Brussels: Hôtel Le Dixseptième (Hotel)

Address: Rue de la madeleine 25, Ilôt sacré , Brussels 1000, Belgium
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Lonely Planet Review

Behind Le Dixseptième's discreet facade, its 24 rooms (including 12 suites) are sumptuously and individually appointed. With spacious contemporary studios housing original art and Louis XVI style suites with expansive salons and exposed-beamed ceilings, attention to detail extends right down to shoe horns and emery boards.

Steeped in history, Le Dixseptième's preserved features include a magnificent atmospherically creaking oak staircase and original marble fireplaces (the one in the panelled bar's lit in winter, but fireplaces in guest rooms can't be used). The formal breakfast room's laid with white china, weighty silverware and fresh flowers, and looks out onto an enchanting little courtyard which is aglow with candles at night. The crème de la crème of the rooms is the Courtens suite with a wired media/sitting area, original staircase separating its two storeys, plush monogrammed towels and robes, scented soaps, and a sun-drenched private terrace with views of Brussels's gargoyled, Gothic Hôtel de Ville (town hall) - the only building on the Grand Place to escape the 1695 French bombardment, despite being the target.