La Madeleine

Housed in a historic building on the handsome Rue de la Montagne, the two-star La Madeleine hotel is a fine base for the urban traveler.

Spread over five floors, La Madeleine’s 56 rooms vary in size. Some are just big enough for a double bed, while others are spacious duplexes with their own stairs and soaring ceilings. The décor is eccentric, and does not shy away from bold colors. You may see swirling gold bedspreads against red carpets and floral curtains. Only some rooms have televisions, so those who can’t live without their nightly Friends re-runs should ask ahead.

A few rooms share toilets and showers, while most have en-suite bathrooms. Some of these are quite chic—think black and grey, très Architectural Digest.

An adequate free breakfast is served in the ground-floor dining room, which is reminiscent of a 1980s school cafeteria. Since three-quarters of its customers are businessmen, La Madeleine gears its services accordingly. It offers services like 12-hour dry cleaning, ticket reservations, coach tours to other Belgian cities and car rental. On the other hand, it has little to offer for recreation—except for its superb location. From here, all the attractions in the old city are within a ten minutes’ walk.

Wi-Fi is available for an additional fee.