Blooma Hotel Liège Centre - Handwritten Collection 4 stars

I have been travelling to the Mercure Hotel Liege (now called Blooma Hotel) for a year now and really appreciate the staff help

We stayed at this hotel for 4 nights whilst on a coach trip from UK. The hotel seemed clean and tidy and the staff friendly and helpful. We had breakfast in the hotel restaurant and the food was very good other than that the menu for evening meals didn't appeal especially as my wife is vegetarian and it seemed fairly limited in choice. Our only complaint would be that the room seemed very hot, even with the window wide open and the (ineffective) aircon on full. It became so warm and stuffy overnight that when my wife got up to use the bathroom she fainted. Fortunately she quickly came round and didn't hit her head or hurt herself and I didn't have to call for assistance but it was a bit of a shock as nothing like that has ever happened before. Overall I think we would be happy to stay again especially when using just as a base. The hotel is I believe what you would expect at the price point, a bit like a slightly nicer version of a Premier Inn for instance.

*Proximity to Tram Station* The hotel is located very near to the new tram service (Marenga") that will take you into the centre of Liege. This benefit is not clear on the hotel's own information while Google / Apple Maps only show suggested routes to the town centre from the tram stop that is 500m further away. The lack of attention to this kind of detail by hotel management i.e. details that are of benefit to or should be reasonably expected by the hotel's guests and for which they ultimately are paying, was evident throughout our stay. *Parking* The access to the parking behind the hotel was not functioning on the day we arrived. There was no way to enter the parking area and no signage explaining that the parking machine was defective. Having parked some way away and then asking reception what to do (they seemed unaware that their own parking was not functioning), we were told the parking was full. It was not at the time. When asked what parking alternatives there were in the area, we were told that they do not know and cannot assist even with a suggestion. In the end, a parking space was found and we were able to park but not before some convincing was required. Prospective guests intending to arrive by car to this hotel should be advised that the area is very densely parked and there is little to no parking available other than what is available at the hotel added to which the hotel will not provide any helpful suggestions if there is no parking available. *Room* On check in, our room had two light bedside lights that were not functioning and the room safe did not work as its batteries were flat. One would expect that even junior management and regular room checks would have identified these obvious problems before making the room available. When enquiring about having the safe fixed, we were first told by the reception that this could not occur until the following Monday when the maintenance technician would be back on service. Eventually, the receptionist managed to locate some replacement batteries but could find no screwdriver to open the battery compartment of the safe. Left to our own devices, we managed to replace the batteries with the use of a pocket-knife so that the safe could function. The lack of a working safe was excused on the basis that the staff at the hotel would not steal from guests - this misses the point of having a functioning safe in all of the rooms entirely! The bedside lights were never repaired even though all that was required was likely for the light bulbs to be replaced. While an offer was made to relocate us to another room, this was impractical at the time and should not have been necessary as the problems in the room were easily and quickly fixable, not just by the maintenance department. *Housekeeping* We were a family of three staying in the room. While the room size and layout were comfortable, housekeeping only ever delivered two bath towels during our stay. It was plainly evident from the room layout and usage that there were three guests in the room. *General* On check-out, we had to wait for roughly fifteen minutes to be assisted. It should not be surprising to management on-site that close to check out times, there will be more traffic at reception and resources should therefore be allocated appropriately for those periods. As it happened, there was more than one query from guest checking out in front of us that could not be resolved quickly or, possibly, the reception staff were not trained well enough to deal with the queries or to find a way to assist the other guests simultaneously. *Overall Impression* The hotel is "newly" but lightly renovated. It is clear that the renovation is more cosmetic but in line with the market that it services. The room was spacious and, without the problems we experienced, is what one should expect at the price we paid. There is no effort to do better than any of its competition. It is however let down by its management who clearly do not have enough sufficient oversight of its operations on a day-to-day basis. Basics such as lights working, room safes functioning, effective management of its own parking, housekeeping supplies matching guests' room occupancy and a proactive approach to solving guests' reasonable problems should be the minimum expectation. In summary, if I was the owner of this hotel, I would be reconsidering the on-site management that runs it. As a guest, I would not rebook this hotel for no other reason than I would not trust that what is advertised will in fact be delivered on arrival and during a future stay by the management.

We stayed at the Mercure Liège City Centre and overall had a very good experience. The location is convenient, close to the river and within walking distance of the old town. The room was clean, comfortable, and quiet, with a good bed and all the basics you need for a short stay. The staff were friendly and helpful, especially at the reception. Breakfast had a nice variety and everything was fresh. It’s a solid choice if you want comfort, good service, and a central location.

Taking shower is a pleasure when the water is draining continuously, before not the case but now super good