Hotel Cafe Pacific, Brussels, Belgium
Hotel Overview
Review of Hotel Cafe Pacific, by The TI Review Team
By TI Reviewer Richard Brooks:
Belgium is now faster than ever to get to. With high-speed rail links it is easy to travel from work on a Friday and back on Monday morning, making the most of a weekend away. And what better place to do so than in the heart of Brussels? The ultra cool Rue Antoine Dansaert is THE place to shop for any fashionista and is well known for its abundance of hot local designer boutiques. Less that 10 minutes walk way is the primary tourist hangout of Grand Place with classic architecture, frites, Belgian beer and chocolatiers all around.
Along this uber-chic road you will come across a discreet plaque and glass entry door to Hotel Café Pacific and hiding behind it one of the newest and coolest places to stay in Brussels. Inside this 1850's townhouse you will discover friendly staff, a profusion of subtle yet unmistakably erotic art and a collection of 12 highly individual bedrooms to accommodate you between shopping and gastronomic forays.
The facilities
Hotel Café Pacific at first appears modest in its provisions but this is entirely in keeping with the understated style that pervades this establishment. On the ground floor a traditional and popular wood-bound bar and brasserie provides food and beverages. Free wifi and room service are provided while the staff offer insider tips for your stay. The high quality robes and selection of glossy magazines and hotel guides are also a nice touch.
The rooms
The rooms themselves are well proportioned, and extremely stylish with local oak floors and pristine smooth white fixtures throughout. In the Deluxe Room the naked woman above the bed and view through to a transparent shower cubicle was perfect for the intimate couple. But for the ultimate romantic getaway, the spacious Mezzanine Suite is beautifully laid out with high ceilings, atmospheric lighting and an open plan layout with discreetly separate double ended bath making you barely want to leave the hotel. All rooms come complete with all mod cons and desirable Hydro toiletries. The rooms are also entirely peaceful despite the bustling nightlife outside.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Rooms
13Come for...
- Typically Flemish understatement
- Privacy
Not Suitable for...
- Those requiring 24-hour fawning; diplomats requiring easy access to the EU or Parliament
Children
Children are welcome, but there's no capacity in rooms for extra beds and cots.
Eating in
Cafe Pacific serves breakfast, cafe fare and drinks.
The Press Say
"Everything is fresh and modern, but assembled with a warm touch and an eye to comfort; you could come here for a cosseted romantic weekend but those travelling alone will feel deliciously relaxed." Guardian 07
Reviews
Review of Hotel Cafe Pacific, by The TI Review Team
Don't let the unassuming entrance on the uberchic Rue Antoine Dansaert - marked with just a small plaque and a buzzer - fool you; Hotel Cafe Pacific is one of town's newest, and coolest, places to lay your head. The six-floor, circa-1850 town house is tall and narrow, flooded with natural light and sparsely furnished (wide plank oak floors, contemporary white furnishings, quirky architectural lighting) to show off its great bones. And one other bonus: it's surprisingly quiet on this most bustling of shopping streets.
The facilities
Hotel Cafe Pacific's offerings are basic - free WiFi, room service from the very popular street-level bar, a dry cleaner's - but the staff as a whole is several degrees friendlier than the Brussels norm, and they have insider knowledge of the Dansaert area's coolest boutiques and boites.
The rooms
Each of Hotel Pacific's 12 rooms range in size and style from Standard (white-on-beige havens, clocking in at a bit under 300 square feet) to Mezzanine (high-ceilinged, more spacious at about 500 square feet, and done in shades of raspberry). Floors are local oak: baths boast slick contemporary fixtures and all mod-cons, and are usually separated from the room by a curtain.
Book the duplex for a treat; the enormous bathtub sits on a different level, next to a picture window in an austere white space - at once sober and very sexy.