Not having visited Brussels since my days as an Interrailing backpacker – when the prospect of staying at a five-star hotel was about as feasible as popping into Hermès to pick up a Birkin to accompany my 35l Karimoor – I assumed that it would be bursting with ritzy stays. Surely Brussels, home to the European Parliament and, therefore, a magnet for visiting dignitaries, diplomats and heads of state, would have an abundance of chic places for said heads to rest? A Four Seasons, for sure. Probably a Rosewood. Maybe a Ritz-Carlton. A Conrad at the very least.

Not so. When I pose the question about competitors to various staff at the recently opened Corinthia Brussels, I’m met with blanket bemusement. The closest thing, I’m told, is the Hotel Amigo, a Rocco Forte hotel practically on the Grand-Place – aka tourist central – and Corinthia Brussels certainly is not that.

Brussels isn’t lacking in wealthy clientele, world-class food or grand architecture – so why the absence of hotels to match? Well, it seems those magnificent buildings may be providing as much in the way of barriers as they are opportunity.

Sitting on the site of the former Hotel Astoria – a Beaux-Arts property built in 1910 at the behest of King Leopold II to host visiting royals and VIPs during the Brussels International Exposition – it seems Corinthia was not the first hotel group to set its sights on this majestic location. Attracted by its prime Rue Royale location (walking distance from all the main sightseeing spots but far enough away to avoid the throngs), in the years since the original hotel closed in 2007, practically every luxury hotel group has investigated the possibility of setting up shop here – only to be discouraged by the prohibitive cost of restoring its listed Henri Van Dievot architecture.

Eventually, in 2016, Corinthia took the plunge – embarking on a seven-year restoration project which would also see the hotel envelop two adjacent buildings, expanding its offering to 131 rooms and 36 suites. It’s evident that this has been a monumental effort. It took two years alone to restore the breathtaking 15-metre-long stained glass roof in the Palm Court, which had been shut away since 1947 due to lack of water tightness, forcing restorers to work from archival photographs.

Eagle-eyed visitors may also notice the slightly wobbly door handles in the breakfast room or the incongruous postbox behind the concierge desk. Far from an oversight on the hotel’s part, so precious were these original features deemed by Belgium’s cultural authorities that even restoration was barred. Should those door handles break further in the future? They must remain that way. Not that this has deterred the hotel from making good use of these features: visit at Christmas and your children will be encouraged to post their letter to Santa through said century-old postbox.

So, a monumental effort, yes, but seemingly also a monumental success. Since reopening in December 2024, the hotel has welcomed stars including Rihanna and, during my visit, the President of Indonesia, having had to turn away other heads of state due to a delay in the delivery of bulletproof glass. I am reliably informed it is now present and correct should Trump, Starmer, et al be reading.

And, while the hotel accepts that diplomatically-led stays may be it’s bread and butter – it quite literally rolled out the red carpet for Prabowo Subianto and his entourage – there’s also plenty here for those looking to escape work and embrace play. A live piano tinkles in the Palm Court from Thursday to Sunday, transforming even a humble cup of coffee into a chic occasion, while in the Salon Elisabeth (previously the Waldorf Hall), the Astoria Concerts have recommenced for the first time in 50 years. Once the epicentre of Brussels’ classical music scene and host of the esteemed Queen Elisabeth Competition, now world-class artists including violinist Tatiana Samouil, cellist Marie Hallynck and pianist Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden perform intimate recitals in these storied surrounds.

Elsewhere, guests can take private tablescaping classes from the Corinthia’s own event go-to, Les Tables de Joséphine, or experience the Brussels that exists away from the Manneken Pis and Grand-Place with a specially curated Art Deco tour. Designed to both put the hotel’s own Art Nouveau style into context, and offer a broader understanding of the artistic and social influences that led to the emergence of Art Deco as it celebrates its centenary, this fascinating tour takes in two wildly different but equally entrancing former private homes: the Van Buuren House and the Villa Empain (now the Boghossian Foundation). If authenticity and culture are high on your travel wishlist, it shouldn’t be missed.

