Are you heading to the chocolate capital of the world? In addition to all the chocolate you can buy and eat, Brussels is a hidden gem in Europe. Often overlooked due to other major cities such as London, Paris, Amsterdam, etc. I think Brussels deserves so much more recognition and a visit even if it is only for a couple of days. Brussels was a short 2 hours drive away from Amsterdam! I love how accessible Europe is! You can get to the city via train or bus too. Now that you have made plans to visit Brussels, I am guessing you need a place to stay, am I right or am I right? I got you! I found this amazing Airbnb apartment in the city. Keep on reading to find out where to stay in Brussels city centre.
ABOUT
The apartment is located on Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier. It was hosted by a gentleman named Soufiane. Click here for the apartment listing on Airbnb.
First impressions, busy road in the city centre, the building on the outside looks aged but stunning architecture, however, that changes when you step foot in the apartment. If you are driving, parking is tough. We had to pay a lot of money to park in a nearby garage overnight.
As you enter the narrow door, don’t wait for that elevator, you will have to lug your suitcase up the stairs. Gotta love traveling! Times like these will make you wish you had packed light! But the good thing is that you can count this as your workout for the day. Soufiane and his brothers were kind enough to help me carry my luggage. It’s the little gestures like these that show the beauty in people no matter where I go.
As stated, the apartment is in a very convenient location. You definitely don’t need a car to get around the city. I had mine since I was on a road trip through Europe. You can access the main tourist attractions either via public transportation or the train or even walk from the apartment. My car remained parked in the garage during the entire stay and I got around using public transportation and Uber. I could have walked too but it was too hot.
Once you get to the city centre, you are going to want to buy a lot of chocolate and eat a lot of good food, oh and sight-see too. I have put together a walking tour of Brussels guide which includes a map. This should help you to see the main attractions in the city. Click here to read it.
THE APARTMENT
Once you open the doors to the apartment, you will be pleasantly surprised how spacious and modern the apartment is. Remember how I had mentioned the building on the outside was dated? Well, the interiors are completely different. For all the times I have stayed in Europe, this has got to be the most spacious apartment I have been to. The decor was exactly like the pictures, the rooms are larger than what they looked online tho.
The living room is decorated with colorful yet tasteful furniture which will surely brighten your mood. The first thing I did after dropping my luggage was run to the gigantic windows to check out the views. Just as I imagined, you overlook beautiful architecture and busy roads of Europe.
The kitchen and dining room are part of the big living room space and to the side of the kitchen is the bathroom. All the appliances in the kitchen were stainless steel and cabinets were stocked with dishes, and any other extras you would need to enjoy a home cooked meal. The apartment had 2 spacious bedrooms, beds were comfortable and clean. The sleeper sofa was large enough to fit 2 people.
Now my goal is always to give an honest, unbiased review. As much as I loved the apartment, there were couple of things I do want to bring to your attention. My trip was during the hottest days in Europe. Unfortunately, most of the households there are not equipped with air conditioning as they are not always needed. Well, just my luck, I was there and it was hot which means no AC, which means it was really hard to fall asleep. I used the fans provided, however, it was not enough. We had to leave those gigantic windows open, sounds great, right? Nope! I don’t know if it was just the people on that road or if it is the entire city during summers, they don’t sleep! The traffic kept on going till late, I mean 3:00 AM late! The restaurants and cafes downstairs were still busy with people, people who talked and laughed loud. They did not go to sleep either. I think the noise did not go down till after 3:00 AM and I had planned to wake up at 6:00 AM and be at the main square before sunrise to get some good pictures before the crowds got there.
On the flip side, in addition to spacious rooms, convenient location and friendly host, the apartment also came with an iron and full length mirror. If you have been reading my Airbnb reviews, you’d know how important those 2 things are to me. Talking about convenience, as soon as you step downstairs, there are several restaurants and cafes inviting you in. In addition to those, you can also find other essentials such as pharmacy, grocery store, a bakery, and the metro station within a 2-3 mins walk. I loved the convenience.
FINAL THOUGHTS– WHERE TO STAY IN BRUSSELS CITY CENTRE
Soo.. what do you think? Pass or fail? In my honest opinion, I’d say PASS! It is a stunning & large apartment and in a convenient location. If I were to go back to Brussels, I will definitely stay at the apartment again. Even though I was there for a short visit, I got familiar with the area and public transportation system which makes an obvious choice to revisit.
Being welcomed by a friendly host is always a plus in my opinion. I tend to pick their brains about the area and other thing recommendations.
Do you prefer staying in a central or remote location? Let me know your thoughts below. I hope you enjoyed reading where to stay in Brussels city centre.
SAVE ME- WHERE TO STAY IN BRUSSELS CITY CENTRE
