Novotel Brussels City Centre
by the TopOfHotel team
A full-service 4-star with the list's only indoor pool — the clear pick for families.
A full-service 4-star with the list's only indoor pool — the clear pick for families.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
All 228 rooms run on the familiar Novotel template — clean, functional, and stocked with everything you actually need, but light on design character. The family rooms are the reason to book here: they're wide enough for two large beds or an extra cot, which is hard to find in the boutique hotels around Grand Place. Reviews through 2026 praise the cleanliness and a quick, professional check-in, and because the hotel sits just off the main tourist drag, nights stay genuinely quiet.
Food and amenities
This is where the Novotel earns its spot. It's the only hotel on this list with an indoor pool, paired with a proper spa and a fitness centre — a real asset on a wet Brussels afternoon or for anyone keeping a routine on the road. The GourmetBar on the ground floor serves all day, with burgers, salads, Belgian bites, and local craft beer, so you can eat in when you'd rather not search for a restaurant. The one catch: spa treatments are priced well above the room rate.
Location and getting there
The hotel sits near Rue de la Tour Noire, an old corner of the city that still has a stretch of medieval wall. Grand Place is a 7-minute walk, De Brouckere Metro about 5 minutes, and Brussels Central Station roughly 8 minutes on foot — handy for fast domestic trains to Bruges and Antwerp, with Eurostar to Paris from nearby Brussels-Midi. The streets around the hotel are lined with Belgian brasseries, so a casual dinner is never far.
Things to know before booking
The standard rooms are comfortable but unremarkable, so book a family or superior category if decor or space matters to you. Spa treatments cost noticeably more than a night's stay, so budget for those separately. And while the off-the-drag position keeps nights quiet, it does mean a short walk to the busiest bar and restaurant streets rather than stepping straight into them.
Our take
The Novotel Brussels City Centre is the easy answer for families and health-minded travellers who want the amenities — pool, spa, gym — under one roof, a 7-minute walk from Grand Place. It scores 8.2/10 on Booking and 8.4/10 on Agoda, with rates from about $146 a night. If those facilities don't matter to you, a more characterful room elsewhere on the list may be the better value.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The indoor pool is the headline draw, and it's genuinely unique here — no other hotel on this Grand Place shortlist has one, which makes a real difference on a rainy Brussels afternoon with kids.
- A full spa and fitness centre sit in the same building, so health-minded travellers and anyone who keeps a routine on the road don't have to leave to work out or unwind.
- With 228 rooms there's real choice, including several family layouts that fit two large beds or an extra cot — easier than squeezing a family into a boutique double.
- The GourmetBar on the ground floor runs all day, with burgers, salads, Belgian bites, and local craft beer when you'd rather not hunt for a restaurant after a long day of walking.
- Guest reviews in 2026 single out clean rooms and a professional, quick check-in, and the spot just off the main drag keeps the building quiet at night.
- A chunk of the rooms run on the standard Novotel template — clean and functional, with everything you need, but short on design character or local flavour.
- Some extras carry a premium: spa treatments in particular are priced well above what you pay for the room, so budget separately if you plan to use them.
- It sits slightly off the main tourist path, which is great for quiet nights but means a short walk to the busiest restaurant and bar streets rather than stepping straight into them.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Insider Tips
- Book a family or superior room rather than a standard double if you're travelling with kids — the larger layouts fit two big beds or a cot far more comfortably.
- Use the indoor pool and gym in the morning before sightseeing; they're quietest then, and you've already paid for them in the room rate.
- Walk 5 minutes to De Brouckere Metro to reach the wider city, and 8 minutes to Brussels Central for fast domestic trains to Bruges and Antwerp; Eurostar to Paris leaves from Brussels-Midi, a few minutes further on.