ibis Brussels Centre Gare Midi

I was travelling with a group unfortunately the airline changed our flight time so we arrived at hotel earlier than expected the reception staff were most unhelpful insisting that we would be unable to check in until our original time of 4pm despite us arriving at 12 midday. I explained that our flights had been changed and that we had been travelling since early morning (3am) and we were all tired and asked if there was any chance of getting rooms as they became available as their checkout time was 11am and so surely some rooms would be ready ahead of 4pm the gentleman on reception simply said "your check in time is 4pm you will have to wait" After speaking to duty manager we were given rooms as they became available and the whole group was then checked in by 2.30pm. I can appreciate that we arrived early and we were expecting to wait a little but to be told No! 4pm we will not check you in any earlier was, in my opinion unnecessary and was quite distressing to some of our group. The hotel itself is clean and comfortable. Well situated opposite the gare du midi station with access to trains, metro, trams and taxis to get you to wherever you wanted to go in and around Brussels at very reasonable prices. The rooms are spacious and comfortable but lack mini fridge and kettle/tea or coffee facilities. The breakfast was comprehensive with hot and cold buffet that was well presented and tasty, they even opened early on our day if departure as we were leaving before the official opening time. The bar/snack bar was comfortable but did not open until 4pm. All in all a basic, clean, comfortable place to stay conveniently located to explore Brussels. But maybe their reception staff need to work on their customer service skills.

I have stayed at quite a lot of Accor/Ibis hotels across europe in the past year and a half and i have to say this was probably one of my lowest rated stays of them all.. From Checking in to trying to get a nights sleep was extremely underwhelming To start, when i arrived to check in at around 7pm, i wasnt greeted by staff. Instead the member of staff at the desk was scrolling on tiktok and it took her a good 1 or 2 minutes to even realise that i was standing there. Once i eventually checked in the bed and room were fine, however there was a clear lack of detail in the room.. For example stains on the carpet, chipped walls and dust/dirt in the fire detector/vents.. Needs a deep clean. As for the location it is conveniently located next to a large Train/Tram/Bus depot however, after dark the area can get very shady. The hotel does have a security guard indoors to stop unwanted guests getting in, however if you step outside of the hotel there is no sense of safety. My room was located facing the back parking lot which i was delighted with at first, meaning i wouldnt hear the foot traffic and general business of the station however i was wrong, there are drunk people walking around the parking lot at all hours of the night, disturbing my sleep multiple times. On a positive note, the lobby and dining area's are very well decorated and warm, food and drinks are fairly priced and very tasty! Overall, i would avoid this hotel if you have the budget for something else more in the center of brussels.