Where to stay: Bed and Brussels, Hotel Bloom!, Hotel Café Pacific & Silken Berlaymont Hotel

BED & BRUSSELS

Get a sense of local colour – and a warm welcome. For a great perspective on Brussels stay in a B&B. Bed & Brussels has been operating since 1995 and has more than 185 carefully selected guesthouses on it books. In each, you can get right away from traditional tourist haunts and immerse yourself in the real life of the city.

Rooms are spread across the city – from the outskirts to the very centre – and are graded according to style and quality, with furnishings ranging from Art Nouveau antiques to cool minimalism. The host families are strictly vetted to ensure that guests get a good introduction to Brussels.

You can stay for one night, one week or even longer, with prices starting at €55 per night for a double room. Special rates are available for children and long-term stay.

For more information visit www.BnB-Brussels.be, call 00 32 2 646 0737 or e-mail info@BnB-Brussels.be

HOTEL BLOOM!

Funky, bright, refreshing, Hotel Bloom has been wowing local residents as well as guests since it opened in September 2007. A truly modern design it's located next door to Brussels' old botanical gardens – hence the name. It offers 306 generously sized bedrooms, many individually decorated with murals by European art students. Downstairs, ultra-healthy breakfasts are served in the sleek OO! dining room. And, SmoodS is an expansive chill-out living area divided into seven mood zones, like "passion", "flower power" and "bling-bling".

READER OFFER

SmoodS Dining – Exclusive dining in our recently opened restaurant SmoodS

* 1 night in a unique "fresco" room including a large buffet breakfast * Free use of fitness centre and free wireless internet * 3-course dinner "a la carte" at SmoodS. Special price : €87pp. Offer is valid for stays until 28 December 2008 – subject to arrivals on Friday-Saturday. Please quote The Independent when booking your stay at the hotel by phone or by email. Hotel Bloom! Rue Royale 250 (00 32 2 220 6611; www.hotelbloom.com)

HOTEL CAFÉ PACIFIC

Hip and cute, this boutique hotel opened in the summer of 2007, set in Brussels' most happening designer shopping area. Behind the building's original, elegant 1890s stained-glass entrance the decor is contemporary-chic, with clean lines, a bright smooth look and well thought out detail.

There are just 12 bedrooms and one duplex suite, each decorated individually and all designed to provide a relaxing atmosphere with clever lighting and comforting colours while much careful attention has been paid to the neat bathrooms.

The ground-floor bar and café has retained the original wood panelling on its walls and evokes both past and present with a modern yet nostalgic look. It is open all day – head here for particularly lively evenings.

READER OFFER

Weekend in cutting edge designers district at one of Brussels best boutique hotels for €179

* 1 night in a double Deluxe room * Breakfast included * Bottle of Champagne at arrival

Subject to hotel availability, from September to December 2008. Please quote The Independent when booking your stay at the hotel by phone or by email. Hotel Café Pacific, Rue Antoine Dansaert 57 (00 32 2 213 0080; www.hotelcafepacific.com). Standard double rooms cost from €189

SILKEN BERLAYMONT HOTEL

This modern and fashionable hotel is in the heart of the European Quarter. It has 214 sleek and stylish rooms, a luxury mosaic-tiled spa with Turkish bath, a funky coffee house, a chic bar and a respected restaurant, L'Objectif.

The hotel also functions as a modern photographic art gallery, its walls adorned with a collection of more than 450 contemporary works by photo-artists from countries across Europe. In 2001, it opened a dedicated exhibition space, the Zoom Gallery, off the lobby, where temporary shows are dedicated to individual artists, changing every four months.

The hotel's annual photographic awards, open to all European photographers, take place in January.

READER OFFER

4* €95 per person, €190 for the weekend in a double

* 2 nights stay in a double room * Full American Buffet Breakfast * Bike at your disposal

* "Art Nouveau" cycling tour on Saturdays * 2 days free metro pass

Please quote The Independent when booking your stay at the hotel by phone or by email. Hotel Silken Berlaymont, Boulevard Charlemagne 11-19. Standard double rooms from €121 per night, including breakfast (00 32 2 231 0909; www.hotelessilkenberlaymont.com).

Interesting? Click here to explore further