Review: Martin’s Chateau du Lac hotel in Genval, Belgium

We are planning a little midweek getaway.

Not far from home this time, just one night.

So we decide to try out another Martin’s hotel, and we go for Martin’s Chateau du Lac.

We have been to 3 of their hotels so far.

Let’s see what’s in store at their 5 star castle like hotel near the Genval lake!

Martin’s Chateau du Lac

The facade of the Martin’s Chateau du Lac hotel really stands out.

This is not a new hotel, on the contrary.

It has quite a history to fall back on.

Martin’s Chateau du Lac was built over a hundred years ago and served as a mineral water bottling factory.

The Schweppes company rented it in between the 2 world wars to produce water and lemonade.

In the mid 80’s the Martin’s family decided to turn it into a luxury hotel.

Over the years a couple of celebrities have stayed here, from the Emperor of Japan to Al Gore.

Video

We made a video about Martin’s Chateau du Lac.

You can watch it here:

Parking

There are free parking spots outside the hotel right in front of the hotel entrance for hotel guests.

No reservation needed.

Reception

Walk up the steps to the entrance.

The reception area is right there, it is large and modern.

The staff is as always very friendly, polite and extremely helpful.

We get our room key in no time.

What also stands out is the cozy outside sitting area on the patio.

As we walk to our room, we can’t help but notice the old fashioned and worn out long corridors decorated with red velvet.

It reminds us of an old ski hotel in the mountains.

Surprise though when we open our room door.

Room

The room decoration is in stark contrast to the hallways.

Modern, well renovated, comfortable and cozy rooms.

Fair to say that we feel right at home here!

Bedroom

The bed is large and looks very comfortable.

In all the previous Martin’s hotels we stayed at, we loved the quality of their beds, duvets and pillows.

Excellent, a pleasure to sleep in.

Also in the room is a large table covered with a table cloth.

This used to be the desk in the corner, transformed into a dining table due to the pandemic to make it more comfortable to enjoy a meal in your room.

In the room is also a large wardrobe to store you clothes and luggage.

Bathroom

The bathroom is bright, white and full of light.

On the left a walk in shower, in the middle a sink with mirror and on the right a toilet.

It is not a large space, but it is well designed and thought out. You don’t have the feeling that you step into a cramped room.

The bath products and toiletries are fragrant and of good quality again.

Other services

There is a fridge and safe in the room.

Highly appreciated is the Nespresso machine and 4 Nespresso coffee capsules.

Only coffee, no tea or kettle.

Also in the room: bathrobes, slippers and 2 bottles of complimentary water.

Bar and lounge

On the left hand side of the reception area is the large and cozy lounge and bar area of the hotel’s Kingfisher bar.

The warm colors are very inviting, pity the bar is closed due to the pandemic!

We would definitely enjoy a drink here before or after dinner.

The bar menu has an extensive selection of drinks available from soft drinks, beers and wines to cocktails and spirits.

Restaurant

At the moment of our visit, the Martin’s Chateau du Lac restaurant “Genval Les Bains” was not open due to the corona pandemic.

There are however a couple of good restaurants in walking distance surrounding the lake. We had dinner at the excellent La Brasserie du Lac.

Breakfast

Breakfast was another takeout due to the pandemic.

And again we were not blown away by the quality of choice.

The soft boiled egg and bacon were good though, and so was the coffee.

The other breakfast items such as fruits, yogurt, cold cuts and so on were quite underwhelming.

We were glad to have a large table and comfortable chairs in the room to sit on for breakfast.

Location

Martin’s Chateau du Lac is a short drive away from Brussels, about 25 minutes.

The border between Flanders and Wallonia runs right in the middle of the lake.

You can walk around the lake and enjoy the views. It took us about an hour at a moderate pace.

Would we come back to Martin’s Chateau du Lac?

Yes, we would.

We loved our room and really enjoyed our stay.

We would also like to give the hotel’s restaurant a try, next time we are there.

Would we recommend Martin’s Chateau du Lac?

Yes, we do.

The rooms are very comfortable and we love the quiet lake area.

Pros

• comfortable room
• free parking
• location
• restaurants nearby

Cons

• uninspiring breakfast

Address

Martin’s Chateau du Lac
Avenue du Lac 87
1332 Genval

You can book here: Martin’s Chateau du Lac

We paid for our stay at Martin’s Chateau du Lac and didn’t get or ask anything in return for the review.

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