Hotels
Best hotels in Brussels: where to stay, from the Grand-Place to Avenue Louise
A light rain falls on the Grand-Place and the gilded guildhalls glow against the grey sky. From one corner comes the smell of fresh waffles, from another Belgian beer. Brussels has a reputation as a city of bureaucrats. Spend a weekend and you soon discover one of Europe's most underrated food cities.
This page contains affiliate links. If you book through them, Picolo earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Our picks are made independently by our editors.
Brussels is a small capital. You can cross the centre, with the Grand-Place and the narrow streets around it, in half an hour. Most of what you want to see lies inside the ring road that follows the old city walls. Beyond it are the elegant districts along Avenue Louise and the EU quarter, where many hotels were built for business travellers.
That makes Brussels easy to stay in, but the mood changes quickly from street to street. We have chosen eight hotels across four areas, from a hotel right behind the Grand-Place to a Norwegian-run hotel in the heart of the EU quarter. We say honestly who each one suits. Our links go to Hotels.com, and we always choose the hotel first.
In short: where to stay in Brussels
For a first visit, stay in the centre, within walking distance of the Grand-Place, restaurants and the main stations. Sainte-Catherine is the best choice for food and a more local feel, while Avenue Louise suits travellers who want calm, shopping and bigger rooms.
Our first choice: The Dominican. Check availability and prices
Best for romance: Hotel Amigo
Best for families: Steigenberger Wiltcher's
Best for first-timers: The Dominican
Best for value: Thon Hotel EU
Best for design: Juliana Hotel Brussels
How to choose a hotel in Brussels
Weekday or weekend: many hotels cater to the EU and business. Rates often fall at weekends, especially in the EU quarter and along Avenue Louise.
Centre or beyond: in the centre you walk everywhere, but the streets around the Grand-Place stay busy late. A little further out, nights are quieter and rooms bigger.
Trains: from Brussels-Midi, trains reach Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp in an hour or less, and Eurostar and high-speed trains run to London and Paris.
Airport: the train from Brussels Airport to the centre takes about a quarter of an hour.
Public transport: the metro and trams cover the city well and are quicker than walking to the Atomium or the EU quarter.
Food and drink: Brussels is a city for eating, from mussels and frites to chocolate and hundreds of Belgian beers. Stay near Sainte-Catherine or Ixelles if restaurants are a big part of the trip.
The view
The view from Hotel Amigo.
The centre: the Grand-Place and the old streets
Around the Grand-Place lie narrow streets of chocolate shops, beer bars and covered nineteenth-century shopping galleries. It is the busiest part of Brussels and the most atmospheric in the evening.
Hotel Amigo: right behind the Grand-Place
Amigo sits on a narrow street just behind the town hall on the Grand-Place, in a building that once served as the city jail. Today it is an elegant hotel with artwork by Belgian comic artists in the rooms and a bar where locals drop in after work.
It gets our vote as the romantic pick: step out of the door and you are on one of Europe's most beautiful squares within a minute. It is expensive, and the surrounding streets are busy with visitors by day. Early in the morning, before the tour groups arrive, you have the square almost to yourself.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Amigo
The view
The view from The Dominican.
The Dominican: a monastery site behind the opera
The Dominican sits behind the La Monnaie opera house, on the site of a former Dominican monastery. The hotel is built around a covered courtyard with tall windows, and the rooms are calm and modern with dark wood and deep colours.
It is our pick for a first visit: central, yet with a stillness that is rare so close to the Grand-Place. The galleries and restaurants of the centre are minutes away. Rooms are not large, but well planned, and the courtyard restaurant is a fine place for a long breakfast on a rainy day.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Dominican
The lobby
The lobby at Hotel Le Plaza.
Hotel Le Plaza: a grand hotel from the 1930s
Le Plaza stands on Boulevard Adolphe Max in the north of the centre and opened in the 1930s. The lobby has marble, chandeliers and a theatre salon still in use, and the rooms are large and classic.
It works best for travellers who want old-world elegance and space at a sensible price. The boulevard outside is busy rather than beautiful, but the Grand-Place is a ten-minute walk and Brussels-Nord station is close.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Le Plaza Brussels
The bar
The bar at Juliana Hotel.
Sainte-Catherine: the old fish market
Sainte-Catherine lies north-west of the Grand-Place, where the city's port and fish market once were. Today it is one of the best areas for food, with seafood restaurants, wine bars and a more local mood.
Juliana Hotel: design by Sainte-Catherine
Juliana is a small design hotel in Sainte-Catherine, with velvet, brass and art on the walls and a small indoor pool in the basement. The restaurants along the old fish market are right outside the door.
