Airport hotel: Van der Valk Brussels Airport

21 October 2016HotelAdvisor Leave a comment

Hotelchain: Van der Valk
Location: Brussels – Belgium
Classification: 4 star hotel
Official website: hotelbrusselsairport.com

Situated near the airport of Brussels, the Van der Valk Brussels Airport is one of the best hotels in the area. This four star hotel truly has it all, from the most accommodating staff to the very comfortable rooms… When you are looking for a nice hotel in the direct area of Brussels Airport, this hotel is a great option! The hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to the airport.

When I entered the hotel, I was surprised by how new this hotel still looks like. The lobby area is bright and I appreciated the friendly approach by the front desk staff. Everything we needed to know about the hotel and its facilities were explained in a very professional yet friendly way. They even offered a glass of sparkling wine upon arrival, always a bonus!

We stayed in an executive club room and were very satisfied. The room was very large and offered all the amenities I would expect from a four star hotel such as a coffee machine, bathrobes and high quality toiletries. There was a nice comfy couch and oversized working desk. I still had some work to do and am always pleased finding out a comfortable desk with enough space. The oversized bathroom had a large XL (rain)shower, large jacuzzi bath tub and toilet. I can imagine that taking a bath in this tub is the perfect way to relax and unwind after a long flight. Every room at the Van der Valk Brussels airport has a free minibar with both still and sparkling water, 2 soft drinks, a beer and both red and white wine.

If you are looking for a working out, the hotel offers a full fitness center with up to date equipment and a direct view of the airport. Complimentary water and towels are offered for every guests convenience. There’s an ironing room available as well at no additional cost.

We had dinner at the main restaurant downstairs, Catharina. The menu they offer is varied and is reasonably priced. We thoroughly enjoyed our cocktails. Oh, do try their (non alcoholic) mocktails too, they are great! Service at the restaurant was flawless, every dish was presented in a professional way and the overall quality was outstanding. The beef carpaccio was delicious … and prepared just the way I like it! As a main course, I enjoyed the grilled chicken and pasta. As most of you know, I always save some room for dessert J The Dame Blanche was the perfect end of a great dinner. The overall ambiance at the restaurant was pleasant and although it was almost fully booked, they managed to serve the dishes within a reasonable timing.

After a great night (the beds and pillows are very comfortable), it was time for breakfast. As expected, the breakfast was outstanding with several cold and hot items. Some highlights: freshly squeezed orange juice and the à la carte eggs. Once again, service was top notch and everybody seemed happy to serve us in a professional way. Thumbs up, Van der Valk Brussels Airport, this hotel is one of the best options within the direct area of Brussels Airport! Highly recommended!

Novotel Eindhoven Airport

20 August 2016HotelAdvisor Leave a comment

Hotelchain: Novotel
Location: Eindhoven – The Netherlands
Classification: 4 star hotel
Official website: novotel.com/…ovotel-eindhoven/index.shtml

I had a flight from Eindhoven and was looking for a nice airport hotel. The four star Novotel Eindhoven Airport was the perfect choice! The airport is just 1,5 km away and from September they organize complimentary shuttle service from/to the airport.

The Novotel Eindhoven Airport offers 94 comfortable rooms with all the facilities you will need. Although this isn’t a new hotel, they did a good job renovating this place as you will notice from the moment you step in. The lobby area is quite spacious and bright. Most importantly, the front desk staff was very accommodating and professional. Check-in was very efficient and our keys were handed in just a couple of minutes. We were there pretty early at noon and they were happy to grand us an early check-in which was appreciated very much.

The rooms at the Novotel Eindhoven are the typical spacious Novotel rooms. They all offer comfortable king size beds and a couch which is very convenient when you are travelling with kids as this is a double sofa bed. What I particularly liked in this room was the quality of the HD television and the separate toilet. Bathroom featured bathtub and single sink. Everything in the room was very clean. When I looked out of the window, I immediately noticed the beautiful garden!

