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Where to Stay in Brussels for a Local Experience

When in Brussels, stay off the tourist-friendly path and explore hidden gems such as the Parc du Cinquantenaire
When in Brussels, stay off the tourist-friendly path and explore hidden gems such as the Parc du Cinquantenaire | © Tomasz Spychala / EyeEm / Getty Images
Photo of Julia Buckley
Julia Buckley
30 December 2020

History, style and a healthy dash of irreverence – Brussels is one of Europe’s great capitals. You have everything, here: a tightly knit medieval core, a stately “new” town perched up above, filled with sinuous art-nouveau architecture; great museums and galleries; and, of course, a lifetime’s worth of beer. Its hotel scene is just as buzzing – whether it’s a fun theme or a sterling architectural conversion. Here’s our pick of the best places to stay for an authentic feel of the capital of Belgium.

Hotel Amigo

Courtesy of Hotel Amigo / Expedia.com
Ballroom
Bar
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Restaurant
Lobby
Children’s Activities
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Courtesy of Hotel Amigo / Expedia.com
Trust Brussels to make a grande dame a little less stuffy: this may be a five-star hotel right next to the Grand Place, but it’s also somewhere you can try a gin and tonic “flight” – yes, a sample of three combos – at Bar A, before delighting in modern Italian food at Ristorante Bocconi. The rooms are far from uptight, with funky patterned headboards, colour-popping furniture and, from the Armand Blaton suite, a view over the Unesco-rated City Hall. Check out the works by great Belgian artists – including Magritte – that adorn the walls.
Everything you need to know

At a Glance

Free WiFi
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Restaurant
Express check-out
Concierge services
24-hour front desk
Fitness facilities
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Multilingual staff
Bar/lounge
Smoke-free property

Hotel des Galeries

Courtesy of Hotel des Galeries / Expedia.com
Lobby Lounge
Front of Property
View from Property
Restaurant
Bar
Terrace/Patio
Hallway
City View
Bathroom
Room
Outdoor Dining
Exterior detail
Courtesy of Hotel des Galeries / Expedia.com
It’s not every day you get to stay in a national monument, and it’s even less likely that you’ll sleep in a love-nest accessed by a private footbridge. Both are on the cards, however, at the Hotel des Galeries, situated just above the shops in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, the city’s stately, glass-roofed, 19th-century shopping mall. The owner is an interior designer and it shows – midcentury furniture comes straight from the antiques market at the Sablon, and the parquet floors and colourful bathroom tiles put you in the holiday mood. And that love-nest? It’s a duplex suite, tucked in the eaves of the gallery.
Everything you need to know

At a Glance

Free WiFi
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Restaurant
In-room accessibility
24-hour front desk
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Multilingual staff
Terrace
Bar/lounge
Smoke-free property

Maison Flagey

Courtesy of Maison Flagey / Booking.com
Bathroom
Living Area
Terrace/Patio
Exterior
Private Kitchen
Room
Interior Detail
Courtesy of Maison Flagey / Booking.com
In hip Ixelles, among a mixture of art nouveau buildings, buzzy bars and brilliant independent shops, is this delightful hotel, which walks a perfect line between traditional and trendy. Those floral bathroom tiles? Done wrong, they’d look like your grandparents’ house but here, they’re part of a time capsule so perfect that it’ll have you dreaming of wood panelling and flouncy bedspreads long after you get home. Some even have terraces and balconies on which to soak up the Ixelles vibe.
Everything you need to know

At a Glance

Free WiFi
Terrace
Smoke-free property

The Dominican

Courtesy of The Dominican / Expedia.com
Living Area
Room
Bathroom Shower
Breakfast Area
Interior
Bathroom
Bar
Sauna
Restaurant
Meeting Facility
Courtyard
Lobby
Courtesy of The Dominican / Expedia.com
Your shoulders will drop, as will your heart rate, the second you walk into this modern monastery, built on the site of an authentic 15th-century predecessor. Gregorian chants are piped through a lobby scented by flickering candles, meditative flames dance around the multiple fireplaces; drinks and breakfast, meanwhile, are served overlooking the cloister. Upstairs it’s all Cistercian chic, with monastic-print carpets, granite-style nightstands, and lamps doubling as bits of faux-gothic sculpture. If that doesn’t help you fully wind down, there’s always the minibar, which is free.
Everything you need to know

At a Glance

Free WiFi
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Restaurant
In-room accessibility
Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
Express check-out
Conference space
24-hour front desk
Fitness facilities
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Multilingual staff
Terrace
Bar/lounge
Smoke-free property

Art de Séjour B&B

Boutique Hotel, Bed and Breakfast
Map View
Art de Séjour B&B
Courtesy of Art de Séjour B&B / Booking.com | Courtesy of Art de Séjour B&B / Booking.com
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Don’t be put off by its B&B status; as the name suggests, this place will really teach you the art of staying well in Brussels. In a neoclassical building near the famous Manneken Pis statue, these rooms are a cut above your average B&B, with swish parquet floors and neutral palettes, plus funky feature walls. Owner Mario also whips up a mean breakfast.
Open In Google Maps
12 Rue des Bogards, Bruxelles, Bruxelles, 1000, Belgium
+3225139755
Visit Website

