Brussels' Astoria hotel to reopen in November

The famous Hotel Astoria on Rue Royale is set to reopen in November 2024, after extensive renovations aimed at making it Brussels' most luxurious five-star hotel.

The complex will boast 126 rooms and suites, a bar, a spa, two restaurants and a private club, Bruzz reports.

Hotel Astoria was first built in 1909 at the request of Léopold II to welcome visitors to the 1910 World Fair, quickly becoming a landmark that drew celebrities, monarchs and heads of state throughout the last century.

Salvador Dalì, Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower, among others, are said to have stayed there.

In 2000, the hotel's facade, roof and parts of its interior were listed for sale but the building then lay abandoned until Saudi Sheikh Mohammed Youssef El-Khereij's group bought the hotel in 2007.

The group failed to complete the planned renovation works and the hotel was then bought by Maltese luxury hotel chain Corinthia Hotels in early 2016.

It will reopen its doors in November under the name Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels.

Prices are not yet confirmed, but the cheapest night's stay is expected to be around €650 per night, rising to €10,000 for the most luxurious suites.

With this price point, the hotel chain aims to attract a new kind of clientele to Brussels, an audience not yet served in Europe's capital, according to the owners.

Brussels-based Francis Metzger, who specialises in restoring buildings with cultural heritage, was appointed as architect and confirmed that the nearly four years of work will finish by November.