This was our second stay at the Manos Stephanie, we had been here 15 years ago, and absolutely loved it. So when we planned a second trip to Brussels, we knew where we wanted to stay. The Manos Stephanie is primarily a business hotel, so our room was 180€ on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night, but only 110€ on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That includes an amazing buffet breakfast - more on that later. That meant even with the current exchange rate, we were paying about $200 a night- an amazing value for a hotel in a lovely section of the city, walking distance to many attractions, 2 blocks to the Metro stop, and 1 block from the tram.
Our arrival was in the morning, after an overnight flight, way before check-in time. The gentleman at the desk quickly took our suitcases, welcomed us warmly, and apologized for not having a room right away. He said it would be just a half hour before he could have our room, and suggested either going for coffee, or having breakfast at the hotel. We went for a walk, and when we returned, our room was ready.
Our room was delightful, almost exactly, as it had been 15 years before. It was large with a queen size bed, desk and chair, 2 chairs and a table as well as a minibar that actually had a little extra room for our own purchases. The available items were good, and reasonably priced for a hotel minibar. The carpeting and upholstery was fresh and very attractive. The room was well lit and had 2 sinks outside of the bath with lots of shelves and closet space. It was easy to store our luggage. The bath was marble with a tub, but needed a little refurbishing. The marble was beautiful, but the grout and caulking was very tired looking, and the lever that directed the water to the shower head was quirky- would not always work well. The towels were excellent. The heating/ air-conditioning system worked well, and we had a lovely view out our window at the back of the hotel.
The buffet breakfast (which we remembered fondly from our previous stay) was served from 7am to 10am on weekdays, and until 10:30 on weekends. It includes an amazing amount of items - eggs (scrambled or soft/hard boiled), sausage, bacon, cold cuts, cheeses, yogurt , rolls, croissants, sweet rolls, fresh fruit, bottled water, fresh fruit juice, cereal, doughnuts, waffles... And I probably missed a few. The server asks for your room number, and what kind of hot beverage you would like. Then he brings your little pot of coffee, tea... and warm milk to your table. The room is at the back of the lobby, with a very large skylight, very ample sitting, and is beautifully set with quality china and linen. The only problem is if you breakfast after 9, there might be no fresh fruit left, just the peels of melon, and pineapple to taunt you, and the bacon will be quite well- done. There might not be a choice of juice left. Even though the coffee was freshly made, it was not to our liking- but that could be personal taste.
We cannot say enough good things about the staff. They were all so helpful, spoke perfect English, and just could not have been any nicer. That was true of everyone we met during our 6 night stay. The free wifi worked perfectly, and was so nice to have. Unfortunately the computer downstairs is not hooked up to a printer, and we were not able to get our boarding passes printed despite the best effects of the staff.
As a side note, the 97 tram which is right outside your door, will drop you two blocks from Moder Lambic, (otherwise a 15 minute walk) which is a delightful Belgian beer bar - very well-rated. There are many good restaurants just a few steps away from the hotel, and lots, and lots, of wonderful shopping just down the street. Also down the block is a small supermarket, a bank, and a wonderful pastry shop.
As you can tell, we really enjoyed our stay!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
