Iconic Belle Époque landmark in Brussels reopens as Corintha Brussels following €150m investment

Corinthia announces the reopening of Brussels’ Grand Hotel Astoria after completing an extensive €150 million rebuild and restoration of the hotel.

The Corinthia Brussels, situated on Rue Royale, opens on Monday (today) amidst the Maltese group’s global expansion. Formerly the Grand Hotel Astoria, this Belle Époque landmark has undergone a complete transformation, now featuring 126 rooms and suites, and a subterranean spa.

Corinthia Brussels is the second new Corinthia hotel in as many months following the opening of The Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel in New York, and it promises to be an “unparalleled destination” for locals and international travellers, a statement by Corinthia read.

Originally opened in 1910, the project to restore this Brussels landmark has been reimagined by the Corinthia Group – whose operating company, Corinthia Hotels, now take on the management of this palais at the heart of Europe’s capital.

Corinthia Group is renowned for owning and managing luxury hotels in prestigious cities worldwide, including London, Budapest, St. Petersburg, and Lisbon, with additional projects in development.

Last week, the company announced it is exploring new investment opportunities in collaboration with Kuwait-based Action Real Estate Company.

Simon Naudi, Corinthia Group CEO, said: “Corinthia Brussels has brought out the best in our Group and highlights our quite unique involvement as investors, developers and operators.”

QP, a Corinthia Group company, handled design and project management, while the Group’s hotel operating arm, Corinthia Hotels, now assumes the responsibility to breathe life into the operation at the highest levels of luxury travel.

Simon Casson, CEO of Corinthia Hotels, said: “Corinthia Brussels marks an exciting chapter for both our brand and the city. This project isn’t just about restoring a hotel – it’s about redefining what luxury hospitality can be. By collaborating with some of Belgium’s most forward-thinking craftspeople and gastronomic minds, we’re challenging conventions and creating something truly special.”

Reuben Xuereb, CEO of QP, said: “Corinthia Brussels has been a complex project, ably handled by our project management team on the ground supported by our lead designers and project delivery managers based at our offices in Malta. Under the watchful eye of the local heritage authorities, we have painstakingly worked with leading contractors, craftsmen and artisans to recreate one of Europe’s finest hotels”.

Situated in Notre Dame aux Neiges, Corinthia Brussels has “long symbolised grandeur and sophistication,” the statement added.

Commissioned by royal decree and designed by Henri Van Dievoet, a Belgian architect, it was originally conceived as a palace to host distinguished guests of the King.

It closed in 2007, and some years later was acquired by Corinthia who took on the task to lead, finance, restore and rebuild this hotel. After a four-year restoration programme, meticulously preserving the ground floor and façade, undertaken in collaboration with Urban Brussels and the Royal Commission, it becomes a “beacon of gastronomy, urban relaxation and refined Belgian living.”

The hotel has partnered with two much-loved, Michelin-starred, Belgian chefs with dining concepts; Le Petit Bon Bon and Palais Royal, while Belgian mixologist bartending sensation Hannah von Ongevalle opens her first solo bar concept with Under the Stairs. While their concepts are unique, chefs David Martin and Christophe Hardiquest share a similar work culture; nurturing young talent in a “kind, creative and collaborative kitchen,” the statement added.

Over 1,200 square metres, the spa features seven private treatment rooms, steam room, sauna, experience showers, tearoom and fitness centre with personal training by former British Army physical training instructor Paul Tucker.