Brussels' Grand Place

Saturday, 29, Jan 2011 02:55

Laura Caplin discovers another Travelbite.co.uk travel hot spot on a city break in Brussels.

If you think of the Belgian capital as a boring business centre, think again. After the roaring success of ''Museum Night Fever' in Brussels last year, the city is fast making a name for itself as a cultural hotspot.

This year the spectacular evening of exhibitions, live performance, music and workshops across all the city's top museums is taking place on 26th February, and throughout the month the city is buzzing with art fairs, events and special exhibitions.

You'll need somewhere restful and stylish to stay, and there is no better spot than the Hotel Amigo. Silver carriage clocks on the dressing table. Political cartoons on the walls. An silk scarf artfully draped over the back of a chair.

Dries Van Noten in full statuesque magenta glory in the lobby, Pierre Marcolini on your pillow and Ren in the supersized bathroom. Attention to detail is the Amigo's secret ingredient - and it's all in the pursuit of creating a 'home from home' for waffle-weary wanderkind.

In the same family for nearly 50 years, Rocco Forte's 2005 takeover-makeover has brought a renewed sense of style to this grand institution, but not at the expense of sincerity: the team are still proud friends of the original owners.

Suites - and what suites - function as equal parts Belgian cultural shrine and bedroom; from the monochrome to the Magritte, the Amigo flaunts Flemish fantasy as gallery, catwalk, country mansion and family heirloom rolled into one.

Take them up on a personal shopping package and you'll leave showered with gifts before you've even made it to the Avenue Louise; come back to such a warm reception you'll almost be carried to your room. Brussels never felt so far from business and now is the time to go.

Laura Caplin

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