Hotel Derby: "Cheap & nice 1-star hotel"
  by delphinic  
written: 17 September 2004
last time there: September 2004
Hotel Derby is ouside of the old city, i.e. of the Pentagon, which used to be walled, if I remember well. It is still convenient ly located however: it is right by Merode metro station, which is at the west end of Parc de Cinquantenaire (Jubilee Park - well, the English would be close to the Flemish that you can read on signs, as well as French).
This hotel costs 48 EUR a day (60 if double occupation), which includes a breakfast of unimpressive bread bun, brioche, small piece of cheese (La vache qui rit), strawberry jam, and a choice of coffee, tea or hot chocolate (I'd recommand the tea, though it was bland). Actually, I'd recommand munching a bit on this breakfast, packing the rest for a mid-day snack, and going out to have a real breakfast at Le pain quotidien, just up the street (des Tongres) or maybe Teddy L., though that one is more of a pastry chop.
Oh yes: for North Amercians: this is one of these European hotels which asks you to leave your key with them when you go outside. Also, note that you have to order the breakfast to your room (it is a 1-star hotel: no common room) the night before. I think you can get it as early as 7h.
Overall, this place was fine. Very clean, though minimal. TV, but no fridge. Bathroom with shower in the room.
I mostly liked the location: av. des Tongres nearby has everything. Exki, Teddy L., Pain quotidien, some bars, at least three drugstores (pharmacie / apoteek), bookstores, and even a grocery store called GB, with an organic food section and a section dedicated to chocolates! And nearby Parc du Cinquantenaire has a few large museums.
The walk to the city center takes a while though. It's 5 metro stations long, but it's not a nice walk to go straight into it. If I remember well, the Loi street was not so pleasant, mostly with large building, government or economy-oriented. Very boring. A nicer walk went around all of this. If you walk to the center on a southern path, you can go through Place du Jourdain, where Friterie Antoine is at, and which can have incredible lineups... I hear the New York Times elected these fries to be the best in the world.
Pros: excellent location, ok price, very clean
Cons: sloppy breakfast, no fridge
Details: Avenue de Tervuren, 24; Etterbeek (Brussels 1040); Metro: Merode + 32 2 733 08 19 hotel.derby@belgacom.net
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