Hotels

The historic Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert may be reminiscent of times past but the hotel located at their centre pays homage to contemporary art and design. Opened in 2014 by Parisian publisher and art collector Nadine Flammarion, and laid out by her daughter Camille together with interior designer Fleur Delesalle, the Hotel des Galeries has raised the bar for hotels in Brussels. Spread across four floors, each of the 20 rooms and three suites retains the former shopping arcade’s parquet floors and shuttered windows. White walls are pepped up with vibrant prints by 20th and 21st- century artists such as Sonia Delaunay, the colours of which are picked out in rugs, cushions and other design details. Furniture by Belgian designers including Sylvain Willenz sits alongside antiques picked up in the Sablon neighbourhood, while books by Flammarion and ceramics made by Camille are dotted around the hotel.

This tasteful hotel by Dutch hospitality team IHMG delivers 43 rooms that would suit a weekend getaway and work trip alike. The informal ground floor – where the lounge, reception and restaurant-bar (boasting a magnificent marble island) blend into one – sets the tone. It’s all muted shades, abstract art and Carl Hansen & Søn chairs, courtesy of Amsterdam-based interior architects Studio Linse. We recommend a room overlooking Place Rouppe for maximum sunlight but don’t be deterred by the lowest category, Luxury: even these are unabashedly spacious.

This grande dame sits in a Unesco World Heritage Site in the city centre. The original building was erected on Brussels’ first paved road in the 14th century and partially rebuilt 300 years later after Louis XIV bombarded the city in 1695. The 17th-century timber rooftop, curved staircase and stone reliefs remain.

The 37 rooms are divided into three categories – Classic, Patio and Garden. The Garden rooms are the most recently built but, if you’re after something a little different, we’d suggest one of the more spacious Classics – some boasting open fireplaces, others a private terrace. Each room is named after a Belgian painter and decorated accordingly.