HARMON HOUSE

Thanks to its own long history as a commercial center, as well as its more recent tenure as the unofficial capital of the European Union, Brussels has more than its share of perfectly conventional luxury hotels. A single 27-room boutique hotel, no matter how thoughtfully conceived and flawlessly executed, isn’t going to change that all on its own. But the Harmon House’s approach makes it distinctive, even unique — and for us, that’s more important than most of the traditional measures.

It’s set in a townhouse not far from the Avenue Louise, a central enough location for business and leisure alike. The residential setting makes for an added measure of privacy, and there’s an air of the members’ club about the Harmon House, with its multi-use social spaces, where co-working blends seamlessly into dinner or entertaining over drinks. The common spaces are stylish, as are the rooms, some of which are decorated in rich, saturated colors, others in a monochrome scheme, with lavish bathrooms in either white marble or dark granite. Some have views of the Brussels rooftops, thanks to their elevation, and all are considerably more attractive than what you’ll find in this town’s less adventurous luxury hotels.