Where to stay in Brussels: the best neighbourhoods and hotels

Nothing quite prepares you for the Grand Place. You duck down a narrow lane and suddenly you're standing in a square of gold-trimmed guildhalls with a Gothic town hall spearing the sky. The streets around it are a happy jumble of chocolate shops, beer cafés, comic-strip murals and the glass-roofed Galeries Royales. The Manneken Pis is a few minutes away, and smaller than you expect.

Stay here and you can walk to almost everything. The most famous hotel in town is steps from the square and the town hall; a boutique five-star full of its owner's art collection sits on the handsome Place des Martyrs; and a design hotel is within ten minutes' walk of both the Grand Place and the Manneken Pis. Families might prefer the Sainte-Catherine quarter, known for its seafood restaurants, where a family-friendly hotel overlooks the church.

Climb the hill from the old town and Brussels puts on its good coat. The Grand Sablon is a sloping square of antique dealers and the country’s most celebrated chocolatiers, with the Magritte Museum and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts a short walk away. Beyond it, Avenue Louise runs south in a parade of luxury boutiques.

This is where to stay for a grown-up weekend. A stately five-star on Avenue Louise oozes old-world elegance; another hides a 400-square-metre garden above the street. Just off the avenue, a townhouse hotel sits in 2,000 square metres of private garden, a real surprise this close to the centre. Art Nouveau fans will find the Horta Museum within walking distance.

East of the centre, around Schuman and Place du Luxembourg, is the Brussels of the evening news: the European Commission, Council and Parliament, and the thousands of people who work in them. It is not all glass and steel. Parc du Cinquantenaire, with its triumphal arch and museums, and little Parc Léopold are both close by.

Hotels are polished and business-minded, which means weekend visitors often get more for their money. A five-star stands on Place Jourdan, a proper neighbourhood square famous for its chip stand; another offers a library bar and an interior garden. Schuman station is on the doorstep of several, with trains to the airport taking around 16 minutes.

At the top of Rue Neuve, the city's busiest shopping street, Place Rogier marks the point where the old town meets the modern business district. Just beyond, the Botanique, a 19th-century glasshouse turned concert venue, sits in its terraced gardens and hosts some of the best gigs in Belgium.

The hotels here are larger and often better value than those by the Grand Place, which is still only a short walk or a couple of metro stops away. There's a grand old five-star 100 metres from Rogier station, an art-themed hotel beside the Botanique with some of the biggest rooms in the city, and a botanical-themed hotel with a gym and sauna.

Brussels-Midi, the South Station, is where the Eurostar from London pulls in, along with fast trains to Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne. The neighbourhood is functional, not beautiful, and you would not choose it for a romantic weekend. What it offers is speed: step off the train and your day has already started.

For a one-night stop, a late arrival or a trip built around day excursions to Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, it is ideal. One hotel sits inside the station with direct access to the Eurostar terminal; another is two minutes’ walk from the platforms. The old town is within walking distance, or a few minutes away by metro.

Brussels Airport is close to the city, so the hotels around it work for more than just stopovers. Several are within a five-minute drive of the terminal, with shuttle buses, secure parking and soundproofed rooms, and the train from nearby Diegem station reaches the centre in about 15 minutes.

They're a sensible choice if you are driving, flying out at dawn or visiting the offices and NATO headquarters nearby. One has a rooftop restaurant and wellness facilities; others offer park-and-fly packages. For sightseeing, though, you will have more fun in town.

South of Brussels the suburbs give way to the Sonian Forest, a vast, cathedral-like beech wood, and to a string of lakes and country estates. This is where city-dwellers come to walk, cycle and eat long Sunday lunches, and the battlefield of Waterloo is a few minutes’ drive away.

A handful of resort hotels make the most of it. One château-style five-star looks out across Lake Genval; another hides in the forest with an indoor pool, a spa and two restaurants. Further east, a hotel in the countryside near Wavre has an outdoor swimming pool and free parking. You will want a car, and you will not miss the traffic.