It takes our design pick and suits couples who want food and atmosphere around them. Rooms are few and rates are high. The Grand-Place is ten minutes away on foot, and in the evening the square outside fills with people eating oysters by the fish halls.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Juliana Hotel Brussels
The building
Steigenberger Wiltcher's from the outside.
Avenue Louise: boutiques and calm
Avenue Louise is a wide, elegant street south of the centre, lined with fashion boutiques and embassies, with Art Nouveau houses in the side streets. It is calmer than the centre, and the hotels are bigger.
Steigenberger Wiltcher's: room for the whole family
Steigenberger Wiltcher's is a large hotel in the middle of Avenue Louise, with big rooms, a pool and a spa. It caters to business travellers and families alike, and the tram stops right outside.
It earns our family pick: spacious, calm and with a pool, which is rare in Brussels. The Grand-Place is a quarter of an hour by tram or metro. The mood is more international than Belgian. Children will appreciate the pool after a day at the Atomium and Mini-Europe.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Steigenberger Wiltcher's
The entrance
The entrance to Le Louise Hotel.
Le Louise Hotel: on the edge of the Art Nouveau quarter
Le Louise Hotel sits near Place Stéphanie at the start of Avenue Louise, a modern hotel with French polish. From here you walk into the side streets of Ixelles, with Art Nouveau houses, cafés and small restaurants.
It is ideal for couples and travellers who want good service and a quieter neighbourhood than the centre. It is a city hotel without a garden or pool, so you are paying for the location. Place du Châtelain, with a popular food market on Wednesday afternoons, is a short walk.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Le Louise Hotel Brussels
The building
The Hotel Brussels from the outside.
The Hotel Brussels: views across the city
The Hotel occupies a tall tower at the end of Avenue Louise. From the upper floors you see across the whole of Brussels, from the Palace of Justice to the Atomium. Rooms are modern and bright with big windows.
It is right for travellers who want a view and a modern base with good connections. The building has little charm, and the neighbourhood is mainly shops and traffic. The bar on the top floors is a good spot to watch the city lights come on.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Hotel Brussels
The lobby
The lobby at Thon Hotel EU.
The EU quarter: a Norwegian hotel in Europe's capital
East of the centre lies the EU quarter, home to the European Commission, the European Parliament and Cinquantenaire Park. At weekends it is quiet, and hotels here are often good value.
Thon Hotel EU: Norwegian-run in the heart of the EU
Thon Hotel EU sits on Rue de la Loi, between the EU institutions, and is run by the Norwegian hotel group. Rooms are practical and modern, breakfast is generous in true Norwegian style and the metro to the centre stops right outside.
It is our value pick, especially at weekends when rates often drop. The area is quiet in the evening with few restaurants, so plan on the metro or a twenty-minute walk into the centre. The Parlamentarium visitor centre nearby is free to visit.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Thon Hotel EU
When to book
Advent: the Plaisirs d'Hiver Christmas market fills the centre from late November, with an ice rink and light show on the Grand-Place. Book weekends early.
The Flower Carpet: every other August, in even-numbered years, the Grand-Place is covered with a carpet of begonias. Central hotels fill up.
Weekdays and weekends: during big EU meetings, hotels fill on weekdays. Weekends are often easier and cheaper.
Our first choice in Brussels
The Dominican
We recommend The Dominican because it puts you in the centre, behind La Monnaie opera house, with a calm that is rare so close to the Grand-Place. It stands where a Dominican monastery once did, and the rooms are quiet and modern. The shopping arcades and restaurants of the centre are minutes away.
Frequently asked questions about hotels in Brussels
Where should I stay in Brussels for the first time?
Stay in the centre, within walking distance of the Grand-Place and the main stations. Sainte-Catherine is a good alternative if you want food and a more local atmosphere. Ixelles and Saint-Gilles are quieter districts with restaurants and art nouveau houses, a few stops away by tram or metro.
Is it safe to stay near Brussels-Midi?
The streets right around the station can feel rundown at night, but it is convenient for trains. Many travellers prefer a hotel ten minutes' walk away, such as around Place Rouppe. In the evening it is safer to walk towards the centre along the busier streets.
How far is Brussels Airport from the centre?
The train from Brussels Airport to the city centre takes about a quarter of an hour and runs frequently. The ticket costs more than a normal train fare because of the airport fee, so buy it from the machine before you go down to the platform. A taxi takes about half an hour.
Can you do day trips from Brussels?
Yes, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp are all an hour or less by train. Many visitors base themselves in Brussels and take one day trip. Bruges is the most popular, Ghent the liveliest and Antwerp best for fashion and diamonds. Trains run from all the main stations.
How many nights do you need in Brussels?
Two or three nights covers the centre, the museums and the food. Add a night for a day trip to Bruges or Ghent. Weekends are often cheaper in Brussels than weekdays, as many hotels rely on business travellers and EU meetings during the week.