Sofitel Brussels Europe

Far from the chocolate shops and historical buildings of the tourists’ Brussels — well, not literally far, but you get the point — is the sparkling newish EU district, home, mostly, to endless ministry buildings and a stable of corporate chain hotels. And a few gems. The Sofitel Brussels Europe is one of the latter; who knew technocrats had such a soft spot for fancy modernist furniture?

To be fair Sofitel is a corporate chain itself — it’s just that it’s one that manages to exemplify the better things about chain hotels (mostly service and consistency) without committing any of the major chain-hotel wrongs (boring sameness in design, general oversizedness). 149 smart sharp-edged rooms come with everything a business traveler needs, from laptop safes and wireless internet to espresso machines and flat-screen televisions, with channels from each of the EU member countries, so you’re never far from your local news.

There’s more meeting space than you’ll know what to do with, and it’s perhaps not as close to the chocolate-shop Brussels we were talking about before as many leisure travelers would like it to be. But you don’t have to be here on quasi-nongovernmental business to enjoy it; the fine French restaurant’s food tastes the same whether or not you’re on an expense account.

How to get there:
Sofitel Brussels Europe is approximately a 30-minute drive from Brussels International Airport and a taxi will cost approximately €40. The hotel can also provide roundtrip airport transfers for €80.