Holiday Inn Brussels Schuman by IHG

Hotel in god location

Location amazing

Decent Hotel for the price. It is in a nice location near the metro station (3-minute walk) and the European Union (3-minute walk). They have only 6 parking spots, so don't be fooled by the statement "parking available". I got there around 4 pm, and all parking spots were taken. I had to park on the street. The street parking app would not let me sign up with USA phone number. Only European phone numbers can be used. But the receptionist helped me to purchase a pass from the street parking machine (which was in the native language and I was not able to navigate). As I am an IHG member, I requested late checkout. They said they entered, but the next day, when I went to my room, the keys did not work. The new receptionist said that it was not entered in the system.

I returned to this hotel after nine years since my last stay. The check-in process was very smooth - quick, friendly, and hassle-free. At first, this gave me hope for a pleasant stay. Unfortunately, I soon realized that nothing had really changed in the hotel over the years. No renovations or even minor refurbishments had been carried out, and the place clearly needs both investment in infrastructure and better management.

I stayed for two nights. The first problem appeared right after booking - exactly the same issue I had nine years ago. As a Platinum member of IHG, I once again had to ask for any benefits at all. At first, I was denied an upgrade, and only after exchanging a few messages was I assigned what was said to be a slightly better room, number 205. It was on the second floor, with a bathtub and a balcony overlooking the courtyard. However, this was not what I had asked for - I wanted a higher floor and a city view.

The room itself left a lot to be desired. The walls and floors were visibly worn, some furnishings were heavily used and not entirely clean. The bathroom door didn’t have a lock, which simply shouldn’t happen in a hotel of this class. Even worse, the reservation was for two people, but the room was prepared as if for one. We found only one set of towels, one small carton of water, and the tissue dispenser was empty and left open, as if someone had forgotten to refill it. The bathroom also lacked hair conditioner. The toiletries were Dove products, which is clearly below the standard usually seen in Holiday Inn, where branded hotel amenities are the norm.

There were also issues with benefits. As a Platinum guest, I should have received a voucher for free drinks for two people. Instead, I was given just one. I was told I would get additional vouchers in the morning for opting out of housekeeping, but they never arrived. At reception, I was told I could simply go to the bar and collect them there.

So we went to the bar on Sunday around 6:10 p.m. - only to face another surprise. At this hotel, the drink voucher policy is different from most IHG properties. Normally, one voucher covers drinks for two guests staying in the same room. Here, however, one voucher was valid only for a single person. As a result, we ended up with vouchers for two drinks instead of four.

We ordered a non-alcoholic virgin mojito and a pizza. And this is where the real ordeal began. We waited an hour and a half for the drinks, and the pizza… never arrived at all. After two hours, we gave up and went to Carrefour nearby to buy some snacks.

The bar was run by just one person, who at the same time was also handling reception and the kitchen. I understand the difficult situation, but the absolute minimum is to maintain order and serve people in the order they arrived. Unfortunately, we were practically ignored. Guests who came after us received their orders within 20-30 minutes, while we kept being pushed to the very end. To make matters worse, at one point the staff member disappeared outside, and guests couldn’t find him anywhere. For us, it all ended in major disappointment - chaos, disorganization, and a total lack of standards.

The hotel’s location is one of the few positives. It’s quiet and peaceful, yet very well situated. Nearby are the buildings of the European Parliament and the European Commission, as well as parks, shops, restaurants, and a metro station. In this respect, there’s nothing to complain about.

Check-out was lightning fast - it took just a minute. The invoice arrived straight to my email, and the staff were polite and professional. A positive way to end the stay, although it unfortunately does not make up for the earlier issues. We also weren’t asked about our impressions of the stay.

We had a great stay. Close to Metro station and restaurants. Hotel was nice, clean and comfortable bed. Food was good, enjoyed their coffee at breakfast time. Also delicious waffles. Hotel staff were very friendly, happy to help and make you feel welcome.