Of course, for all it’s history, the Corinthia Brussels is still very much a 21^st century hotel – and you won’t be left wanting for modern amenities. Rooms come complete with Hypnos mattresses, Ghd hairdryers and Diptyque toiletries. It’s also the first suite I’ve stayed in to come with a USB-C wall charging socket – a sign of things to come, no doubt. Take one of the hotel’s five Signature Suites and you may even find yourself with a baby grand piano or private Technogym-fitted gym to boot.

Not lucky enough to have your own weight rack? You’ll find one (and practically every other piece of gym machinery you could desire) in the basement – but I highly encourage turning left out of the lift instead and heading to the adjacent Sisley spa. A vast space incorporating a swimming pool (rather chicly flanked at one end by a fireplace), vitality pool, sauna, steam room, experience showers and spa cafe, the stars of the show here are the Sisley-designed treatment rooms and the impeccable menu offered inside.

Utilising the highly regarded Parisian brand’s products for facials, and the Espa equivalent for body treatments, there’s something for every ache, pain and concern. As usual, it’s the therapists that make all the difference. Only every truly happy when a massage leaves me feeling like a piece of tenderised steak, I’m relieved when my therapist Manon repeats sternly that I’m to tell her if the pressure is off or something isn’t quite right. It’s completely unnecessary – the woman has fingers of steel.

Speaking of steak, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the F&B offering at Corinthia Brussels is pretty great. Overseen by David Martin, holder of two Michelin stars for his Anderlecht eatery La Paix, evenings begin at Under The Stairs: the rather straightforwardly named speakeasy-style bar helmed by Hannah Van Ongevalle. A creative force of nature who relishes in guessing a person’s favourite cocktail by asking them their star sign or favourite Leonardo DiCaprio movie, menus change quarterly and, for now at least, celebrate the type of bold femininity for which Van Ongevalle is a poster child.

From there, you have two choices: the more relaxed Le Petit Bon Bon brasserie or the fine dining Palais Royale. At the former, chef Christophe Hardiquest dishes up a playful take on his influential Bruxellois restaurant, Bon Bon, which closed in 2022. Served in an elegantly retro dining room filled with vast wood-framed mirrors, olive velvet banquettes and a copper wall through which the kitchen team can be seen at work, broadsheet-sized paper menus offer modern takes on Belgian classics, including vol-au-vents (dinner plate-sized puff pastry cases filled with chicken and mushroom sauce), veal meatballs, steak au poivre with exemplary frites, and chocolate moelleux. It’s seriously hearty stuff. Go hungry.

At the other end of the scale, but no less belt loosening, David Martin’s Palais Royale promises a seven-course set menu at lunch and a choice of ten or twelve courses at dinner. A la carte is also available but, honestly, why deny yourself the experience – especially when it’s this good?

Shaped by Martin’s Belgian heritage, as well as a career that’s taken him across France and Japan, rather than adhering strictly to a specific culinary tradition, dishes take the best of what’s in season and treat them in the best way Martin knows how. Don’t think warm oysters are your thing? Let Martin’s Gillardeau oyster with green pepper and thyme prove otherwise. Always secretly thought wagyu to be a little overhyped? Allow Palais Royale’s slab of buttery unctuousness to show you what all the fuss is about. I’ve never considered myself much of a dessert person but I could have eaten a whole tray of the strawberry and olive tartlets.

Having only been open a few months, Palais Royal didn’t make the cut for this year’s Michelin Guide but, being in a job where I eat at such establishments with embarrassing regularity, I recommend you book now before the star hunters get in on the action next year.

In fact, it’s a recommendation that applies across the board at Corinthia Brussels. This Grand Dame may have been a long time coming but, now she’s here, everyone is going to want a piece of her.

Rooms from €755 (approx. £650) per night, visit corinthia.com

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