The Hoxton in Brussels, Belgium is a trendy, smartly designed hotel located in Brussels-Nord.
It’s not an understatement to state that the reason I visited Brussels during this trip was specifically to stay at The Hoxton in Brussels. It’s simply the truth. During a previous trip to the central area of Brussels, I simply fell in a romanticized love affair with the beer, the culture, the history and the waffles. If you take the tour I did, Historical Walking Tour With Chocolate and Waffle Tastings, you will fall in love too. It’s an incredible tour. However, it’s a tour that centers around the central area of Brussels – not the slight outskirts.
With those memories in mind – and the excitement from trying a new hotel opening weekend, I booked The Hoxton, Brussels. Plus, the sweet promo rate with a room upgrade and stay credits were icing on the proverbial cake.
DO NOT – UNDER ANY DELUSIONS OF GRANDER – TAKE BRUSSELS-NORD FROM THE BRUSSELS AIRPORT AND ATTEMPT TO WALK WITH YOUR LUGGAGE TO THE HOXTON BRUSSELS.
Yes, it may look close. You may feel invincible. Water is also wet. This metro stop is not in a safe location in the area. I mistakenly mentally confused my experience with Brussels-Midi during my previous trip to Brussels, which is MUCH DIFFERENT. For example – when the train pulled into the station, the conductor came onto the loudspeaker and directly said “there are pickpockets in the area, watch your items.”
Take an uber or taxi from the airport!
It is not an understatement to say that I had a fight or flight panic attack once I arrived at Brussels-Nord. I immediately requested an Uber, who ended up picking me up and actually dropping me off at the wrong hotel – a close by Doubletree hotel – because he couldn’t figure out where the hotel was. He also only spoke French, whereas usually Uber drivers in diverse locations speak multiple languages to communicate with their clients. With this in mind, my introduction to The Hoxton and the area it’s located in was not the best.
No one knew where it was.
After 20 minutes of sheer terror of wandering around with my luggage, going back inside the Doubletree, asking the front desk person if he knew where the address of the hotel was and then ANOTHER Uber ride (literally, around the corner and up a slight hill) later, and I was finally at The Hoxton, Brussels.
Upon walking in, the hotel smelled brand new and looked absolutely gorgeous. Check in was a breeze – with the front desk member understanding my emotional terror and acknowledging that the metro station was not, in any way shape or form, located in a reputable area. He apologized and did his best to give me the space to relax while processing my reservation.
When I got to my room, I will say that it felt energetically clean, was visually beautiful and decorated extremely uniquely. I could see why the hotel went with a modern take on a 70s vibe.
The Biggie room was wide, open and overlooked the brutal architecture of Brussels. The water pressure and heat of the shower was exceptional.
I felt that I had space to meditate, calm down and frankly be, in the moment.
Slowly, I transitioned from panic to groundedness.
My first night, I had dinner at Tope, The Hoxton’s rooftop bar. The second day, I enjoyed breakfast and dinner at Catina Valentina, the hotel’s first level restaurant, much, much more.
The front desk was as helpful as they could be, when situations of WTF came up. When she found out that I was waiting for an Uber to take me to my tour of Bruges, Anna suggested that I make it a goal to stop by The Chocolate Line.
Other staff were super helpful as well. Which, I deeply appreciated.
Again, the hotel is beautiful. The lobby is exquisite and the food at the Catina Valentina is outstanding. But, unlike its counterparts in Brooklyn or Amsterdam, The Hoxton, Brussels its located in place that not the highest and best walkable area, outside of the city center.
