Hotel Scene: Brussels

During the week, the city is flooded with bankers and business men and women and hotel rates are higher. Over the weekend, when businessmen and women leave town, rates drop. A double room in a budget hotel will usually run between €50-€100 on a Saturday or Sunday night, but can get as high as €250 when rooms are in demand during the week. Hotel rates are lowest during the summer months, when business travel is at its lowest. A trip during June or July, for example, will be much cheaper than a visit in October or November.

We stayed in Brussels for four nights in mid-March, 2008, and toured nearly 50 budget hotels, hostels and B&Bs. We found an array of quaint, small budget accommodations—mostly family-run with few amenities—and a flourish of B&Bs and guesthouses full of charm and personality. And, of course, we found some chain hotels. We've reviewed a few that we felt were either A) worth the splurge (starting rates of €100 a night) or B) full of cheapo delights such as free Wi-Fi and breakfast.

And, now a quick note on location: If you can sacrifice the idea of being within spitting distance of Grand Place (or, as one of our staff members says, "squirting distance from Manneken Pis"), you will find the best hotel deals in Ixelles, Ste. Catherine and Marolles. Sure, they don't have the guild house façades from the middle ages, but they've got spirit. And, they're cheaper!

-Meredith Franco Meyers