Hilton Antwerp Old Town Review
I used points to book a room at the Hilton Antwerp Old Town for two nights at a rate of 41,000 points per night. While the property is quite dated, the staff works on making the service stand out.
Location
The Hilton Antwerp is located on the Groenplaats square. It is adjacent to the Cathedral and a very short walk from Grote Markt and City Hall. The shopping area of Meir is a five minute walk. Overall the location is fantastic.
Most of the hotel is built over the Grand Bazar shopping mall. The Groenplaats Metro stop has an entrance in the mall as well as in the public square. It is a short subway ride from Antwerp’s beautiful Central Station.
The building exterior that faces Groenplaats is quite beautiful and obviously a historic building. The main entrance is Eiermarkt.
Check In
I arrived in to Antwerp around 7:00pm due to a missed train connection. During check in, the general manager came out to greet me and offer me some chocolate and a guide book.
As a Diamond, I had been upgraded to a Junior Suite on the Executive (5th/top) Floor. Breakfast was available in the lounge or restaurant on the ground floor.
The lobby is basic without the wow factor but pretty standard for a business hotel.
The hallways seem dark and old, I noticed the carpet was fraying in various places.
Room
I was assigned to a Junior Suite, room 529, opposite of the elevators so a bit of a walk. Many of the rooms are built around an atrium over a glass skylight roof of the mall. It makes for quiet rooms but no view.
As you enter the room, there is an entry area with closet, mini bar and bathroom.
An opening leads to the main area of the room which has the bed on one side and seating area with window on the other.
A desk and TV area against the wall.
The view out the window is of the atrium.
Chocolate, a beer, and bottle of water was left in the room as a welcome gift. The water bottle was refreshed daily.
The room feels extremely dated. I don’t know if it is just not my style or if everything is actually quite old, but the hotel clearly needs to be refurbished. It seems to me to be a luxury hotel room from the early 1990s.
Bathroom
The bathroom also needs updating. A single vanity is against the wall with a bathtub adjacent.
The toilet and separate shower (with fixed shower head) are opposite. The shower is somewhat raised off the ground. I found it to be a bit of an odd set up; perhaps it had been added later.
The bath products are the standard Crabtree & Evelyn.
One thing I miss about old hotel rooms is the retractable clothes line in the bathtub. This room had it, and I appreciated using it to try out my clothes after doing some washing in the sink.
Executive Lounge
The Executive Lounge is located on the 5th floor just off the elevators.
Snacks in the evening consisted of a salad bar and two hot options that were a basic pasta dish.
Across the hall is a roof top patio that offers nice sunset views. I would think that even if you didn’t have lounge access you could still enjoy the patio.
Breakfast
Both mornings as a Diamond I selected to have breakfast in the restaurant off the lobby. It is a standard buffet with options to request egg dishes made to order. There is a wide variety of dishes but I found the quality to be mediocre (powdered scrambled eggs for example).
I didn’t notice the gym (I am sure there must have been one). There is no pool.
The location is probably the best thing going for this property. I noticed there is a Hampton Inn (if you want to stay in the Hilton family) near the train station. Also near the train station is a new Hotel Indigo property (IHG) that might be worth checking out, though the location isn’t as good as the Hilton.
With the GM welcome, upgrade for elites, and a nice front desk staff, it seems clear that the property knows it needs to make up for the dated building. When the property is updated, I would recommend a visit. For now, you might want to pick a different property if you want modern.