A railway station hotel with all the right training

David Whitley checks into the new Pullman Brussels Midi.

The lobby of the Pullman Brussels Midi in Brussels, Belgium. Didier Delmas / ABACApress

The welcome

Emerging from the train and trying to find the way through the disorientating labyrinth that is Brussels Midi is an entertaining challenge. But once you finally take the correct turn, the Pullman is indeed part of the station, as its website boasts.

Once inside, traditional reception desks are dispensed with in favour of what’s essentially a huge circular table with two laptops on it. No one seems sure where to stand to complete the check-in formalities.

The neighbourhood

The Pullman’s major selling point is that it’s part of the Midi Station – a gateway to the rest of Europe. It’s a two-minute walk to the Eurostar terminal. The area immediately around the station is a bit soulless, however – partly because of the amount of space that needed clearing to make the station in the first place. Walk west for five to 10 minutes, though, and you’re in the multicultural, gentrifying and hugely likeable Marolles district.

The room

There’s an obvious determination to avoid a stereotypical, boxy business hotel look. The curtains slide round a corner, the bathroom’s at an asymmetric angle to the rest of the room and the couch curves around the back wall on its way to meeting a plectrum-shaped table.

There are strong nods to the Philippe Starck school of design – all whites, creams and slick calm. And, unusually for Belgium – a country with a baffling proclivity for pushing two single beds together and calling it a double – the beds offer comfort without an infuriating gap down the middle.

The scene

Railway station hotels have undergone a significant resurgence in recent years, with the glamorous St Pancras Renaissance in London leading the pack. The Pullman has no old glories to hark back to, however, and goes for something different. It’s sleek, cool and unashamedly modern. Sitting in the lobby for an hour or so is a real eye-opener – friends are meeting up to discuss marital difficulties before getting the train off elsewhere and businesspeople from London are using it to conduct interviews with potential new staff.

The service

Everything is functionally unobtrusive. There’s an obvious focus on business clientele, and they generally don’t need the faux happy-smiley act. It’s about making sure that no one has anything to complain about, without being pointlessly ingratiating. But the way that the members of staff effortlessly flit between (at least) three languages is impressive.

The food

The Victor bar and restaurant isn’t destination dining (and it’s disputable that it even intends to be). Most people eating there are staying in the hotel. There’s a French-Italian slant to the menu, with sample dishes including the €25 (Dh126) cod loin fillet with carrot confit. And you’re likely to be neither disappointed nor stunned.

Loved

At last, a hotel that understands the need for proper blackout curtains. No laser-beam-like slivers of light to get you up too early here.

Hated

Hated’s a bit strong, but sometimes a sensible chair at a standard work desk is needed for working on the road. Perching on the end of a couch with a laptop on an odd-shaped table may look cool, but it’s not perfectly practical.

The verdict

The Pullman proves that convenience doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style – but it perhaps plays things a little bit too safe when it has an opportunity to stun.

The bottom line

Double rooms cost from €99 (Dh500) per night, excluding breakfast. Pullman Brussels Midi, Place Victor Horta 1, Brussels. (www.pullmanhotels.com, 0032 2528 98 00).