Hotels - Velvet revolution and new harmonies

Brussels has its classics: the famous Steigenberger on Avenue Louise and the Amigo near the Grand Place, one of its most luxurious establishments and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. But unlike other capitals, Brussels prefers to take its time rather than open one new restaurant after another. Sometimes, it even opts for serious rebrandings, as with The Hotel, a former Hilton that has been completely redesigned, with the lobby, lifts and corridors given a golden hue, and, as a bonus, an excellent restaurant, The Restaurant. Its 421 rooms, soberly chicAll of them offer breathtaking views over the historic centre and Ixelles. This 28-storey urban beacon can be seen from afar and, at almost 100 metres high, it has become a real landmark of the Brussels hotel industry. Its special feature: an extreme level of security that elevates it to the rank of great and allows it to welcome personalities from all over the world, from Barack Obama to the Dalai Lama.

Much more intimate, the Hotel des Galeries, opened in 2014, is housed in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, built in 1847. Entrusted to interior architects Fleur Delesalle and Camille Flammarion, this gentle hotel has just 23 rooms, but all of them have a fresh, acidic beauty, with slight vintage touches and numerous works of art by Sonia Delaunay and Niki de Saint Phalle, in front of perfectly white walls and under magnificent glass roofs. The centrepiece of the collection is undoubtedly an exploded hut by Daniel Buren, where you can have tea or other snacks, just like in childhood. The bedrooms and bathrooms of this little jewel of a hotel are decorated with ceramics and other beautiful handicrafts. Books are also omnipresent.

Belgian chic oblige

More recently, in May 2016, Hotel 9-Sablon opened just a stone's throw from Central Station, a four-star hotel with 34 rooms and suites, as well as a swimming pool. The rooms have been entirely painted white, from floor to ceiling, the furniture is vintage and mismatched, and the early art sculptures and contemporary photographs are a reminder that you are in the heart of the art gallery district. Nevertheless, the hotel is ideal for business travellers, as it is relaxing and very well placed. In keeping with Belgian chic, guests in the suites will discover a box of Marcolini chocolatesnext door to the hotel.

One of the most recent openings is the Pillows Grand Hotel, in a beautiful neo-classical building. On Place Rouppe, in the heart of a working-class district, it is an island of elegance where you can also savour the culinary creations of The Living. Here, the 43 rooms are decorated in pearl grey and brass tones and the lounges, both sumptuous and simple, invite you to relax. That said, this elegant address is not the only one of the 2018 vintage. Admittedly very small, with just 24 rooms, the Harmon hotel - 'harmony' for short - is a cocoon of beauty set in a former town house in the Ixelles district, to which five floors have been added. The owners have taken great care to preserve all the original mouldings and decorative details to create a place where the past blends with a very contemporary feel. Lots of velvet, marble and wood, and a skylight in the former garden where the restaurant and café have been set up. Another great option for business travellers in search of charm and serenity.

Unlike other capitals, Brussels is taking its time rather than opening one store after another. Sometimes it even opts for serious rebrandings.

Also opening in 2018, the Hôtel Hubert is located, as its name suggests, opposite the Galeries Saint-Hubert, a stone's throw from the Grand-Place. A reappropriation of the former Scandic chain hotel, the establishment has undergone a facelift and now plays on current codes and a highly technological concept: customers can check in themselves and make their own key to avoid any waiting. Fresh, young and fun, the lobby is filled with large poufs and sofas where you can sit and enjoy a coffee from the Nespresso bar. The décor is enhanced by an old Citroën van serving hot dogs and other hearty foods from 6pm. All in all, the 100 rooms are rather small, but the urban coworking spirit The very informal atmosphere will appeal to young business travellers looking for something new.

But for those looking for space and luxury above all else, you'll have to wait a little longer. The next major opening is not scheduled until 2021. Located on Rue Royale, this splendid building, built in 1909 on the orders of Leopold II to welcome crowned heads and celebrities visiting Brussels, was bought in 2016 by the Maltese group Corinthia Hotels. The Corinthia in London, Lisbon, Valletta and Prague are all very fine hotels, which of course bodes well for the future. 127 rooms and suites are planned, as well as an exceptional spa. But one thing is certain: in Brussels, when it comes to hotels at least, patience is the mother of all rewards.

Just a stone's throw from the Grand Place, the Amigo, which became part of the Rocco Forte group in the early 2000s, is still a benchmark for luxury hotels in Brussels and welcomes VIPs visiting the Belgian capital (1).
The Pillows Grand Hôtel Place Rouppe has moved into the renovated walls of a neo-classical building, transformed into a refined boutique hotel with around forty rooms (2).
The designer decor of the Hôtel des Galeries contrasts with the 19th-century atmosphere of the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, one of Europe's oldest covered passageways (3).