Brussels Bruxelles - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 429

from India to Japan to Bali (Sb-€95, standard Db-€120, deluxe
Db-€140, large suite-€210, much lower rates in Aug, special 20
percent off—even on discounted rates—with two-night stay and
this topic, elevator, Internet access and Wi-Fi, parking-€10, airport
shuttle available, 23 Quai au Bois à Brûler, tel. [phone], fax
02-217-1887, www.brusselshotel.travel, [e-mail],
run by Sophie and Michel Smeesters, plus Vincent and Natasha).
Tour Michel's rooms on the Web.
$$$ Citadines Sainte-Catherine Apart'hotel, part of a
Europe-wide chain, is a huge apartment-style hotel with modern,
shipshape rooms. Choose from efficiency studios with fold-out
double beds or two-room apartments with a bedroom and a fold-
out couch in the living room. All 163 units come with a kitchen,
stocked cupboards, a stereo, and everything you need to settle
right in (one- or two-person studio-€125, €63 July-Aug; apart-
ment for up to four people-€155, €105 July-Aug; 15 percent cheaper
by the week, breakfast-€13, Wi-Fi, parking-€10, 51 Quai au Bois
à Brûler, tel. [phone], fax [phone], www.citadines.com,
[e-mail]).
$$$ Hotel Noga feels extremely homey, with 19 rooms, a
welcoming game room, and old photos of Belgian royalty lining
the hallways. It's carefully run by Frederich Faucher and his son,
Mourad (Sb-€90, Db-€110, Tb-€135, Qb-€160, all rooms about
20 percent off Fri-Sat and in Aug, 5 percent discount if you pay in
cash, very quiet, non-smoking rooms, Rue du Beguinage 38, tel.
02-218-6763, fax [phone], www.nogahotel.com, info@noga
hotel.com).
Hostels
Three classy and modern hostels—in buildings that could double
as small, state-of-the-art, minimum-security prisons—are within
a 10-minute walk of the Central Station. Each accepts people of all
ages, serves cheap and hot meals, takes credit cards, and charges
about the same price. All rates include breakfast and showers
down the hall.
$ Bruegel Hostel, a fortress of cleanliness, is handiest and
most comfortable. Of its many rooms, 22 are bunk-bed doubles
(S-€31, D-€45, beds in quads or dorms-€18.60, nonmembers pay
€3 extra per night, includes sheets and breakfast, open 7:00-13:00
& 14:00-1:00 in the morning, Rue de St. Esprit 2 midway between
Midi and Central stations, behind Chapelle church, tel. 02-511-
0436, fax [phone], www.vjh.be, [e-mail]).
$ Sleepwell, surrounded by high-rise parking structures, is
also comfortable (S-€41, D-€60, T-€85, dorm beds-€19-30, reduced
rates for multi-night stays, includes breakfast, non-smoking,
Internet access in lobby, Rue de Damier 23, tel. [phone],