It is great to hang out and chill down in this beautiful garden. They even have an outdoor pool with comfortable loungers. The outdoor terrace is a nice feature as well. Here I enjoyed a cup of coffee while enjoying the surrounding area. Prices are very reasonable. Oh, by the way, the internet speed is pretty good here. Even outside I browsed on my iPad and watched some Netflix without any problems.

Kids are welcome too at the Novotel Eindhoven Airport. Novotel is pretty child friendly and offer great deals for families. There’s the pool, but there’s also a small play area for kids inside and outside. It sometimes frustrates me that hotels forget children, but kids definitely will have a great time here as they have a lot of facilities for them.

We had dinner at their restaurant URBN and loved the overall experience! For a hotel restaurant, the kitchen is very good and the menu is pretty varied. Great cocktails and mocktails too, by the way. As a starter I had the tomato soup with meat and my dad preferred the soup with sea food. Nice to be able to choose your favorite. As a main course, I enjoyed the chicken very much. The dessert, a typical small Dutch apple pie was just delicious! Breakfast is served here as well. Since we had to catch a plane early in the morning, the staff was happy to provide breakfast boxes which was great to start our day!

Believe me, this was the perfect start of our getaway! If you need to catch a plane from the Eindhoven Airport or want to play some golf in the area (a 18 hole golf course is nearby – 2 km), then this is the hotel to stay at! Also, if you are travelling with kids, you can’t go wrong here. I will definitely return.

Frankfurt Hilton Airport

15 May 2016HotelAdvisor Leave a comment

Hotelchain: Hilton
Location: Frankfurt – Germany
Classification: 4 star hotel
Official website: www3.hilton.com/…/hilton-frankfurt-airport-FRAHAHI

The Hilton Frankfurt Airport is one of the best airport hotels I have been to! It is so conveniently located and directly attached to the airport of Frankfurt. No shuttle service needed here! It opened in 2011 and everything is still looking fresh and new!

The lobby area is just fantastic. It is like a large atrium with a lot of light and space. As you look up, you can actually see the planes flying by. The check-in staff were very professional and kind. They have us all the information we needed to know about the hotel and its facilities. After some administration, they handed us the keys and guided us to our beautiful deluxe room. All the restaurants are located on the ground floor. There’s a bar/restaurant called The Fifth right opposite the check-in desk offering burgers, sandwiches, etc. At Rise, guests can enjoy several international dishes. Also, breakfast is served here every morning. I liked the overall design of the hotel, contemporary and modern.

Our room, a deluxe executive room, was located on one of the executive floors (floors 9-10). The room we stayed in was comfortable and had all the amenities I would expect of a four star hotel. The king size bed was great to sleep in! The large bathroom had both a bath tub and separate walk-in shower. The room was immaculately clean and temperature was great! The comfy couch was very relaxing for watching television later that night! Loved it!

The executive lounge was located on our floor and actually was one of the best Hilton executive lounges I have experienced! The food throughout the day was excellent and all soft and hot drinks are complimentary all day long. From 6pm – 8.30pm alcoholic drinks such as white/red wine and some spirits are offered as well. The food was great too! Small hamburgers, vegetables, pasta and some sweets. The lounge was large featuring several sitting areas. It was great to hang out reading a book or surfing with my tablet. Service was fantastic and nothing was asked for too much!

With all the eating and drinking, I wanted to work out. The fitness center at the Hilton Frankfurt Airport is large and one thing I noticed is the nice temperature. I don’t know why, but most times it is just too hot at a hotel’s fitness center, but here it was as it should be, not too warm… and not too cold. Perfect! After a great work out I used the steam room and felt completely zen afterwards.

After a wonderful night, we had breakfast at the executive lounge. The small buffet was an excellent start of the day and I appreciated the calm atmosphere at the lounge! At some lounges, you do need to look for a place to sit, but no need to worry about that here… the lounge is huge!

If you ever need a place to stay near the airport of Frankfurt, do not hesitate to stay at the Hilton. With direct access to the airport, great rooms and fantastic service… This is THE place to be!

