Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels

(Redirected from Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria) Hotel in Brussels, Belgium

Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels
The Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels seen from the Rue Royale/Koningsstraat

Former names	Hotel Astoria
Alternative names	Grand Hotel Astoria, Corinthia Brussels
Hotel chain	Corinthia Hotels International
General information
Type	Hotel
Architectural style	Eclectic Beaux-Arts
Address	Rue Royale / Koningsstraat 101–103
Town or city	1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region
Country	Belgium
Coordinates	50°51′4″N 4°21′54″E / 50.85111°N 4.36500°E / 50.85111; 4.36500
Opening	1910 (115 years ago) (1910)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Henri Van Dievoet
Designations	Protected (21/09/2000)
Other information
Number of rooms	126
Facilities	Gastronomic restaurant, Belgian Brasserie, Spa, Bar, Palm Court lounge, Retail space
Public transit access	Brussels-Congress 1 5 Parc/Park and 2 6 Botanique/Kruidtuin
Website
Official website
References

The Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels is a historic five-star luxury hotel in the Freedom Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Built in 1909 as the Hotel Astoria for the Brussels International Exposition of 1910, in a true Parisian spirit, the hotel's Louis XVI façade and majestic interior lend it a distinctly aristocratic appearance. It is considered among the finest luxury hotels in the world, and has served as a famous meeting place for kings and other great statesmen and world personalities. The hotel closed in 2007 and reopened in December 2024.

The hotel is located at 101–103, rue Royale/Koningsstraat, not far from the Congress Column and Brussels Park. This area is served by Brussels-Congress railway station, the metro stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Botanique/Kruidtuin (on lines 2 and 6), as well as the tram stop Congrès/Congres (on lines 92 and 93).

History

Origins and early history

The Hotel Astoria was built in 1909 for the Brussels International Exposition of 1910, at the request of King Leopold II, to replace the former Hotel Mengelle, a vast neoclassical complex designed in the second quarter of the 19th century by the architect T.-F. Suys. The current hotel was designed by Henri Van Dievoet, a nephew of the architect Joseph Poelaert, in an eclectic Beaux-Arts style, mixing borrowings from the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Van Dievoet furnished the hotel's 108 rooms in the Louis XV style, with luxurious amenities such as hot water and electric chandeliers. The laying of the first stone took place in 1909, and the hotel opened in 1910, just in time for the International Exposition.

One of the three most famous hotels in Brussels during the Belle Époque—together with the Grand Hotel on the Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan (currently destroyed) and the Hotel Métropole on the Place de Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein—it belongs to the category of large European hotels. After the First World War, the hotel resumed its activities under the management of Georges Marquet who would soon create many luxurious hotels across Europe.

The Hotel Mengelle in 1885
The Hotel Astoria in the 1920s
A view of the Hotel Astoria's interior

From 1975, chamber music could be heard every Sunday morning as part of the Astoria Concerts. For the wedding of then-Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde in 1999, King Albert II and Queen Paola organised a grand reception in the hotel. Two years later, it was also there that then-Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Minister Johan Vande Lanotte concluded an agreement with Swissair about the fate of Belgium's national airline, Sabena, in the greatest secrecy.

Since 21 September 2000, the hotel has been listed as a protected monument by the Monuments and Sites Directorate of the Brussels-Capital Region.

Closure, renovation and reopening

The hotel closed in 2007 and was sold to Global Hotels & Resorts, owned by the Saudi Arabian Sheikh Mohamed El-Khereji. The architect Francis Metzger (from MA² - Metzger and Associates Architecture atelier) was appointed to lead the renovation and restoration of the historic hotel, as well as its extension in five adjacent buildings (one of them was demolished in 2010 to become a new wing of the hotel). The work was not completed and the hotel remained vacant for several years. It was acquired in 2016 by the Maltese group Corinthia Hotels. The restoration work resumed under the direction of Francis Metzger and a team composed of the architects Monica Marteaux and Frederic Huwaert. It was completed in 2023.

The hotel reopened under the name Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels on 9 December 2024. The two-storey-high, 15-metre-long (49 ft) glass roof, which disappeared after 1947 because of watertightness issues, was reconstructed with the help of period photographs, and is now adorned with its original coloured and painted stained glass. The restaurants are currently open to the public and the other accommodations will officially become available in April 2025.

Building and amenities

Before restoration, the hotel had 118 rooms. With its new configuration, it now offers 126 rooms, including 31 suites and five signature suites. The establishment also houses Corinthia Spa by Sisley, a 1,200 m (13,000 sq ft) spa and wellness centre; expanded modular meeting rooms complete with technological equipment; a Palm Court lounge; Under the stairs, a bar created by the mixologist Hannah Van Ongevalle; Palais Royal, a gourmet restaurant by the Michelin-starred chef David Martin; Le Petit bon bon, a gourmet brasserie by the chef Christophe Hardiquest; Coutume, a concept store of Belgian luxury brands; as well as a private members' club.

Famous guests

The hotel has become a mythical place in Brussels. For a century, it has been the meeting place for kings and greats of this world. In the guestbook, many famous personalities can be found: heads of state and prime ministers like Adenauer, Ben-Gurion, Churchill, Eisenhower, Edward Heath, Édouard Herriot, Hirohito and the Shah; artists like Dalí; writers like James Joyce and Marguerite Yourcenar; actors like Pierre Fresnay and Gérard Philippe; singers like Maurice Chevalier; and musicians like Khachaturian, Menuhin, Oistrakh and Rubinstein.