Formerly the Royal Windsor Hotel, the recently renamed Warwick Brussels is clearly one of the ‘walls’ of the capital’s hotel landscape. Its classic English style, its location just a stone’s throw from the Grand Place and its Secret rooftop overlooking the Hôtel de Ville make it an address of choice for international stars and tourists from all over the world, as well as for business travellers looking for comfort and facilities close to the central station. Built in 1973 and then acquired by Warwick in 1981, the hotel has constantly evolved its offering while retaining the personality of the original building. We talk to David Sautaux, Regional Marketing Director, about this subtle balance.
Business during the week, leisure at the weekend
Although the people of Brussels are familiar with this large brick façade on Rue Duquesnoy, few of them know what lies behind it: ‘267 rooms, 15 meeting rooms, a fitness centre, a restaurant, a great place for brunch, hearty breakfasts and one of the most beautiful rooftops in the capital’. An XXL facility perfectly suited to reaching a broad spectrum of visitors, which in the case of the Warwick Brussels is very clearly divided, ‘from business stays during the week to leisure tourism at the weekend’. For exclusive use, the Warwick Brussels has 20 suites, ‘a great asset for receiving delegations’, including a jewel, the Grand-Place suite, a 400m2 penthouse flat with an immense terrace. Throughout the year, this luxury is enhanced by an original events policy, ‘which gives the establishment a personality’. This was notably the case in 2021, when the Warwick welcomed the restaurant ‘Dans le noir? in residence, or more recently, when it offered painting and yoga workshops on its rooftop.
‘Finding the right balance between digital contact and physical reception’.
Forced, like the entire hospitality sector, to adapt to new behaviours and a clientele ‘sometimes more comfortable communicating on social networks than with hotel staff’, the Warwick Brussels is digitising its customer journey. With chatbots on the website and room-directory applications, keeping in touch with customers throughout their stay has become a competitive necessity, ‘even though we are convinced that no digital tool can replace a smile’. Another special feature, which is becoming increasingly rare, is that all the services offered are in-house, ‘which allows precise control of the quality of the services provided, as well as agility in the face of an increasingly last-minute clientele’.
Sustainability on all fronts To keep up with the times, the Warwick Brussels is constantly being rejuvenated, ‘in small steps’ so as not to disrupt customers. With each decision, the new sustainability equation is weighed in the balance. So, ‘in small steps’, LEDs are replacing light bulbs, the 100 parking spaces are also being equipped with electric rechargers, the showers with water savers, and the restaurant menu is being filled with local produce… ‘. A thermo-capture of heat loss from the building has even been carried out to improve insulation’. This commitment to change has been very well received by visitors, and particularly by the business clientele, whose companies have also already embarked on eco-responsible initiatives. ‘It has even become a real criterion of choice’. Further proof, if proof were needed, that luxury hotels can also be perfectly attuned to the new environmental demands of their clientele
