Brussels' Hotel Métropole gets facelift, reopens in late 2025

The 267 rooms will be redecorated. All listed features in the reception area including the famous Café Métropole will be preserved and restored the Brussels secretary of state for town planning and heritage Ans Persoons (Vooruit.brussels) explains.

A new spa, complete with a hammam, a sauna, changing rooms and a 90-square-metre pool in the hotel's basement is being installed as well as a new 75-square-metre gym.

The intention is for the hotel's new features to closely match existing furnishings taking into account the original architecture and style of the building.

Inside and out

The façade of the hotel is also to be restored. The front overlooking the De Brouckèreplein, the roofs and the patio of the 'Blomme' Wing will be completely renovated. Since the facades are the hotel’s face to the outside world, special attention will be paid to the reconstruction of the canopy based on a series of archival documents.

The front will be equipped with new lighting, which will adapt to the time of day and night. "Green" terraces are also planned.

The roofs, the height of the cornices and the ridge will remain unchanged, which should preserve the historic appearance of the hotel. However, there will be 2,073 m2 of green roof space on some of the building's flat roofs.

The renovation also focuses on technical improvements to make the hotel more sustainable and energy efficient. For example, the facades will be insulated and the windows will be replaced.

Building stood empty

Because of the many years the building has not been used and its outdated interior, a thorough restoration was inevitable. The renovation project will be the result of collaboration between the Brussels government’s Urban agency, the cultural heritage department and architectural firm Arter.

The goal is to return the Hotel Métropole to its former glory and adapt it to current standards with regard to its facilities and the comfort it affords, while at the same time respecting the exceptional historic and listed features of the entire building.

"After the renovation of the Noorddoorgang (Passage du Nord) at the end of last year, which got its two historic domes back, we are continuing the restoration of renowned buildings in the capital," says Philippe Close, Mayor of the City of Brussels City. "The Métropole is ready for a facelift, while we will respect the character and main features of its interior."

"Thanks to a restoration and renovation program that combines respect for heritage and contemporary challenges, the Hotel Métropole will experience a true rebirth," Ms Persoons adds. "Thanks to its history and its heritage features, a combination of art nouveau, art deco and the Modern Style, this hotel is one of the legendary monuments of 19th-century Europe and it still contributes to our collective identity today."

A building with a history

In 1890, the Wielemans-Ceuppens brewing family opened Café Métropole on the De Brouckèreplein to promote its beers. Five years later, a luxury hotel, designed by French architect Alban Chambon, was added in the adjacent building.

The Hotel Métropole quickly became one of the capital's leading hotels, with many famous guests, including U.S. president Dwight Eisenhower and scientists Albert Einstein and Marie Curie.

The building itself combined several styles, such as the art nouveau, art deco and the Modern Style. With its majestic facade and sumptuous interiors it soon grew into one of the most iconic buildings in the Belgian and Flemish capital.

The Brussels Region listed several parts of the building and its interiors in 1994, in 2002 and during the preparatory phase for this renovation in 2023. Protected features include the facade, the lower floors, the stairwell and art deco furniture by Adrien Blomme.