Hotel Review: Hotel des Galeries, Brussels

Less than a five-minute stroll from the city's showpiece, the Grand-Place, and in the central pedestrianised area, the hotel has one of the best locations for access to the main city-centre attractions. It's also just five minutes from a mainline station and Metro.

By plane: there are direct flights from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Birmingham. The hotel is a 30-minute drive from the airport. Book flights to Brussels.

By train: the Eurostar goes direct from London St Pancras to Brussels (2 hours). The terminal is a 25-minute walk from the hotel. Book trains to Brussels.

With its plate-glass entrance door and tiny reception, the hotel is often mistaken for an art gallery. Its light and contemporary style - white walls, oak floors, framed contemporary art prints - continues throughout the corridors, restaurant and bedrooms, so you feel you've been invited to a rather cool and select gathering.

The staff, who know Brussels well, go out of their way to help guests, and provide a more personal welcome than many of the larger hotels. The hotel is not big on extra space or additional bells and whistles, although there's a tucked-away inner courtyard.

• Restaurant
• Bar
• Coffee house
• Garden
• Terrace
• Library
• Room service
• Free Wi-Fi

Bedrooms are spread over four floors, and continue the minimalist style with white walls and furniture, wood floors and careful splashes of colour in bold rugs, funky bedside tables or retro-style chairs. Bathrooms are big and with glossy tiles, and most with free-standing baths.

Room types: Queen Room, Twin Room, King Room, Duplex Suite, Suite 38

Key amenities: ensuite with bath and shower, TV, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, adapter, wake-up service

The long, narrow ground-floor restaurant, Le Comptoir de Galeries, is open to the public and has an open kitchen; it serves a short but interesting menu of Modern European dishes like cod with chorizo and Iberico pork presa with carrot purée and ginger. Breakfast is a simple but relaxed affair with cheeses, charcuterie, and eggs cooked to order

Comptoir des Galeries: modern European fine dining. Open Tues-Fri 12-2pm and 7-10pm and Saturday 7-10pm. Dinner set menus from €39.