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Brussels · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels in the university district, Brussels

Hana Okada

Hana Okada The Low Countries

Updated 1 September 2026 · 94 Brussels hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Brussels, out of the 94 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, all five scoring 4.6.

Sofitel Brussels Europe is the one I would book myself.

Sofitel Brussels Europe

Highest rated of the five

Sofitel Brussels Europe

★★★★★4.6 from 2,222 reviews

Sofitel Brussels Europe comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.6 from 2,222 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under the airport.

94 hotels in Brussels qualified for this list and five made it. Hotel NH Collection Brussels Grand Sablon is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

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All five, ranked

  1. Sofitel Brussels Europe1

    Sofitel Brussels Europe

    ★★★★★4.6 from 2,222 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. Hotel NH Collection Brussels Grand Sablon2

    Hotel NH Collection Brussels Grand Sablon

    ★★★★★4.6 from 2,160 reviews

    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  3. HAPPY guesthouse3

    HAPPY guesthouse

    ★★★★★4.9 from 186 reviews

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    • Moxy Brussels City Center4

      Moxy Brussels City Center

      ★★★★★4.6 from 911 reviews

      • Spa
      • Gym
      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Pet friendly
      • Air conditioning

      Check rates Read more

    • The Usual Brussels5

      The Usual Brussels

      ★★★★★4.6 from 859 reviews

      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Pet friendly
      • Kid friendly
      • Air conditioning
      • Accessible

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    How this list was put together

    94 Brussels hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

    Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

    The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

    What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

    Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

    Hana Okada

    Hana Okada The Low Countries

    Plans trips around bridges and old infrastructure. Thirty-one named bridges in 14 countries, each photographed, with sketches kept in numbered notebooks.

    Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.