24-Hour Room Service: Royal Windsor Hotel, Brussels

But it's the handful of exclusive Fashion Rooms that really sets it apart from other Brussels establishments. There are currently ten, with plans for two more shortly, and each has been individually conceived by Belgian fashion designers such as Pascale Kervan and Haider Ackermann. Choose between the velvet opulence dreamed up by Nicolas Woit or Romy Smits' futuristic decor in the "Rebirth Suite".

LOCATION

Royal Windsor Hotel, 5 Rue Duquesnoy, 1000 Brussels (00 32 2 505 5555; www.royalwindsorbrussels.com). Just a stroll from the beautiful Unesco-listed Grand Place, which was described by Victor Hugo as one of the most heavenly places on Earth. At the very least, make time for a coffee in this architectural gem of a market square so as to admire the ornate guild houses properly. Other attractions within easy walking distance of the hotel include the Royal Palace gardens, the Place du Grand Sablon with its many antique shops and the ever-popular Manneken-Pis statue.

Time to international airport: Brussels airport is a 20-minute ride away with a taxi costing about €40 (£27). Far better to arrive by Eurostar at the Gare du Midi and then either hop in a cab, around €8 (£5.50), or take the short train ride to Brussels central station which is only two minutes from the hotel.

COMFORTABLE?

All of the 266 guestrooms smack of elegant sophistication with rich fabrics and mahogany or oak furnishings. The Nina Meert Fashion Room has dreamy silk taffeta drapes and is a vision of feminine loveliness in pink and peach hues. Everything is backlit or uplit for maximum dramatic effect.

Freebies: Dark and milk Godiva chocolates on the pillow; Carven toiletries in the marbled bathroom.

Keeping in touch: all rooms have telephones, interactive TV and a high-speed internet connection.

THE BOTTOM LINE

A standard double room starts at €126 (£90) per night, splash out an extra €95 (£65) to upgrade to one of the deluxe Fashion Rooms. The buffet breakfast is €25 (£17) but worth it for the mountain of freshly baked pastries and waffles not to mention the smoked salmon and mouthwatering array of cheeses and charcuterie.

I'm not paying that: The four-star Le Dix-Septième hotel is a renovated 17th-century mansion and has attractive rooms in Louis XVI and French Renaissance style. A double starts at €100 (£71) including breakfast; 25 Rue de la Madeleine, Brussels (00 32 2 517 1717; www.ledixseptieme.be).