Cantillon Quintessence 2016

Much appreciated, sir.

 

We stayed at Hotel Aviation last year during Tour de Geuze weekend and had no issues or fear out late in the area. We are two tall guys who weren't walking around staring at our phones. We know how to be smart at night. The hotel itself has a nice lobby and the room was fine enough for sleeping and going to the bathroom. We really weren't ever at the hotel.

 

Cheers @adkieffer. I'm going to have a look now. I get the impression that Brussels is much the same as most major cities around Europe. Maybe a few people haven't been as streetwise as they should've been. But I'm fully expecting a pleasant stay. And if it's not, I'll keep drinking until it is.

 

{Whistles, looks at ceiling, looks at watch, pretends to check email on his phone...}

 

Sorry there, long gap between logins, here... You could also stay a short walk away toward the center or in the Marolles (which I would prefer), or else you could walk it from lower St. Gilles near Porte de Halle.

Cantillon's immediate neighborhood is not that attractive most days of the week, and I wouldn't say that about all of the Anderlecht district, which has areas that I like. This is not to say you'll be in danger or repulsed, it's just that there's not much else around besides wholesalers and light industry. Oh, now, there is a huge market at the train station on Sunday mornings, so that's interesting. Don't think quaint farmer's market or antiques or edgy second-hand clothing -- more like the contents of a Walmart dumped out on the sidewalk, but still, well worth seeing as the start of an excellent a Sunday after Quintessence: cruise through the market, maybe grab something to eat (there are some cooked food stands on the other side of the station from Cantillon) and then walk to the Marolles.

OK so there is a bit of a dodgy feel to some blocks around there, and you would definitely get a sense of that even if walking in from other neighborhoods. I can see that it could be better walking in to Cantillon in the morning and out early evening, as opposed to lodging there and have to head back there from other parts of Brussels late at night. Which is not by any means to say that you don't have to keep your wits about you elsewhere in Brussels, because you do.

 

Thanks @ManforallSaisons. Much appreciated. I'm going to get something booked this weekend!

 

We stayed at the Pullman at the train station, fantastic hotel but a little far from most stuff. Easy walk to Cantillion but I didn't feel totally safe walking in the hood, I'm from Chicago so that's saying a lot. It's the general area where they did a lot of the arrests for terrorists, while obviously not all of them are terrorists it's a very different vibe than the rest of Brussels because it's the migrant area.

I felt unsafe keep in mind before the French attack and all that, I'm street smart and know when you should feel unsafe, even though people like to say that it's racist to say so. I would stay nearby but not going walking around and night and feel ok.

 

There's a lot of crime in that neighboorhoud. Feeling unsafe in that area is normal.

A lot of people coming too Cantillon can't believe it's an unsafe are their but statistics don't lie.

 

Challenging none of your impressions, I'd offer a local nuance: it's the general area of raids of the terrorist abodes only in the sense that it's maybe the same rough quadrant of the city. A several-times-smaller-than-Chicago city, to be sure.

 

I parked my car near Cantillon or walked the 850m from the trainstation without having any problems, during day time it isn't that unsafe. But i would not recommend booking a hotel in that area if you want to hit some pubs after Cantillon close.
Belgium isn't that big, Gent is 30 min and Antwerp 45 min by train and hotels are cheaper out of Brussels.

I'm also going to the Quintessence and planning to visit some nice beer pubs
in Antwerp afterwards.

 

I've booked a place a 10 minute walk from Cantillon (and the Pullman @chitowntink) - and 300m from Moeder Lambic. So hopefully that'll be alright.
I'm just going to hire a bike and race that around; harder to catch .

I might have a look at Gent and Antwerp as well, though. Thanls @RudiDV.

 

Try pillows hotel. Design but has a good location

 

Just got back from Brussels last week. Stayed at the Bedford Hotel & Congress Centre. Almost a straight 15 minute walk to Cantillon from the hotel and 2 minute walk to Moeder Lambic. A great free breakfast in the am & 25% off the bar during happy hour. Finish with happy hour and walk to Moeder Lambic. Perfect. Well....almost. The wifi (although free) was in & out. Very weak signal. Other than the wifi I'd highly recommend the hotel. Less than $100/per night.

 

I can recommend Bedford aswell. Price/quality is good and it's hard to beat that location.

 

I will be visiting from Toronto for this - have a ticket to the first session.

 

For anyone who has been in the past and had a later in the day time slot (3pm, for example): did you miss out on anything?

 

I've never been to Europe before but I will be making the pilgrimage to Cantillon for Quintessence. Should I be concerned about the recent terrorist attacks in brussels? I realize were about 45 days out and security will probably be the tightest its been in a long time but...theres still a feeling of uneasiness. By NO means am I canceling the trip. I was hoping to just get a little input from others making the trip over. Ill be flying into the Brussels airport. My apologizes if this is inappropriate for the thread.

 

I wouldn't think this inappropriate at all. Brussels should be as safe as anywhere else in Europe these days. Enjoy your trip.

 

From last time, I have memories or serious crowds in midafternoon but I don't recall beer supplies running low that early

 

And I know we don't usually bother with +1s but I want to back up what @aleigator said. We're all good. Still one of the safest parts of the world. Should be an awesome trip.