Review: the Renaissance Brussels Hotel in Brussels, Belgium

Brussels is a city full of history, culture and charm.

It is also a city that offers a variety of experiences for travelers, from exploring its iconic landmarks and museums, to indulging in its delicious cuisine and chocolate, to enjoying its vibrant nightlife and festivals.

But how can you make the most of your stay in Brussels, and where should you stay to enjoy the best of the city in style?

We stayed at a room at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel and loved it.

The Renaissance Brussels Hotel is a four-star hotel. It is part of the Marriott International Hotel Group and is located in the heart of the European Quarter, just a short walk from the European Parliament.

It is also in walking distance of some of the city’s most popular attractions, such as the Grand Place, the Royal Palace and the famous Manneken Pis.

Before heading to Brussels for a fun weekend away, we read about the hotel’s spacious and comfortable rooms, learned that it also had a heated indoor swimming pool (we love a good swim after a day of city strolling or in the morning before breakfast), a fitness center and a great restaurant called The Poet that had excellent reviews.

Let us share with you our experience while staying at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel, and how it made our trip to Brussels absolutely unforgettable!

Video

We made a video of our stay at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel.

You can watch it here:

Lobby and reception

Go through the revolving doors and step into the lobby.

On the right hand side is the reception area with 3 counters.

To your left The Poet restaurant (more about that later).

In the middle are comfortable chairs, sofas and a table with a long table with computer where you can check the internet. The first thing that impressed us about the Renaissance Brussels Hotel were the warm red colors and tasteful decoration. The thick rugs gave it a homey and cozy feeling.

It was around 6pm when we checked in, check in starts as of 3pm, or earlier – if your room is not ready yet, you can just leave your luggage and head into to city to explore Brussels.

We received our room key cards in no time, additional information about the hotel, our booked dinner at the Poet that evening, breakfast time, the swimming pool and fitness center opening hours. Receptionist Francesco was super friendly and very professional.

Good start of our stay here at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel!

We activated the elevator with our room key and went up to the fourth floor to go check out our room.

Our room

Our room was 441, a junior suite.

What immediately struck us was how very spacious, elegant and cozy this room was.

Here again the carpet gave it all a very warm and cozy feeling.

The yellow hue of the lights and lamps also added to the homey feeling.

Coffee and tea corner, a long desk and a comfortable desk chair on your left, and a large drawer with lots of space to store your belongings in.

The large flatscreen TV had lots of channels, national and international.

The soft sofa was very comfortable, the perfect place for us to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and read the paper or check our emails.

Behind it was a large window that offered a nice view on the inside courtyard where a small park with green trees and bushes was located.

Our room was very quiet, we had no trouble sleeping at night whatsoever.

Bedroom

What to say about the bed!

It was super comfortable, mattress was perfect: between soft and firm, we slept like babies that night.

We also loved the good quality fluffy pillows and the light duvet.

Bedside tables on either side of the bed, with reading lamps as well as an electric socket on both sides to charge your phone at night.

The air conditioning worked very well: when we first stepped into our room, it was quite warm, however we turned the air con lower and within minutes it felt much cooler already.

Just perfect!

Dressing and bathroom

To get to the bathroom, you first need to walk through the dressing room.

It has a cupboard with plenty of clothes hangers, an iron, ironing board and laundry bags. Here you can also find 2 pairs of disposable slippers, 2 large towels for the swimming pool and bathrobes.

Next to the cupboard is a bench where you can place and unpack your luggage, with plenty of storage underneath as well.

Walk further through the dressing, which leads to the bathroom.

It is very bright, well lit and spotless.

Hidden from sight behind the bathroom door is a toilet, on the right you find a bath and shower combination with fragrant TokyoMilk bath products and hand shower. The vanity has one sink with amenities: hand soap, shower cap, body lotion, Kleenex, hand towels, 2 types of bath towels and a hairdryer on the shelf underneath.

Again, excellent bathroom – just great!