The hotel had poor customer service experience from front desk staff. When I asked about the AC which was not working properly, the answer was no other customer complaint and I had to wait till morning for tech service to come. It was summer and when I asked for switching room as I am Platinum member, the staff answer no room available. However, in the morning, when I talked to other staff experessing my dissappointment and my desire to leave the hotel, the new staff offered me to switch room right away. What happened here? I left even though I still have another night booked there because I couldn’t stand the attitude. After that I emaild the General Manager to complaint and after almost a week, still no apologies coming from them.

I was greeted by the very polite receptionist, offered belgian chocolates and shown the breakfast room, which was next to the lobby. My room was on the fourth floor facing the street.

Positive aspects:
It is situated in a quiet street. Narrow but without noise and safe. There are a couple of deli shops around the corner, open until 18:00. Within walking distance there is a carrefour express for water and basic items, open 06:00 – 21:00.
The train from the airport also stops at Schuman metro station, so you can go to the hotel without having to change trains. Unfortunately I couldn't use it to go back to the airport as I couldn't find the right platform, since there are multiple entrances to the station.
My first impression was that it was a clean hotel, but since I opted out of daily housekeeping (to earn extra points as an IHG member) I don't know much about it. Nevertheless the cleaning lady was very kind in providing me with everything I asked : extra coffee and sugar, garbage disposal bags even extra water.
In the fridge there were two complimentary bottles of water marked with tags, informing the guest that they were a treat. A place for the suitcases was provided, the thick curtains could hide the early morning sun, and there were some hangers in the tiny closet.
There was a kettle, ironing facilities, even a shoe polishing machine.
Most important, there were enough electric sockets.
During my stay the hotel was quiet and I didn't experience any problems from other guests.

Negative aspects:
The building is old and this is obvious from the photos and from the outside. Unfortunately the inside is not much better with the tired wooden decoration and the old curtains.

Bedroom: I booked a double bed but I had two single quilts instead of a big one, which – by the way- were shorter than the bed! When I asked for a suitable quilt based on my bed size I was told that there weren't any available at the moment since the hotel was full; something that was not true. That hotel simply doesn't have double bed covers. As a result, since they were slipping, I woke up every couple of hours, and if I cannot have a good night's sleep what else would I do in a hotel?
The mattress felt soft. I realised there was another upper mattress on it and I had to uncover it to remove it. Both of them were dirty. The mattress had yellow spots and the upper mattress had big blood stains, which was disgusting.
The hangers were stuck in the closet, so I couldn't take them out and hang my clothes somewhere else, no air, no space.
The room was very dark. I couldn't stay there more than I had to, and I couldn't use my tablet or take notes about my daily activities. In order to do so I went to the lobby.

The bathroom was a disaster. It was designed for very tall people, and if you were not at least 1.70 you would have constant difficulty in there. The shampoo and shower gel were placed very high, you had to stand and they were still very high, above eye level.
The wash bassin was also placed high. The tap was back in the corner and you had to lean to be able to wash your face or your teeth.
The air conditioner was adequate, considering the fact that the weather was relatively cool, but some squealing sound came from it; low but annoying.

Breakfast: it was served next to the reception in a very small space. The place was never crowded because the variety was limited and very basic. Once I went there 45 minutes before closing time, ham and croissants had disappeared and were never replenished. I never saw fried eggs but there were scrambled eggs _ not bad_ ham, cheese, baked potatoes, some fruits, waffle making facilities, many types of granola, crunchy bread rolls and one or two different sweets everyday. The croissants were rare. The bacon was cut in very small pieces 1*1 cm square, it could only be served using a spoon, and burnt. Some people may think “what else would you desire for breakfast anyway?” My answer is that since I have seen many hotel breakfast buffets that particular one seemed poor and lacked a lot, especially 45 minutes before closing time.

