4 August 2016

A CITY STAY IN BRUSSELS WITH ACCOR ADAGIO APARTHOTEL


Art, Mirrors, Relfective, Lights, Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels
Where has the time gone! It's been quite a few months since I hopped over for a city stay in Brussels with Accor Adagio Aparthotels but I'm finally catching up with myself and I couldn't wait to share our little adventure with you. Way back in March I was invited to explore the city with F and as a treat I thought it would be fun to bring my Mum too.

We started our adventure at the swoonworthy St Pancras International where we stopped off for a quick coffee before hopping onto our Standard Premier seats on the Eurostar – I would always recommend upgrading to these where possible as the seats are roomy and comfy, plus the little breakfast meal is so super cute – and settled in for our short hop across to Brussels. Can you believe it's only 2 hours direct from London, perfect for a weekend away!
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, St Pancras, Travelling with Kids
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, Eurostar, Premium Economy, Travel, Europe, City Break  Brussels
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, metro, tram, traveling in europe, city break

After F enjoyed a short train nap *bliss* and I watched the world whizz by, coffee in hand, it reminded me how much I love to travel and soak up new experiences, especially being able to share them with my little family. We arrived at the Brussels International at Gare du Midi and had directions to get over to the hotel but initially got a little confused by the tram vs Metro system going on as the signage at the station isn’t the best – Tip: Head to signs for Tram and buy a ticket to De Brouckere on the green or pink line going north, where it is less than a minutes walk to the hotel.

Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, foyer, hotel style, interiors, city break brussels
We were greeted in the foyer and given a keycard to access the lift and shown to our apartment, the interesting thing about this city stay is it perfectly combines a self catering apartment in the heart of Brussels with the ease of hotel facilities, such a breakfast rooms, gym, meeting spaces and 24/7 concierge/reception desk to help your stay go smoothly.
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, hotel, european city break, apartment, bedroomBrussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city stay in Brussels, apartment
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city stay in brussels, The apartment itself was just the right size for a weekend getaway, with a clean modern bathroom with power shower and complimentary products, a compact open kitchen looking onto a lounge space, with writing desk, open plan shelving and tv. The bedroom was on the smaller side but very comfortable and the apartment was clean throughout with air conditioning *yay* oh and the coolest reflective mirrors outside the windows! My only two suggestions would be fitting child locks on the window so they can't open so wide and that the sofa needed updating as it was a little tired, otherwise it’s good value with rooms roughly around £100 a night for families or couples looking for an affordable stay and definitely a great location for exploring. After we got settled and changed we headed downstairs where a friendly receptionist happily marked all the must do activities on a map and gave us a few suggestions for good coffee and a bite to eat.
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Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city break in brussels, travel to europe, architecture
We headed out for an evening stroll to take in the beautiful Grand Place Square situated a minuteswalk away and watched as F ran and excitedly jumped amongst the crowds. The architecture is certainly breathtaking and the setting sun casts a golden glow over the opulent setting.

Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city break in brussels, grand place, Brussels sqaure
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city break in brussels, cafe culture, where to eat in brusselsOur thoughts and tummies quickly turned to food and so we wandered along Place St Grey looking at the many beautiful cafe corners and funky diners filled with the bustle of couples and cute families hanging out – I think there's a whole post coming up about all the places we ate and shopped at! – and eventually settled on a little seafood restaurant along Aksteenkaai before heading back to our aparthotel.

Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city break in brussels, modern hotel
The sofa turns into a comfortable double bed, although we did all end up piling into the bedroom as I offered it to my mum and the bed was so roomy that she called us all in. You might think this is odd but I have fond memories as a kid staying at my nan's house and sharing her bed, listening to her favourite North East radio show and I would chat with the street lamp flickering outside...anyway I thought it might be a fun memory for my sweet boy, like camping out :)

In the morning we got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast, just like a hotel their is a hot and cold buffet to tuck into with a selection of fruit, cereals, toast, waffles *obviously* as well as a full english. F soon moved to the modern sofa chairs to try and peek at the large screen TV showing cartoons, giving me just enough time to finish my coffee.

Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city stay in Brussels, cafe culture, marble
With another day ahead of us we thought we would explore the various areas of the city using the metro system and seek out a few chosen hotspots that had been recommended to me before the trip. We wandered along the main shopping streets and passed many a chocolatiare and F made it quite clear he wanted to stop and take a bite.
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Brussels certainly is an interesting city, with a laid back atmosphere where grand and old meets new. It has for me, a Paris meets London meets Amsterdam vibe, with the centre being quite traffic filled like London, stunning architecture and museums like the city of lights and the smallest of hidden streets filled with delight just like the lined canals of Amsterdam. I especially enjoyed wandering around the Place St Jean area and the Place Royal Koningsplein and Mont des Arts Kunstberg with its beautiful chalky avenue, perfect for people watching and taking in the views over the city.
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city break in brussels
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city break in Brussels
Brussels, Adagio Aparthotels, city views, city break in brussels
Sadly after two nights it was time to pack our bags and head back on the Eurostar for our homeward journey. I certainly got a taster for the sweet city and would definitely return to explore.

NB. This post was scheduled to go live soon after we arrived home but I feel I should mention we travelled home the evening before the horrific terrorist attack took place and I felt it only right to hold off a while before sharing our story. I am thankful to have been welcomed by such a wonderful city and pleased to see it standing strong and together after a testing time. 

*We'd like to thank Adagio Aparthotels for our stay as part of the this review. As always all of my words and opinions are 100% my own. 


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5 comments

  1. Oh this looks fab. It's years since I've been to Belguim. It's back ony radar. Thanks.

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  2. Oh wow, you look so much like your mum!! I've been to Bruges, but wouldn't have thought of Brussels - thanks for showcasing it!

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  3. It looks and sounds like you had a great trip, I've never been to Brussels but do love a city break so shall have add this to the list, especially considering how easy it is to get to X

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  4. Aw, I love the look of Belgium! I have friends there that I really need to visit - you have me sold that I need to do that ASAP! I always love your take on a city - you got style, girl x

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  5. Your pictures make me want to go, still on my list! It looks like such an easy and fun trip from London. Must do this!

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