Stay Away from the Ordinary in Brussels

Here I am! Brussels, Belgium—home to beers , frittes, waffles, and chocolates galore! During my visit I had the opportunity to stay at a super cool concept hotel called Hotel Bloom!  Everything at this property is in line with the theme  “Stay Away from the Ordinary.”  And, no two rooms are alike. No wonder TripAdvisor named Hotel Bloom! the “12^th trendiest hotel in the world” recently.

Walking into the four star Hotel Bloom! which is located beside the botanical gardens, I didn't feel like I was walking into a hotel. It felt more like an art museum.  The lobby walls are painted with street graffiti from local artists, big leather sofas inviting me to take a break, and two interesting “bubble chairs” are suspended from the ceiling... begging me to be a kid again.  And I fell in love with the latest Belgian techno music pouring out of the restaurant lounge, Smoods.

The building was a former Hyatt Hotel and then a Mercure.  Back in the day, Michael Jackson stayed here and requested a suite with a wooden floor—so he could practice his dance moves.  The hotel had a wooden floor installed. That former suite is now the fitness center—and the wooden floor remains.

When Hotel Bloom! began, it invited young artists from 22 EU countries, comprising 44 nationalities to submit proposals based on the theme “bloom” for a chance to have their work displayed in the hotel.  The artist were then invited, in groups of 20, to stay on property for one week. During that week, they designed their room with their concept in mind.  Each room is unique and has a photo of the artist and a brief description of the concept.  The room numbers outside each door also display a QR code you can scan for additional info on that room and artist.