When booking the room I knew that the price meant “no show-you are charged” and gave my credit card to secure the payment. Instead, they charged me the whole amount immediately, which I think is unethical, since they didn't give me the chance to pay cash _ as I have done in another of their hotels.
In short I don't think that I would stay there again unless I had to visit Brussels _ if I was offered a very low price (less than 90 euros with breakfast during weekdays).

It was a great location for the Brussels 20k race. It is very centric

Very friendly and helpful.

I would not stay at this Holiday Inn in Brussels again. Besides the room being uncomfortably hot (despite adjusting the thermostat to its lowest setting) the bathroom was filled with broken tile, missing grout, moldy grout and the shower was so clogged, I was only able to take a 4 minute shower before shower pan almost overflowed onto the bathroom floor. When I complained to the front desk clerk, a young Middle Eastern or Indian make, he seemed indifferent to my complaint. He also could not direct me to any local restaurants and told me to use Google maps. When I checked out and asked for a taxi to to take me to the central train station, this same msn questioned why I didn't walk 25 minutes to the train station despite me having my huge suitcase and it was raining outside. I found this man arrogant, unhelpful, rude and a sexist mansplainer.

We had a lovely stay. Everything was clean and orderly. We had a King room with a bath tub and walk out deck. Loved the deck even though it was uncomfortable smelling all the smoke from other outdoor sitters. The tub was lovely, however, it made the shower quite uncomfortable, sadly. Don't recommend paying extra for the tub unless you don't plan on using the shower.

Basic but clean. Close to underground, diplomatic quarter and social life. I only stayed one nights but it was comfortable and value for money.

Conveniently located in the European quarter, there are plenty of restaurants nearby.

Good location.

Excellent stay,very clean ,high skill customer services from Mrs Hilda Ablog ,well done I am already started to book future holiday in same hotel..

Place was great no complaint

really good hotel - great location with a 5 minute walk to the station and a half hour walk into the centre. hotel is clean and secure with a good common area. staff were great. great place to stay.

I will recommend this hotel for your stay and we will stay here again if we are ever back in Brussels. The hotel is less than a 10 min walk to a train station/subway and is right near the European Parliament /building. So it’s a bit of a business area and it was very quiet during the weekend. There are a couple of coffee shops/cafes right next to the hotel that always had people in. There is a Carrefour express within a 5-minute walk, we bought some salads there for dinner and some Belgian souvenirs like chocolates and beer. So, don’t buy any chocolates around Grand Markt or other touristy places. Overpriced. Buy all that at a grocery store/supermarket. You can actually walk to the city center in about 35 minutes instead of taking public transport, if that’s what you prefer.
Anyway, we were upgraded to a larger room due to IHG Diamond status and were offered complimentary breakfast due the status as well. That’s always a great perk especially when traveling with kids. We were offered complimentary water on the day of arrival. The room was spacious, with a mini fridge. The bathroom was a good size. We enjoyed the facility.
The breakfast however (and we appreciate it was complimentary) had some spoilt/rotten items. We pointed that out to a breakfast attendant but I don’t think she understood us. The items were never removed 🤷🏼‍♀️If someone from the hotel F&B team is reading our review, kindly check on the freshness of the ingredients. Great waffles and you make
Your own. Our kids loved that. Waffles tasted delicious. Other than rotten items, nice hotel for your stay in Brussels. We traveled with kids 11 and 13 years old and enjoyed our stay .

The bed room felt like a cage. Checking in i was surprised it did not look like a hotel.

A great Hotel in the European District of Brussels. Usually quite popular during the weekdays when meetings are taking place. So well advised to book early. Weekends can offer much better rates for the hotel, when it tends to be quieter.

Good rooms, Good Breakfast and well connected to the Brussels transport system. Metro at Schuman is only a short walk, after you work out that you need exit 6 to find the hotel. Good bus connections but current roadworks mean service diversions, so be aware. Also a heavy rail station with services from Brussels airport.

All in all a good choice of hotel in a quiet street not far from the various European buildings.