Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria
| Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria | |
|---|---|
 The Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria seen from the Rue Royale/Koningsstraat | |
  Location within Brussels  Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria (Belgium) | |
| Former names | Hotel Astoria |
| Hotel chain | Corinthia Hotels International |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Architectural style | |
| Address | Rue Royale / Koningsstraat 101–103 |
| Town or city | B-1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region |
| Country | Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°51′4″N 4°21′54″E / 50.85111°N 4.36500°ECoordinates: 50°51′4″N 4°21′54″E / 50.85111°N 4.36500°E |
| Opening | 1910 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Henri Van Dievoet |
| Designations | Protected (21/09/2000) |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access |
|
| Website | |
| Official website | |
| References | |
| [1] | |
The Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria, formerly the Hotel Astoria, is a 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 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
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. It 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. He furnished the 108 rooms in the Louis XV style, with luxurious amenities such as hot water and electric chandeliers.
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]
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 Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Minister Johan Vande Lanotte concluded an agreement with Swissair about the fate of 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] After standing vacant for 10 years, it was acquired by Corinthia Hotels in 2016[7] and is set to reopen in 2022 under the name Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels.[8]
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]
Gallery
The Hotel Astoria of Brussels in the 1920s
A view of the interior of the Hotel Astoria
The hotel's architect, Henri Van Dievoet
The Hotel in 2008
See also
- Hotel Le Plaza, Brussels
- Hotel Métropole, Brussels
- History of Brussels
- Belgium in "the long nineteenth century"
References
Notes
- ^ a b Région de Bruxelles-Capitale (2016). "Hôtel Astoria" (in French). Brussels. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ "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).
- ^ "CONGRES - 93 STADE - STIB Mobile". m.stib.be. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ a b Jean d'Osta, Dictionnaire historique et anecdotique des rues de Bruxelles, Brussels, 1986, p. 288–289
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Het ontluisterende Astoria-akkoord". Site-Knack-NL (in Dutch). 31 October 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
- ^ 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/
- ^ "Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels". Corinthia. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
External links
- CS1 French-language sources (fr)
- CS1 Dutch-language sources (nl)
- Articles with short description
- Use British English from November 2021
- Use dmy dates from November 2021
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Articles containing French-language text
- Articles containing Dutch-language text
- Official website not in Wikidata
- Hotels in Belgium
- City of Brussels
- Buildings and structures in Brussels
- Protected heritage sites in Brussels
- Hotel buildings completed in 1909
- Heritage hotels
- World's fair architecture in Belgium
- Buildings by Henri Van Dievoet