BRUSSELS - HOTEL METROPOLE

My oldest friend since 1951 wanted to celebrate her 70th birthday in The Hotel Metropole in Brussels. It was built in 1895, and is the only nineteenth-century hotel in Brussels still in operation today. The hotel has 298 rooms and 15 suites. The whole family gathered there, sister, brother, DILs and SILs with their children and grandchildren. I had been in this hotel ages ago, just for a coffee. So it was nice to see that it hadn't changed at all.

In 1890, two brothers with a brewing company opened Café Metropole as a place in the city to sell their beer. The café was a huge success and the family then purchased the building next-door, a former bank, which would become the Hotel Metropole, inaugurated in 1895. Today, the hotel’s reception desk is easily recognizable as the desk of the former bank, a significant historical and heritage glimpse of the past.

The Hotel Métropole in Brussels is perhaps the most celebrated of the Brussels grand hotels, full of glamour and elegance.

Not only was Hotel Metropole one of the first luxury hotels, it was also the first to have electricity and central heating, and is now the only existing 19th century hotel in Brussels. In fact, many heritage tours of Brussels visit the Hotel Metropole to look upon its facades and design.

The hotel’s reception, lobby, and lounge are overtly ornate with Corinthian columns, rich furnishings, gilded details, and glittering chandeliers – all which can still be seen and experienced today at the hotel. Similarly, the meetings and conference rooms of the hotel are decorated in a Renaissance style.

The marbled halls, glittering chandeliers and polished brass could be out of a film set. There’s haughty refinement if you want it. But the hotel is not stuffy: the lively café/bar welcomes all-comers, and pavement café in summer ripples with cool glamour, where faces from the magazines can be glimpsed for real.

The hotel is located on the Place de Brouckère a very busy place in the city center.



The hotel Metropole and its entrance



Fortunately the place has mostly escaped the architectural massacre of the end 60th and in the 70th, where many beautiful houses were demolished and replaced by glass blocks.



Inside the hotel the time has stood still. The entrance hall is very impressive



The old elevator is still there with it's grids and cords and snail speed. It is a strange feeling to be in there and taken up slowly, slowly hoping that the cabin wouldn't get stuck !



On the first floor is the entrance to a beautiful café



It still has the same look as when it was built, except the furniture is modern. I met there the 89 year old mother of my friend and we had a cup of tea together.



All ceilings are of outstanding beauty.

The hotel's guest list includes : Amongst various Royalties, Président Eisenhower, Président Hoover, President Johnson, Ted Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Sarah Bernhardt, Ophélie Winter, Claudia Cardinale, Gina Lollobrigida, Enrico Caruso, Robert Hossein, Peter O’Toole, Anthony Perkins, Anthony Quinn, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Cliff Richard, Alain Delon and many other celebrities.

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of May 18. If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

Feeling much better and nearly "normal" (if that is possible) after my Bronchitis, I finally had the courage to do the laundry so that everything is clean for my round trip through the UK. The whole week I just couldn't do anything. I also filled in the fridge for Mr. G. and bought him enough different pasta plates to heat up in the micro wave while I am gone.

As the sun came out in the afternoon, I could even work a little in the garden. I also prepared my little notebook which I take along on my trip, so that I can write everyday what I have seen, as a sort of diary.

My friend whom I know since I was 8 arrived in Brussels with her 15 people family to celebrate her 70th birthday, and she called me that they had difficulties to arrive at the Hotel because in Brussels center the "Gay Parade" was going on with around 80.000 people ! 

On Sunday morning I went to their Hotel, to meet her mother ! Meanwhile she is 90 and of course we wanted to see each other. She had known me so well as a little girl. I was more often at her house then at home, because it was such a lovely funny family and my friend had a little sister and a baby brother which of course was very interesting for me !

They all stayed in the Hotel Metropole which was built in 1895. It was the best and most luxury hotel in Brussels and many celebrities stayed there, like the Shah of Iran, Prince Bernard of the Netherlands, the Crown Prince of Spain and many other royalties. A few American presidents, Johnson, Eisenhower and Hoover where also amongst the guests. Placido Domingo and even Einstein liked this hotel.  It was also the hotel where famous actors stayed.

Of course it had been renovated and refurbished inside, but it still looks the same as it was shown in some movies amongst them a James Bond.  



The entrance Hall is full of marble and mirrors and the light quiet dim, so that my pictures are not the best.



And then I met the woman whom I know for such a long time. Her character hasn't changed a a bit and she was still the same. We had a lovely time together, digging out old childhood adventures, talking about my parents and old neighbors, while having a cup of tea in the beautiful lounge. Time flew by so quickly and after two hours I returned home from my excursion into the past.

In the evening we went to Brussels to join the whole family for the Birthday supper. The restaurant was near the Grand'Place just at corner of the Queen's Gallery.



It was a very cozy place



The meal was great very good French kitchen, with seafood or Capaccio as starter and then fish or roasted duck as main course, then cheese and "Sorbet" ice cream. We laughed a lot and had a lot to tell, I had seen her 3 children last time maybe 20 years ago, and besides her oldest grandchildren (25 and 21) I had never seen the youngest ones of 7, 8 and 2.



And here we are celebrating her birthday and we remembered that we celebrated our birthday for the first time when we both were 8 !!



Great Grandma despite her 90 years enjoyed the meal and participated at all conversations. As the way to the hotel was a little long for her on the cobbled streets, she sat in a wheelchair which normally she doesn't need. Her youngest great grandson was pleased that his great grandma was also sitting in a buggy  ! The oldest great grandsons took over wheelchair and buggy and made a race through the Gallery with both of them. That was so funny we laughed to tears !

It really had been a wonderful birthday celebration.