Le Chatelain Boutique Hotel

My family and I spent one night over a weekend at Le Chatelain Hotel in Brussels on a short trip to Belgium 🇧🇪. The hotel location is great, close to Avenue Louise, Brussels' main commercial street and Rue du Bailly, full of bars and restaurants. The check-in process was smooth, smiling and efficient. Overlooking the back of the hotel my room (number 112) should have been quiet absent a loud-speaking and door-smashing group of people that I had to report to the front desk. It was nevertheless very spacious with a sofa area. It was also well-equipped. I enjoyed the Nespresso coffee machine and the comfortable bed. The decoration was classic and elegant with a thick carpet and marble-covered bathroom walls. However, I also could not help finding it a bit outdated with a eighties/nineties look. The phone handset and the bathtub-only bathroom were good illustrations of this. A serious modernisation/refresher of the decoration should be considered. Served in a relatively small room on the lobby the breakfast was good but here again things could be improved. I liked the selection of breads and pastries, but the absence of fresh fruit juice and the presentation of the fruit selection were a downside. Overall, Le Chatelain Hotel is a good address for a stay in Brussels, but it certainly not longer is the luxury landmark that it may have been one day.

The cleanes of the room was very good, but I do have som objections to the hotel as a hole: The wifi requires a code despite the hotel stating that you just log in. You must pay close attention to making sure that the room door closes properly it isn't given. The light on the fire escape only came on every 2nd/3rd floor, so you had to feel your way down, I'm glad I didn't have to do that during a fire. Similarly, the fire door to the street was difficult to open.

This is apparently a five star hotel, if the year was still 1990. Upon arrival, the welcome was cold at best. The bathroom for guests to use before they check in is on the lower level, in a room that is permanently dark with the lights off. The bathroom itself has not been updated in decades. None of the property has been updated in decades, seemingly. My room faced another building with about the length of an arm between. Everything is dated-- the decor, the phone, everything. In the morning, as I was rushing to an appointment, the old-fashioned hair dryer attached to the wall was not working. I tried to call down to reception but none of the ancient telephones in the room were working either, so I called on my cell and had to try three times before someone at reception answered. I asked for a regular hair dryer (the kind that is not attached to the wall) which they do not have on hand. I was told someone would come to look at it in about 10 minutes otherwise I'd be let into a different room in order to dry my hair. Nobody came. When I went downstairs to leave for my appointment, no one asked if everything was okay. I told the gentleman at the desk that I had banged it around until it worked. I suggested it was about time to upgrade the hair dryers, considering this is a luxury property. He gave me a good deal of passive-aggressive attitude. I also went down in the morning for hot water, because the cheap plastic kettle in the room was broken. I asked for a lemon slice and was given it in in my hand, not even on a plate or a bowl which is slightly unsanitary and again not what you would expect from a luxury property. When I checked out, 3 gentlemen standing at reception watched me with my bags, did not offer to help me get them outside, did not ask if I needed a taxi or how I was leaving, nothing. Just stood there and watched. Positives, the bed was comfortable and the room was quiet. Location great.

Le Chatelain Hotel – Great Location, Lovely Staff, But Room for Improvement Le Chatelain is a charming hotel in a quiet neighbourhood, perfectly located for exploring Brussels. It’s close to tram connections and only about 16 minutes from the airport, making transfers easy. The surrounding area offers plenty of restaurants, and Avenue Louise – home to luxury boutiques – is just a one-minute walk away. We stayed in the Executive Suite (Room 515), which overlooked the street and nearby shops. While the view was pleasant, the suite felt smaller than expected compared to other European executive suites. The hotel’s restaurant is lovely, and the staff were friendly and helpful throughout our stay. However, there are a few areas that need attention: Electrical sockets beside the bed didn’t work. When reported, the concierge arrived with an extension cord immediately, suggesting this is a known issue.
 Ventilation in the bathroom was poor, leaving an unpleasant smell. On arrival, the room had a faint “old house” odour – not terrible, but not ideal.
 Housekeeping sometimes entered without knocking, so double-locking the door is advisable. Towels were occasionally insufficient for two guests, and slippers and bathrobes were only provided upon request.
 Despite these minor inconveniences, the neighbourhood is peaceful, and the staff’s helpfulness made our stay enjoyable overall. With a few improvements, Le Chatelain could truly deliver the premium experience it promises.

Very comfortable hotel, right in the centre of Brussels, but nicely quiet at night. The one thing to watch out for is their charging policy: we were asked to pay for our 3 nights fully in advance (which other Brussels hotels I have stayed in don't do), but then on top, I had to give them my credit card for a €250 "refundable deposit". When I challenged the front desk staff about this, saying that we had already fully paid for our room, I just got the answer "that is our policy". Given we arrived around 11.00pm and were tired, I very grudgingly complied, but that really is very sharp business practice which needs to be called out publicly and condemned.