The Best Cheap Hotels to Book in Belgium

Made in Louise proves that booking bargain Belgian hotels doesn’t mean sacrificing luxurious touches. An old Brussels townhouse in the heart of the Art Nouveau District has been turned into a boutique hotel with Scandi-chic design or willow-patterned walls and supersized beds. Breakfast is a medley of locally sourced continental treats including Belgian cheeses and charcuterie laid out buffet style. Shoppers will love the location, just south of central Brussels, in a chic shopping hub, a ten-minute walk from Louise metro station.

Twenty minutes walk from the Grand-Place, this style-savvy hotel takes its name and its decor theme from photography. The hipster on-site coffee shop and bar stock a vast choice of Belgian beer and quality chocolate, while canary-yellow and slate-grey rooms radiate 21st-century chic. Some of the big beds are metal four-posters, adding a touch of industrial cool. Continental breakfast is served every morning, which you can take out on the plant-dappled terrace if the weather is fine.

In the centre of Ghent, this hotel is an artsy mix of mid-century-chic and natural light. Floor-to-ceiling windows in bedrooms allow views of the street’s striking architecture, along with plenty of sunshine. The geometric motifs above big beds add a little 60s flair, and the lobby is a vision of artsy trinkets and books on shelves towering up to the ceiling. A continental spread of fruit and rich pastries each morning will fuel trips to nearby galleries and shops.

Stepping into the small converted townhouse in Antwerp’s Jewish Quarter is like entering a 19th-century collector’s house. Curios spill from cabinets in the living room, and books fill the shelves while candles flicker. Rooms appear to have been put together by a museum curator rather than an interior designer with old travelling cases and dark-wood furniture. Artfully presented breakfasts of eggs, homemade bread, and cheese on glass dishes are worth getting up for.

Belgium’s cheap hotels don’t come quirkier than this collection of dorms and private rooms with railway motifs and station paraphernalia in the northeast suburb of Schaerbeek. But it’s the train cabin rooms and train suites that set this place apart. Until a few years ago, the carriages were travelling Belgium’s rails; now they stand stationary and unchanged for a night train experience without the timetable. Or upgrade to a suite inside an old train carriage with a full double bed and private shower room. Belgian beer is plentiful in the bar.

Housed in one of the oldest breweries in Bruges, this boutique bar with rooms dates back to 1673. The location doesn’t get much better – five minutes walk from the Markt on the edge of the city’s meandering medieval old town. The charming bar woos with high ceilings, sash windows, and a vast selection of wines and local beers on tap. Rooms are atmospheric and darkly painted, with big windows ensuring canal views, and you can book anything from a single room to doubles, triples, and families.

There’s something of a cinematic touch to the Pentahotel in Leuven. Perhaps it’s the Odeon-like sign outside or the dark and moody tones inside. Rooms vary from the standard in the reds and blacks typical of a local flick house or junior suites in the loft with leather seats and plenty of space to spread out. Go all out and book the player suite, which has a mini-room dedicated to retro arcade games.

Amid the Flemish Renaissance architecture of Antwerp’s protected old quarter, this hotel offers a modern base to explore the centre. Enchanting galleries and museums fill the old streets and it’s just a few steps to the iconic facades of Grote Markt. The interior is a stylish medley of mid-century geometric patterns and plush velvet furnishings, yet the price tag is pleasingly low.

Though the facilities are modern, there’s still some old Flemish charm to Hotel de Flandre. It’s in the heart of Ghent, within easy walking distance of Graslei, the Renaissance street along the riverfront. A former mansion, there’s still a sense of grandeur stepping into the columned lobby. Standard rooms are all sleek modernism while executive rooms sit beneath wood-timbered ceilings; luxury rooms have delicate cornicing and loads of space. Start the day on fluffy pancakes before you set off sightseeing.