suffered much the same fate. The chain made a catastrophic strategic error in expanding through buying chains such as Stakis. While this increased the rooms under management, the properties and staff which went with them were far too disparate in terms of facilities and service. As a result, I’ve stayed in some truly heinous buildings in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow claiming to be Hiltons, and have come away quite disgusted.

Luckily, in 1982, Hilton decided to launch an exclusive, truly five star chain, intended for those discerning travellers who wanted quality and presumably didn’t want to be suckered into staying at a 3* hotel with a 5* bill. This is the Conrad brand, named after the legendary Conrad Hilton. Today, the brand numbers a small number of properties, spread out in cities including Brussels, Singapore, Bangkok, Dublin and others.

I recently returned to the Brussels Conrad in last April, after a 10 year hiatus. Deciding where to stay in Brussels was discouraging. The city is slowly transforming itself into the capital of the European Union, complete with grandiose offices housing the new imperial bureaucracy. As a result, hotel prices are absurd. The cost increases the closer one gets to the Grand Place, but frankly this price differential is hardly warranted, either by the neighbourhood or by the property. I spent a good 4 hours online searching for the right place. The Conrad was only EUR 50 more per night than most safe-looking four star properties (most of which look quite dodgy). Disgusted by the loss of time and by my own stinginess, I decided to exceed my per diem and chose The Conrad.

The hotel is fantastic. Check-in was smooth, and as soon as my HHonours Gold Card slid across the desk I was upgraded to a superior room and offered breakfast for free: quick, painless and easy. The staff knew what they were doing. At many properties, they often have no clue about this card, prompting an unseemly scramble for the shift manager, who’s off flogging the squalid IT consultant who’s frantically trying to repair the crashed wireless connection….the delay goes on and on while that vital, first-minute impression is lost.

I stayed on the fourth floor: the room was large and superbly outfitted. Facing the internal courtyard, it included a sublimely comfortable bed, excellent desk (with adequate space for a laptop and files), a sofa, and a fantastic bathroom. The furnishings were in good condition – again, a welcome changes from the ragged carpets and scuffed walls in many 5* properties. Lighting was excellent: I particularly appreciated the two bed lights, which were just right for reading in bed, as well as the desk light.

The Conrad - Room Detail

The staff is extraordinarily helpful, and the management outdoes itself in small personal touches. There is a free shoe shine service, for instance, which I found absolutely grand. I was so happy I tipped the fellow who shined my shoes on Sunday afternoon probably as much as the normal hotel charge, but was really happy to do so-and my shoes are still in good condition two weeks and two flights later. There is an excellent in-room filter coffee machine and tea-maker. I was really pleased to receive a free bottle of Vittel mineral water daily, as well as the regrettably small packet of Jules Destrooper cookies. And yes, the hotel has free copies of the Financial Times everywhere – in the lobby, at breakfast, in the bar… In my travel pantheon, anyone handing out free FTs is right up there at the top.



Breakfast is superb. Along with Le Meridien in Limassol, this is the best hotel breakfast I’ve ever had in terms of quality of ingredients, attention to detail, staff service and range of food. The bread was fresh – a real delight – not that sad frozen stuff they pop in ovens and then let harden into indigestible golf balls in most hotels. I was amazed to find lightly fried aubergine slices, watermelon, several types of fish and all sorts of other delicacies on offer. The scrambled eggs are real eggs, and the bacon as it should be.



I only availed myself of breakfast and room service at the hotel. Breakfast is at the Café Wiltshire, which is tres grand: I’m not sure how I would evaluate eating lunch or dinner there. I rounded out my days in the hotel bar every night: an excellent place, with clubby furniture, a barman who knows what he’s doing, attentive staff and good prices.

There’s an excellent business centre behind the reception. High speed b/w printing, a high-speed photocopier, two or three PCs, high speed internet access, plenty of space to work – all without charge.

There is a superlative gym and spa in the basement, but it is run on a separate basis from the hotel, and basic entry is EUR 25. Their equipment is state-of-the-art, although if you don’t know how to manipulate the Technogym running machine, you may be stuck watching Belgian talk shows on the built-in plasma TV screen while you sweat the calories away. This is punishment I can take, I suppose, just not very often.

On the whole, an excellent hotel in every respect. I recommend it unreservedly for businessmen, couples on a city break, and families with well-behaved children. I was so happy to stay there, it made sitting through the tedious European Commission meeting I was attending quite bearable. For me, the only place to stay in Brussels is at The Conrad.