I have a very difficult time to understand how the Amrath Brabant Hotel is actually rated as a four star hotel. The standard is more like a two star hotel and the hotel is extremely worn. Staff are nice and speak (as is common in the Netherlands) excellent English.

The location is on the outskirts of Breda but there are several offices nearby so the location is ok if you want access to the city and if you are going to one of the businesses around it may be very good.

The rooms are old and worn. Would need a complete renovation of the rooms. There plus was coffee and tea making facilities. Internet is ridiculously expensive and all together the hotel is extremely poor value.

There are plenty of better options in Breda (see my reviews of Golden Tulip, Apollo Hotel, Hotel Sutor for better options).

This is not a 4 star hotel however if you are visiting any of the accountants/consultancy firms based nearby it is an excellent location. 8 mins by bus from the local train station at Breda Central.

The staff are excellent, friendly, helpful with excellent english. Dinner in the restaurant expensive for quality that is provided. Breakfast as others reviewers have mentioned is good. There is WIFI free of charge in the restaurant and one can sit there and not eat to take advantage. In the bedrooms a fee must be paid.

The bedroom and bathroom was very basic although the bed was comfortable. the floor covering looks like old fashioned greyish carpet tiles and the units from equally old fashioned bedroom unit supplier! TV and phone in room and I asked for a room with a bath.

Being a Friday night we got an immediate discount (59 euro), not bad as other local hotels we approached, some only 2 star, were quoting up to 90 Euro. The room although old was clean but did smell a little of smokers, security parking was also included at no extra cost. Wifi was free in the bar area but not in the rooms (cant understand why this happens in today's modern age). We chose not to have the breakfast buffet because of the high cost, we did notice a lot of food left over as they were packing up, why do establisments do this ? the old adage of 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing !!, lower the price Amrath, say 10-12 Euro, pack the breakfast bar out and make a lot more money. Overall it was a pleasant stay on our way through.

The Amrath Hotel Brabant is situated approximately 3km from the centre of Breda, which is a good 30-minute walk for those so inclined.

The Reception staff are very friendly, speak excellent English and willing to help with any problem one might have.

My room was on the ground floor and faced into an internal plaza; things tended to get a tad noisy when conferences were being held, but I was spared the noise of the traffic on the other side of the building. It was a four-bed room and even boasted a kitchenette; however, there were no pans, etc., with which to take advantage of this. The main power point was broken and rather dangerous. There was no air-conditioning, so the window had to remain open day and night with the concomitant effect on noise levels and security.

The bathroom was somewhat poorly appointed in terms of toiletries, but the shower was good and the provision of a bathtub a positive boon. Towels were not always replaced when required.

Drawer/shelf space was adequate for one, unthinkable for four.

Unusually, a kettle and tea and coffee were provided, which was a plus.

Internet access is not free and is provided through KPN at 24.50 Euros for the week at time of writing; this is surely unacceptable.

There is a good-sized pool with a sauna and steam room; these are kept spotlessly clean and are worth trying.

Breakfast was good: the cooked version is not really to be recommended (fatty bacon, tiny sausages, etc.), but there was a plentiful supply of cold meats and smoked salmon, fruit, cereals, juices, etc., and a varied choice of breads. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU CONSIDER EATING DINNER IN THIS HOTEL: it is overpriced (especially the wine, the stock of which is laughable), of seriously dubious quality and served by an evening staff who give indifference a bad name.

Buses run past the hotel and stop at the Bijster stop. You can hire a bicycle from the hotel; at 9.50 Euros the day this is well steep, but is by far the easiest way of getting around and one can cycle to the Belgian border 8km away and have a meal there while getting exercise at the same time.

A tip for those arriving by train at Breda: buy a 'treintaxi' ticket at the same time you buy your ticket and you will get your taxi journey from the station to the hotel for the cost printed on the ticket (4.70 Euros in Jun 2010); the hotel will be happy to reserve you a 'treintaxi' for your return journey as long as you have a ticket free of charge.

The Amrath is nice, but could do much better and faces competition from in-town establishments, of which the Apollo is the best. If you can't get into such a hotel, the Amrath is an alternative, but not recommended as such.