VdV Airport Hotel – Düsseldorf

20 December 2015HotelAdvisor Leave a comment

Hotelchain: Van der Valk
Location: Düsseldorf – Germany
Classification: 4 star superior
Official website: www.airporthotelduesseldorf.de/en

Located right at the airport of Düsseldorf, the airport hotel of the Van der Valk hotelgroup is a four star superior hotel. The center of Düsseldorf is a 15 minute drive away, but I would recommend this hotel when you are looking for a hotel near the airport. They offer a complimentary shuttle service to the airport, by the way, which is very convenient.

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The lobby of the Van der Valk Airport hotel Düsseldorf is large and nicely decorated. A very nice lobby with several comfortable and cozy sitting areas. The reception staff was very professional and made us feel welcome.

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The room we stayed in was comfortable and had a good size. When I was at home, I called and asked if they could provide a topper mattress and when we arrived the bed was very soft indeed. I liked the large bathroom with separate tub and walk-in (rain)shower. There was a nice sitting with 2 comfy couches. Although, the room was of a 4 star standard, I didn’t like the coffee making facilities. No coffee machine here and I don’t really like to see instant coffee products. But all in all, a good room without being over the top.

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On the top floor of the Van der Valk airporthotel, there’s a large spa area with panoramic saunas and a very nice steam room. It was really nice chilling out in the comfortable relaxing area of the hotel. We didn’t find bathrobes in the room, but just had to call the reception and within a few minutes they were happy to bring us some cozy bathrobes… later we found out that there were plenty of robes and extra towels at the spa area which was appreciated!

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There’s a full service restaurant here and prices are reasonable. We had breakfast here the next morning and were very pleased with the buffet! Plenty of choice such as several kinds of bread, cereals, etc. Freshly made eggs were appreciated! All in all, a very nice breakfast!

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The Van der Valk airporthotel in Düsseldorf is a nice 4 star hotel right at the airport. I recommend staying here when you are flying from Düsseldorf. Don’t forget to check interesting “Stay, park and fly” arrangements at their website!

Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport – Schiphol

27 February 2015HotelAdvisor Leave a comment

Hotelchain: Park Plaza
Location: Amsterdam – Schiphol
Classification: 4 star hotel
Official website: http://www.parkplaza.com/lijnden-hotel-nl-1175-rm/netairp

The Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport is a large and luxurious 4 star hotel located near Schiphol. It is a very large hotel but they make you feel at home as soon as you enter! It offers free shuttle service from/to the airport of Schiphol.

The reception area is very spacious and nicely decorated. I especially loved the cozy open fire place near the bar.

I found the check-in very efficient and friendly. Everything was done with a smile!

We stayed in an executive room which was pretty large. It even had a little couch. The spacious bathroom had a large shower, single sink and toilet. Our room had a view of the little lake in front of the hotel. All the furniture in the room was well kept. The bed was of a good quality and we both had a good night’s sleep.

The Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport offers a full fitness center and spa area. Although I did not use their facilities, I did went down to have a look at the place. I would love to relax in the sauna and/or steam room after a long flight! And the spa looked so clean… Bathrobes and slippers are provided in the room.

Guests staying in an executive room have access to the executive lounge located on the main floor. To be honest, it was one of the nicest executive lounges I have ever seen! It felt trendy, yet warm especially with the open fireplace in the middle of the lounge. It even has a private “living room” with the most comfortable couches and a large television. Guests can enjoy complimentary alcoholic + non-alcoholic drinks and light snacks. I do recommend to upgrade to an executive room, it is well worth the extra money!

At night, we had dinner at their restaurant. Before we went to dinner we had a few pre-dinner cocktails which we enjoyed thoroughly. Dinner itself was maybe the best surprise of our stay at the Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport! The quality of the food was of a very high standard and we loved every single bite. The products the chef used were fresh and he certainly did a great job! Service was very good too, not too stiff, not too casual.