Amenities

The room also had a flat-screen TV, a small fridge, a coffee maker, kettle a desk and a large safe.

Also provided are teabags, instant coffee, sugar, creamer, biscuits and even coffee cups to take you coffee to go. We used the Nespresso machine in the morning: the 4 Dallmayr coffee capsules were delicious!

The complimentary bottles of Chaudfontaine water were also a nice touch.

We appreciated the free Wi-Fi, which was super fast and reliable.

The swimming pool

One of the highlights of our stay at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel was the swimming pool.

It is located on level -1 of the hotel, and it is open daily from 7am until 10pm on weekdays. We were there during the weekend, opening hours were from 8am until 8pm.

We enjoyed a good swim here in the morning, right before catching some breakfast, and we loved it! The pool was heated and had a depth of 1.4 meters. Perfect way to start a relaxing day.

We put on our soft bathrobes, slippers and took the provided bath towels with us. We got there about 8:30am and it was very quiet, almost no one there so we did a few lapses and enjoyed it a lot.

What a way to start our day!

There are a couple of loungers to relax on or read while you are there. The hotel also provides lockers, cold drinks (at an extra charge), changing rooms and showers. If you need help, the friendly lady behind the counter will certainly help you out.

The pool area also has a sauna room.

The fitness center

Another great feature about the Renaissance Brussels Hotel is their fitness center.

It is located right next to the pool area, open daily and has the same opening hours as the swimming pool.

This fitness center here had a variety of equipment, such as treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, rowers, weights, kettle bells and machines.

The fitness center is spacious, clean and well-maintained.

The breakfast

If you are looking for a hotel that offers a delicious and satisfying breakfast, look no further than the Renaissance Brussels Hotel.

The breakfast at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel is served in the stylish and spacious Parnasse Bistro, the same restaurant that turns into the Poet restaurant in the evening.

You can choose from a variety of dishes such as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, beans in tomato sauce, hash browns, pancakes, waffles, croissants, pastries, jams, fruit, yogurt, cereals, raw vegetables, cold cuts, cheeses, smoked salmon and much more.

You can also ask a staff member for eggs any style and the kitchen will make them for you in no time.

All there products and ingredients were perfectly fresh and delicious, and so much to choose from!

The self service coffee was strong and hot, perfect.

The breakfast staff was again very attentive and helpful.

After our breakfast at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel we were absolutely ready to face the day with a smile and a full stomach!

The Poet Restaurant

We were really looking forward to our dinner at the Poet Restaurant here in the Renaissance Brussels Hotel as we had heard lots of good comments about it.

And we were absolutely delighted.

Check the Renaissance Brussels Hotel’s website here for more info and menus.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Renaissance Brussels Hotel on the left side of the lobby, where breakfast and lunch is also served. The restaurant had a cozy and elegant atmosphere, with wooden floors, leather chairs and colorful paintings on the walls.

We had a reservation for dinner at 7:30pm, as we had heard that the food here is excellent. Glad we did make a reservation, because on that Saturday evening all the tables were practically full.

Besides, after a day of walking around in lovely Brussels, it can be quite enjoyable to come back to your room for a good shower, and give your tired legs some rest by staying at the hotel for dinner.

The wine menu offers a nice choice of wines by the glass and per bottle as well as draft beer for a very reasonable price.

The bar staff is excellent at making great cocktails, we also heard. There are even cocktail workshops you can take part in.

So we started with a cocktail of course!

As we don’t know a lot about cocktails, we let the restaurant staff guide us through the menu and make a few suggestions.

We went for the Maya Angelou’s Star Sour with gin, prosecco syrup, suze, grapefruit juice and egg white – and the Vallejo’s Pisco Sour with pisco, lemon juice and egg white.

And yes, we really loved both cocktails: the perfect drink to open up our appetite even more.

Yum!

After ordering our food, we received delicious crunchy bread and salted butter.

Sip, munch, sit back and relax.

