The Best Hotel in Brussels, Belgium

This sumptuous stay in the European Quarter stands apart from the area's litany of glass-and-steel buildings. In fact, this was Brussels' first five-star stay when it opened in 1991, and while things have moved on since, it is still unlike anything else in the city. Stitched together from a pair of old convents and a neoclassical mansion, its leafy grounds have something of the English-style country house about them, from the ivy-clad walls and library bar to the elegant Brighton restaurant, inspired by the Royal Pavilion in the UK city of Brighton. Lunch underneath its 100-year-old magnolia tree is a delight. Throughout the 1990s, this hotel was a favorite among visiting celebrities and dignitaries, and recent renovations have restored the rooms and grounds to their heyday.