Hotel review: Mercure Antwerp City Centre

When visiting Antwerp, I think of a bubbly city that reminds me of Amsterdam but… with a certain cuteness and as we say in Holland, the soft G. Our southern neighbors have both the elegance of France and the allure of the Dutch and I always love visiting Belgium for both of these reasons. Even better to celebrate New Year’s Eve here, as I saw Antwerp in a lot of top 5 cities to celebrate New Years… Now I know why… Let me tell you all about our stay in Mercure and why it is not just the perfect stay for New Years Eve, but throughout the whole year!

As the new year was approaching I was thinking to myself ‘What to do?’ and ‘Where to go?’ The past couple of years I celebrated New Years in different metropolitans (Paris, London, Oslo, Barcelona, Berlin) and kind of made it a tradition to celebrate every new year in a cool city. So where to go 2022-2023? I didn’t want to travel by airplane, I wanted something close… Easy: Antwerp! Now I must say that I had been to Antwerp a few times already and I feel like it’s always one of the best city trips one can make. The Dutch especially go there to shop as Antwerp has a lovely city centre and nice vintage shops as well.

This year I chose to celebrate in Antwerp not only because it is convenient, but also because I had the chance to collaborate with the lovely Mercure Antwerp City Centre hotel. As a part of Accor Hotels, I have always been interested in staying at a Mercure hotel and I think this hotel is perfect in this city because of its location. Just a short walk through the park will bring you to the Meir, Antwerp’s biggest shopping street and the museum quarter with a view over the Schelde. Exactly where we wanted to be!

So let’s dive into it.

FROM 1 TO 10: Mercure Antwerp City Centre on scale

Location: 8
I already said it, the location of this hotel is great. I think it would be convenient for both people who want to be close to the centre as to those who prefer their peace and quiet. The hotel is situated in the diamond quarter and closeby you’ll find a zoo, loads of museums, central station, a park and the Meir (10 minute walking distance). For those who’d rather be in the south on Antwerp, I can recommend Mercure Antwerp City South. We went there for dinner; it has a bit more of a bold and luxurious vibe to it and definitely made me curious!

Room: 7
The Rooms at Mercure Antwerp City Centre are spacious and decorated with grace. When it comes to the room I always find the bed one of the most important things and since this one was King size, I can only say that it was grrrreat! The room had a shower, but I cannot say that I missed the bath really as I feel like it all had just the comfort we needed. Overlooking the city park, the room felt even more spacious. 

Ambiance: 8,5
It could be due to the timing (I mean, the last day of the year, OMG)… but when stepping into the hotel it really felt super cozy and cute. Being welcomed by glühwein at the reception was a lovely extra! I also feel like all public areas, like the restaurant downstairs have been styled in a trendy cool way. It makes for a happy entrance.

Food & drinks: 7,5
Breakfast is served in a communal area downstairs and as you may know by now, I am a big fan of breakfast buffets. So here I went and tried almost everything on the menu. Pancakes (yum!), eggs, yoghurt, all the breads and muffins. Although the breakfast was a bit basic to my liking, I looooved the restaurant that was part of the hotel. At Lunet, one can have dinner or score a drink in the evening. Definitely a must!

Service: 7,5
The service was good. The receptionists were nice and sweet and we were helped very well with everything we needed. Also had some lovely end of year conversations with the barkeeper. The atmosphere at the hotel is very personal and laidback.

Facillities: 7
Except for the nice restaurant and conference rooms, the hotel doesn’t come with special facilities. For example there is no swimming pool, but who really needs one in a city like Antwerp? I was happy that there was private parking available. And as mentioned the restaurant was a great place to chill out and either have dinner or drinks. All and all, I think the hotel had just about everything one can need during a city trip.

Did I make you curious?

Mercure Antwerp City Centre
Quinten Matsijslei 25
Antwerpen 2018
België