We heard that The Poet Restaurant serves dishes that are inspired by Belgian as well as international cuisine, using fresh and local ingredients.

The menu changes according to the season and availability, and it offered a variety of options for different tastes and dietary preferences.

So what did we order?

For starters we went for the low temperature egg on grilled bread with mushrooms, hazelnuts and colonnade lard – and the oxtail croquettes served with a deeply flavored tomato relish.

Perfect way to start dinner!

Both dishes were very tasty, perfectly executed, and copious.

Gorgeous.

The menu has about 8 to 10 main dishes to choose from.

From ribeye, pasta and lamb shank to fish and chips.

Eventually we both settled for the cod fish that just sounded devine.

And it truly was.

A generous piece of cod fish with miso, and citrus sitting on top of a lovely mixture of shiitake mushrooms, diced daikon and bok choy in the most flavorful dashi broth.

Absolutely stunning, lip smacking good.

The fish was the freshest ever, and again what a generous portion!

Our waiter brought us spoons so we would be able to finish that lovely broth.

Perfection again.

Is there still room for dessert?

Always!

We went for the Mandarine Vacherin and the tarte tatin.

Again, perfectly executed, lovely textures and flavors. The mandarine sorbet was to die for, and so was the bourbon vanilla ice cream on top of the warm apple tart drizzled with caramel sauce.

What a spectacular dinner!

We had high expectations and the Poet delivered.

Highly recommended.

The service at the Poet Restaurant was also impeccable, and the staff were attentive and courteous, very professional but always with a smile and a quick joke.

They took our order promptly, and brought our food at a steady and perfect pace. Every single waiter would also check on us regularly to make sure that we were satisfied with our meal.

As the evening went on and night began to fall, the restaurant was such a cozy place to sit.

Almost all tables were occupied, and guests would also walk in and sit at the lovely bar to enjoy a drink. The impeccable acoustics also made the atmosphere lovely, vibrant and enjoyable.

We finished our drinks and went to bed with a totally satisfied feeling in our tummies and a wide smile on our faces.

The location

The Renaissance Brussels Hotel is situated in the heart of the European Quarter, just a short walk from the European Parliament and other institutions.

It was also close to some of the city’s most popular attractions, such as the Grand Place, the Royal Palace and Manneken Pis. It is also easy to get around the city from the hotel, as there were several bus and metro stops nearby, with a direct connection to Brussels Central Station.

The Renaissance Brussels Hotel is a perfect choice for business travelers, tourists and anyone who wants to enjoy the best of Brussels.

The staff

The thing that made our stay at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel memorable was the staff.

They were friendly, professional and helpful, and they made me feel welcome and comfortable. They greeted us warmly when we arrived, and checked us in quickly and smoothly.

The staff at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel were not only employees, but also hosts.

They made us feel at home, and made our trip to Brussels extra enjoyable.

Parking

The Renaissance Brussels Hotel offers on-site parking if you come by car.

Hourly, daily, weekly and long term parking is possible.

Check their website for the right prices.

Would we recommend the Renaissance Brussels Hotel?

Yes, absolutely!

Our stay at the Renaissance Brussels Hotel was just perfect.

The hotel offered everything that we needed and wanted for a comfortable and pleasant stay: a spacious and cozy room, a heated indoor swimming pool, a great restaurant that served exquisite dishes in the evening and a fabulous breakfast to start the day with.

The Renaissance Brussels Hotel’s location is excellent, as it was close to some of the city’s most popular attractions, and easy to get around. We can’t repeat enough how we loved the friendly, professional and super helpful staff, who they made us feel welcome and comfortable.

If you are looking for a place to stay in Brussels that offers quality, comfort, style and coziness, we highly recommend the Renaissance Brussels Hotel!

It is not just a hotel, it is an exquisite Brussels experience.

Address

Renaissance Brussels Hotel
Rue du Parnasse 19
1050 Bruxelles
Belgium