A top class establishment

The name says it all: Rue Royale. Starting at the Royal Palace of Brussels, the road passes Brussels Park and the Parliament building, before arriving at door number 103, behind which stands an institution only marginally less prestigious than its neighbours: today it is called the Corinthia Hotel, but it was previously known as the Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels. As part of the Brussels International Exposition of 1910, architect Henri van Dievoet transformed the guest house that was occupying the site at the time into a magnificent hotel in the Belle Époque style. For almost 100 years, the Astoria was the place to be for the upper echelons of Belgian society, as well as some well-heeled visitors. But in 2007, the lights in its impressive, eleven-metre-high ballroom went out. And it would take 17 years for them to come back on again – in a refurbished and modernised hotel building of the highest class. The self-assured claim by the new owners, the Corinthia Group, speaks for itself: they are compensating for the lack of "very high class rooms" in Brussels.

The planners at Metzger et Associés Architecture, who were commissioned for the renovation, were faced with a difficult task. First, they needed to take account of the listed status of the building, which didn't just affect the façade and roof, but also parts of the interior. In spite of this, the new owner wanted to completely reconfigure the rooms, reducing their number, but increasing their size. The focus was now on suites. However, this also posed an unusual challenge, as the old Astoria had positioned its King Suite on the first floor. The architects were therefore tasked with moving this up to a higher floor to provide a better view. This meant that the finest details needed to be completed while keeping a constant eye on the bigger picture – and the project took four years. Looking at the result today, it's clear that it was worth the wait. The new Corinthia Hotel has 126 rooms, a spa, two restaurants with top-class chefs, and five signature suites, including the Royal Heritage Suite and the Presidential Suite.

It is only a slight exaggeration when the new Corinthia talks about its "collection of suites" on its website. Each is a work of art, an original, just like the rest of the building. The spectacular glass dome above the bar? The gigantic chandeliers? The historic architecture of the façade? Everything has been meticulously restored, right down to the smallest detail, and sensitively complemented with new, high-quality elements and the finest craftsmanship. Modern and efficient building technology also forms part of the holistic approach. In this case, an intelligent Gira KNX system is used, controlled via the Gira HomeServer acting as a central interface. The system is operated via the Gira pushbutton sensor 4 System 55 – highly intuitive and perfectly matched to the sophisticated interior. The use of cover frames from the Gira Esprit design line in gold showcases the high standard of the design, right down to the finest detail. The building technology itself therefore becomes an expression of uncompromising comfort and, incidentally, perfect design. As if it were made for this most prestigious of addresses.