Stanhope Hotel Brussels by Thon Hotels

In bureaucratic Brussels, home to the headquarters of the European Union, gargantuan business hotels are the rule. But the Stanhope is the exception — nothing megalithic about it, this hotel is sewn together from an old convent and the surrounding townhouses, and the result is possibly Brussels' most exclusive and elegant hotel.

The interiors are, oddly enough, decorated in an English country house style, with classical furnishings and floral-print fabrics, and antiques cover every exposed surface. Facilities, though, are up-to-date, including internet access, laptop safes, and the obligatory marble bathrooms. New additions are slightly more contemporary in style, though still in keeping with the country house theme, and the Brighton restaurant is fashioned after King George IV's Brighton Pavilion, and features a portrait of the man himself amidst its Chinese-via-England décor.

The location is central, just off the av. Louise shopping district, and close by the European Parliament. This is the perfect spot for VIPs to stow away, out of the public eye, in a small and discreet five-star alternative to the massive conference hotels. For the full celebrity treatment, try the Royal Suite in the House of Ambassadors wing — that is, if there's not a bona fide ambassador occupying it.

How to get there: The Stanhope is located 14 km from Brussels Airport.