BOUTIQUE CHIC

The Dominican in Brussels proves to be a hidden gem in the centre of the city.

IF MY EXPERIENCE WAS ANYTHING TO GO BY, FINDING THE DOMINICAN by Brussels taxi is an arduous experience. Even telling two taxi drivers that it’s on Leopoldstraat didn’t help much – they fiddled with their GPS gizmos, moaned about how many Leopoldstraats there are in town, and generally scored nil points when it came to initiative. When I finally arrived, the charming receptionist and I had a good moan: apparently, the taxi driving fraternity have been slow on the uptake since the hotel opened last November. Their loss, I’d say.

Tucked in behind the Théatre la Monnaie and very near the Grand Place, this hotel particulier stands on the site of a 15th-century Dominican abbey and was the 19th-century home of the French painter, Jacques-Louis David. Today, the frontage is no great architectural shakes – windows are modern, plasterwork is rendered in a neutral colour, there are grey awnings over the windows and a couple of box trees sit by the main entrance.

But once inside, it’s a different story. Monumentally tall wrought iron and glass doors lead into a thoroughly charming and atmospheric foyer, bar, restaurant and courtyard that all manage to be separate and yet interlinked. Ceilings are high and proportions are grand. This may well be labelled a contemporary boutique hotel, but it’s got all the embellishments and luxe of a more elegant, bygone era. Huge arched windows let in masses of light, there are grand clusters of velvet-clad chairs and banquettes and plenty of discreet nooks and crannies to cosy up in to block out the harsh realities of the world.

The bedrooms are a similarly evocative style. My good-sized room on the fifth floor was quiet and had windows overlooking the grassy central courtyard. It was a feast of dark wood and rich fabrics: the headboard was made up of alternating blocks of brown suede and striped velvet, and there were lovely bedside lamps with deep green silk shades. Even the tea and coffee-making paraphernalia had been given its own Dominican twist – it’s not often you get your own Nespresso machine, tea bags from Mariage Frères and cans of either pomelo or lychee juice.

One disappointing feature with the upstairs is the corridors. They appear to have been totally ignored. All the thought and stylishness that’s been employed in the bedrooms and public spaces seem to have been omitted from the blank passageways that lead from the lifts. The lighting is too dim and the atmosphere is utterly flat.

Breakfast revealed a generous and well-stocked buffet with all the usual suspects and service that was perky and attentive. I was disappointed, then, when the cheese omelette I ordered arrived crisp on the outside and far too over-cooked. Clearly, the word baveuse is an unknown concept here.

But the real trauma was provided by a group of workmen out in the courtyard, who managed to deafen the entire room throughout the whole of the breakfast service by wielding their pneumatic drills on some unsuspecting concrete. They, I notice, had ear-plugs: sadly, we did not!

I doubt this noise pollution is a regular feature of The Dominican, though. And assuming it’s not, I would say that this is an utter gem of a hotel in an unrivalled position in the epicentre of Brussels. It’s stylish, comfortable and well run, and would be even more so if it tarted up those dingy corridors a little bit.

THE DOMINICAN
LEOPOLDSTRAAT 9, 1000 BRUSSELS
TEL. +32 (0) 2 203 08 08

MANCHESTER

GREAT JOHN STREET HOTEL
GREAT JOHN STREET TEL. +44 (0)161 831 3210

Owners Sally and Eamonn O’Laughlin were among the first in the region to push a boutique format. The twosome have charmed footballers and government ministers with their offerings, but this is their most ambitious project yet. Housed in a former Victorian school and retaining parts of the original layout (the separate girls’ and boys’ staircases are a cute touch) it comes replete with a velvet-lined reception, meeting areas and 30 individually-furnished guestrooms. There are impressive details like the rooftop hot tub and the eclectic collection of new and old artefacts. Bonus points are notched up with the off-menu room service and an open-air ‘playground’, complete with hammocks and loungers. A genuine one-off.

LONDON

THE GORE HOTEL
190 QUEEN’S GATE, SW7
TEL. +44 (0)20 7584 6601

Dating back to 1892, The Gore Hotel has had a £3m (€3.8m) refurbishment of its bedrooms, bringing it straight into the 21st-century while retaining such antique features as mahogany panelled bathrooms, four-poster beds and even, in the sumptuous Tudor Room, an ornate minstrel’s gallery. Every one of the 50 guestrooms is decorated in opulent fabrics with beautiful antique furniture, plus mod cons such as DVD players and wireless broadband. Located between Knightsbridge and Kensington, it’s ideal for central and west London and has two impressive banqueting rooms for business or social functions. With configurations for private dining, conferences, board meetings and cocktail parties, you may never need to leave its impeccable environs.

LUXEMBOURG

LE GRAND DUCAL
40 BOULEVARD D’AVRANCHES
TEL. +352 24 87 71

Offering a superb central location and comfort and service of the highest standard, this hotel lives up to its regal name. The new development on the edge of the Petrusse valley overlooks the historic city, is five minutes by taxi from the airport, and five minutes by foot from the central railway station. The Top Floor Restaurant sums up the pleasure of staying at this hotel. Gourmet food is served with fantastic views in keeping with its ethos of l’art de vivre, while three private dining rooms are also on hand for meetings. An excellently equipped wellness centre has all you need to work up a decent sweat, though it may take more effort to leave your beautifully designed room, which contains everything you need and more.

ROTTERDAM

BILDERBERG PARKHOTEL
WESTERSINGEL 70
TEL. +31 (0)10 436 36 11

The Bilderberg has been one of the best hotels in town since it opened in 1922 in an oasis of green in the city centre. Just around the corner is Rotterdam’s bustling centre with shops, cafés and restaurants, while the museum park, with famous museums like Boijmans van Beuningen, the Kunsthal and the Dutch Architecture Institute, is also nearby.

The 189 comfortable rooms are spacious and remarkably quiet, while the hotel’s city garden provides a little spot of calm among the bustle of the city. And watch out for the annual herring party if you’re staying during the first week of June. This is generally when the first herring of the season is served and celebrated in the hotel’s garden.

The oldest part of the building has a long history as the home of a rich Dutch family, and some original features remain, such as the old metal window frames. Just as old is the marble fl oor leading to the well known Restaurant 70, which serves a modern Mediterranean dinner to the Bilderberg’s largely business guests.

WORDS BY SIMON PARKES