The country’s most luxurious hotel is open: “Several film stars and musicians have booked for the summer” (Brussels)

Brussels Hotel Astoria reopens. — © Het Nieuwsblad

Hotel Astoria in Koningsstraat was the most prestigious hotel in the capital last century. Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhouwer, Robert Schuman, Bob Dylan, Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol, among others, stayed there. In 1999, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde even celebrated their wedding there. (Read more below the photo)

The hotel closed its doors in 2007 and since 2016 the hotel has been taken over by the Corinthia group. Eight years later, the hotel opens under the name Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels. “There was still room in Brussels to open a real luxury hotel,” said manager Jan Hayen. (Read more below the photo)

“A clientele that could spend the night luxuriously in other central cities was left wanting in Brussels. We have therefore set the standard very high for these customers. In terms of surface area, we have been very generous with our rooms. The regular rooms have an area of ​​38 square meters, while the penthouse is 330 square meters. You have to pay 20,000 euros for that.” (Read more below the photo)

The reception room is also a beautiful place to stay with the original chandeliers and a glass dome. “The entire ground floor is listed and we have tried to preserve it as best as possible. We scraped the last layer of paint on the walls to discover the original color of 1910. We tried to recreate the glass dome as best as possible using postcards. Over the years, it had been replaced by a flat roof due to water seepage and rust.” (Read more below the photo)

In addition to the 126 rooms, there are also two restaurants, a spa and fitness and several salons. “The luxurious rooms are mainly for international guests, but all other facilities are also available for Brussels residents. There are two restaurants where star chefs David Martin and Christophe Hardiquest are involved. But Le Petit bon bon aims at a wide audience with its brasserie cuisine and very accessible prices – a queen’s snack costs 26 euros. The staff selection procedure was also important to us and we invested heavily in it. The hotel is there, but it is the staff that gives extra character to this place.” (Read more below the photo)

And the staff is proud to work in the hotel. “I have already worked in a five-star hotel, but the luxury here is of a different order. It is exciting to participate in this new project,” says server Joaquim Lak. (Read more below the photo)

Jacobo Echanove is beaming again in the reception room. “I have only heard positive feedback from the first customers here. Over the past two weeks, more than a hundred Brussels residents have come to ask if they could enter because they used to come here for a coffee. So you notice that this hotel is anchored in this city.”