Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria
The Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria seen from the Rue Royale/Koningsstraat
Former namesHotel Astoria
Hotel chainCorinthia Hotels International
General information
TypeHotel
Architectural style
AddressRue Royale / Koningsstraat 101–103
Town or cityB-1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region
CountryBelgium
Coordinates50°51′4″N 4°21′54″E / 50.85111°N 4.36500°E / 50.85111; 4.36500
Opening1910 (1910)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Henri Van Dievoet
DesignationsProtected (21/09/2000)
Other information
Public transit access
Website
Official website
References
[1]

The Hotel Astoria is a currently closed historic five-star luxury hotel in the Freedom Quarter of Brussels, Belgium. Built in 1909 for the Brussels International Exposition of 1910, in a true Parisian spirit, the hotel's Louis XVI facade and majestic interior lend it a distinctly aristocratic appearance.[2] It is considered among the finest luxury hotels in the world, and has served as a famous meeting place for kings and other great statesmen and world personalities. The hotel has been closed since 2007 and is set to reopen in late 2023 as the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels.

The hotel is located at 101–103, rue Royale/Koningsstraat, not far from the Congress Column and Brussels Park. This area is served by Brussels-Congress railway station, the metro stations Parc/Park (on lines 1 and 5) and Botanique/Kruidtuin (on lines 2 and 6), as well as the tram stop Congrès/Congres on lines 92 and 93.[3]

History

Origins and early history

The Hotel Astoria was built in 1909 for the Brussels International Exposition of 1910, at the request of King Leopold II, to replace the former Hotel Mengelle, a vast neoclassical complex designed in the second quarter of the 19th century by the architect T.-F. Suys. The current hotel was designed by Henri Van Dievoet (1869–1931), a nephew of the architect Joseph Poelaert, in an eclectic Beaux-Arts style, mixing borrowings from the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Van Dievoet furnished the hotel's 108 rooms in the Louis XV style, with luxurious amenities such as hot water and electric chandeliers. The laying of the first stone took place in 1909, and the hotel opened in 1910, just in time for the International Exposition.[1]

The Hotel Astoria's architect, Henri Van Dievoet

One of the three most famous hotels in Brussels during the Belle Époque—together with the Grand Hotel on the Boulevard Anspach/Anspachlaan (currently destroyed) and the Hotel Métropole on the Place de Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein—it belongs to the category of large European hotels.[1] After the First World War, the hotel resumed its activities under the management of Georges Marquet who would soon create many luxurious hotels across Europe.[4]

Contemporary

The Hotel Astoria in 2008

From 1975, chamber music could be heard every Sunday morning as part of the Astoria Concerts. For the wedding of then-Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde in 1999, King Albert II and Queen Paola organised a grand reception in the hotel.[5] Two years later, it was also there that then-Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Minister Johan Vande Lanotte concluded an agreement with Swissair about the fate of Belgium's national airline, Sabena, in the greatest secrecy.[6]

Since 21 September 2000, the hotel has been listed as a protected monument by the Monuments and Sites Directorate of the Brussels-Capital Region.[1] The hotel closed in 2007 and was sold to Global Hotels & Resorts, owned by Saudi Arabian Sheikh Mohamed El-Khereji.[7] In 2010, work began on renovations, including the demolition of an adjacent building for construction of a new wing for the hotel. The work was never completed and the hotel remained vacant. It was acquired by Corinthia Hotels in 2016[8] and is set to reopen under the name Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels[9] in late 2023.[10]

Famous guests

The Hotel Astoria has become a mythical place in Brussels. For a century, it has been the meeting place for kings and greats of this world. In the guestbook, many famous personalities can be found: heads of state and prime ministers like Adenauer, Ben-Gurion, Churchill, Eisenhower, Edward Heath, Édouard Herriot, Hirohito and the Shah; artists like Dalí; writers like James Joyce and Marguerite Yourcenar; actors like Pierre Fresnay and Gérard Philippe; singers like Maurice Chevalier; and musicians like Khachaturian, Menuhin, Oistrakh and Rubinstein.[4]

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (2016). "Hôtel Astoria" (in French). Brussels. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Astoria: Die Nobelherberge von Brüssel", in, Bonn Journal, nov. 1972, n° 11, pp. 43 to 45 and Olivier Stevens, "La vie de palace. 3. L'hôtel Astoria. Palace et carnet mondain", in, La Libre. Match, n° 256 3–9 August 2006, pp. 88 to 95, (with illustrations).
  3. ↑ "CONGRES - 93 STADE - STIB Mobile". m.stib.be. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 Jean d'Osta, Dictionnaire historique et anecdotique des rues de Bruxelles, Brussels, 1986, p. 288–289
  5. ↑ E.W. "Le mythique Astoria va renaître en 2021... En attendant, on a pu voir sa toute première chambre". La Libre.be (in French). Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  6. ↑ "Het ontluisterende Astoria-akkoord". Site-Knack-NL (in Dutch). 31 October 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Corinthia dedicates €60 million to revamping Astoria hotel in Brussels".
  8. ↑ CORINTHIA HOTELS ANNOUNCES THE ACQUISITION OF GRAND HOTEL ASTORIA, BRUSSELS http://www.corinthia.com/press-releases/corinthia-hotels-announces-the-acquisition-of--grand-hotel-astoria-brussels/ Archived 10 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ "Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels". Corinthia. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Brussels begins transforming 'ghost hotel' into luxury city resort".
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