MAS Residence

Courtesy of MAS Residence / Expedia.com
In-Room Business Center
Food and Drink
Porch
Private Kitchen
Building design
Front of Property
Room
View from Room
Lobby Sitting Area
Bathroom
In-Room Dining
Living Area
Courtesy of MAS Residence / Expedia.com
Brussels hotels can be quite intimate, so if you prefer your own space, try these furnished suites and apartments, which look like anything but your standard apart-hotel. Scarlet walls, funky patterned wallpaper and duck-egg blue sofas are par for the course in this flamboyant turn-of-century building. You’re in the European quarter here, which means you’re near the best after-work bars, and close to the European House of History – one of the world’s greatest museums, it tells the story of the continent through its objects, starting with a bust of Aristotle and finishing with a Brexit badge.
Everything you need to know

At a Glance

Free WiFi
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Concierge services
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Multilingual staff
Terrace
Smoke-free property

Made in Louise

Courtesy of Made in Louise / Expedia.com
Room
Interior Entrance
Exterior detail
Exterior
Bar
Restaurant
Bathroom
Breakfast Area
Lobby
Courtyard
Interior
Interior Detail
Courtesy of Made in Louise / Expedia.com
Sassy as it looks, this has been a hotel since 1911, but it was gussied up a century later by a sympathetic sibling duo, who’ve added super-soft beds and pretty feature wallpaper. Some rooms overlook a leafy courtyard while others face onto the street, right in the middle of the art nouveau buildings on the outskirts of Châtelain, perhaps the loveliest, most laidback area of the new town. Breakfast is a treat, with locally made granola, cold cuts, and the moreish Sirop de Liège.
Everything you need to know

At a Glance

Free WiFi
Breakfast available (surcharge)
Concierge services
24-hour front desk
Dry cleaning/laundry service
Terrace
Bar/lounge
Smoke-free property

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    • Hotel Le Dixseptième

    Boutique Hotel
    Map View
    Hotel Le Dixseptième
    Courtesy of Hotel Le Dixseptième / Expedia.com
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    You want history? This place dates back to 1695; though that’s not where it started – the original building went up in the 14th century, before Louis XIV destroyed the area and it had to be rebuilt. Not that you need to worry about creaky pipes and bad infrastructure; it’s a thoroughly modern, luxury property these days, with all the discreet marble bathrooms and mole-coloured furnishings you’d expect from the 21st century. Some rooms even look over a pretty garden – a tranquil view if you had too much beer the night before.
    Open In Google Maps
    25 Rue de la Madeleine, Bruxelles, Bruxelles, 1000, Belgium
    +3225171717
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    Zoom Hotel

    Courtesy of Zoom Hotel / Expedia.com
    Room
    Bar
    Courtyard
    Lobby Lounge
    Restaurant
    Living Area
    Exterior
    Interior
    Terrace/Patio
    Courtesy of Zoom Hotel / Expedia.com
    No room is the same at the rabbit warren-y Zoom, spread over three wings – you might have a rib-squeezing ensuite corridor to a huge bathroom, a sprawl-worthy sofa or a particularly arty black and white photo of the city behind your bed. This is a place for lovers of 35mm film – there’s a display of old cameras in the lobby (which are for sale) and even the open wardrobes and bed frames are made of photoshoot scaffolding. The sweet breakfast area turns into a beer bar as soon as they’ve cleared away the buffet.
    Everything you need to know

    At a Glance

    Free WiFi
    Breakfast available (surcharge)
    24-hour front desk
    Dry cleaning/laundry service
    Multilingual staff
    Terrace
    Bar/lounge
    Smoke-free property

    DRUUM

    Courtesy of DRUUM / Expedia.com
    Bathroom
    Room
    Breakfast buffet
    View from Room
    Room Amenity
    Bathroom Shower
    Courtesy of DRUUM / Expedia.com
    Here’s a real taste of Brussels magic: five rooms, each designed by a different artist, all outré enough to make you feel like the star of your own installation. Pick from Gerlando Infuso’s deliberately distressed, exposed-brick urban fantasy, Catalina Quezada Ortega’s surreal dream of a room, or if you’re feeling brave, David Bade’s bright yellow character-filled space, halfway between a hotel and a playroom. A mansion built for a factory owner in what was once called the “devil’s corner” of town, this place is gloriously quirky.
    Everything you need to know

    At a Glance

    Concierge services
    Multilingual staff
    Smoke-free property

    Train Hostel

    Courtesy of Train Hostel / Expedia.com
    Room
    Bathroom
    Exterior detail
    Courtyard
    Bathroom Sink
    Lobby Sitting Area
    Terrace/Patio
    Interior Detail
    Interior
    Hallway
    Front of Property
    View from Room
    Courtesy of Train Hostel / Expedia.com
    Everyone has an inner trainspotter, and this is the place to let it out: a load of old railway carriages cantilevered above the city on top of a century-old building. Choose from train-themed dorms and ensuite rooms in the main building or – because why else would you be here – plump for a real train cabin, either in a six-bunk dorm or a gloriously old-timey, wood-panelled suite, complete with ensuite bathroom and rooftop terrace. Those interiors you want to take home? They’ve all been upcycled, so have a rootle around the city’s flea market in the Place du Jeu de Balle if you feel inspired.
    Everything you need to know

    At a Glance

    Free WiFi
    Breakfast available (surcharge)
    Restaurant
    In-room accessibility
    Multilingual staff
    Terrace
    Bar/lounge
    Smoke-free property
    These recommendations were updated on December 30, 2020 to keep your travel plans fresh.
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