Corinthia now has a presence in the heart of Brussels following a €150 million rebuild and restoration of the historic Grand Hotel Astoria.

Situated on Rue Royale in the Notre Dame aux Neiges district, the Corinthia Brussels opens on Monday and is the latest jewel in the Malta-based hotel group’s crown. 

Formerly the Grand Hotel Astoria, the iconic Belle Époque landmark has undergone a complete transformation, now featuring 126 rooms and suites, and a subterranean spa.

It is the second new hotel that Corinthia has launched in as many months, following the opening of The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel in New York’s Upper East Side of Manhattan.

A suite at the hotel.

The Malta-founded and publicly traded Corinthia Group owns and operates high-end hotels across the globe, in major cities including London, Budapest, St Petersburg and Lisbon. Other properties in Bucharest, Doha, Riyadh and Rome are in the pipeline.  

Last week, the company said it was exploring further investment opportunities in tandem with the Kuwait-based Action Real Estate Company. 

Commissioned by royal decree and designed by Henri Van Dievoet, the Grand Hotel Astoria was originally conceived as a palace to host distinguished guests of the King of Belgium.

It first opened in 1910 and was considered one of the finest hotels in the world. With its era-defining architecture and opulent interiors, it became synonymous with elegance, hosting illustrious guests like Winston Churchill and Andy Warhol. 

The hotel's Palm Court restaurant.

The hotel shut down in 2007. In 2016, the Corinthia Group purchased the property and began preparations to bring it back to life. Works began four years ago and have now been completed. 

The original façade and first floor of the hotel were preserved, with works undertaken in collaboration with Urban Brussels and the Royal Commission. 

The hotel features two Michelin-starred Belgian chefs in Davide Martin and Christophe Hardiquest and a bar led by mixologist Hannah von Ongevalle. An excavated floor beneath the hotel hosts a 1,200 square metre spa with seven private treatment rooms, a steam room, sauna, experience showers, tea room and fitness centre with personal training by former British Army physical training instructor Paul Tucker. 

QP, a Corinthia Group company, handled the design and project management of the restoration project, while the Group’s hotel operating arm, Corinthia Hotels, will operate it. 

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

Simon Casson, CEO of Corinthia Hotels, said the hotel will redefine “what luxury hospitality can be.” 

Reuben Xuereb, CEO of QP, said the project to restore the hotel was a complex one. 

“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,” he said.