It’s hip, it’s unique and no room is the same! If you want to stay away from the ordinary, check out an extraordinary hotel and treat yourself to a dip of culture at the same time, then this is your place to be!
The design hotel Bloom! in the heart of Brussels has been on my to-do list for quite a while, so I was thrilled when I finally got to spend the night there. ‘Stay away from the ordinary’ is the hotels’ motto… which is surely an understatement! In this hotel no room is alike an it definitely is not the average city hotel you find anywhere.
Smell the flowers
Entering the hotel was already a real treat: the scent of flowers at the reception area was definitely impregnating and I felt at ease straight away. Everything in the hotel is built around the Bloom-theme: whether you translate it into “blossom”, a “healthy glow” or “flourish”, the different meanings of the English term can all be found in the Bloom hotel.
Pick your room
What’s really special about this hotel are its rooms. Every room is unique and has been designed by a total of 287 young artists from all over Europe, which add that little extra to every room. Guests can pick their room upon arrival – I spotted a nice iPad at the reception desk where you could check out all the rooms. Guests now have the luxury to choose their favorite room with a hand-painted fresco on the wall as interpretation of the word “bloom.” My room has been decorated by Lenka Tatárová, titled ‘Bloom in Love’. And I just looooved the painting, with its little hearts and sunflowers. All-in-all the room is very nice, especially for a city hotel. And there was no noise from the street, which is a huge plus! In the bathroom you could find all you needed and the whole room felt very modern and comfortable. Oh… one would forget to mention the great bed and soft pillows… But then again, I would sleep anywhere… 😉
Breakfast: waffle feast
Aaaah the breakfast.. Well that’s surely a real feast! Entering the breakfast area you find yourself in front of a real waffle-Van! You get to bake your own waffles and all you can imagine to top it off is in store: Belgian hot chocolate (evidently), whipped cream, fruit… This must be the best thing I’ve ever experienced at breakfast. The breakfast room OO is great and comfy and there’s all you can dream about to start your day festively. There wasn’t one thing missing for me. And by the way… the coffee is great!
Dinner: choose your mood
Of course I tried the bar and the restaurant in the evening. The bar and restaurant area is brilliantly adorned. At first sight it seems to be a cacophony of styles and screaming colors, but it’s actually a well thought out concept with bright furniture in contemporary style, mixed with Moroccan influences and cottage tables with a blend of modern design. The bar and restaurant SmoodS feels like a cosy, stylish and trendy living room. You can choose between seven different atmospheric islands created around a central bar. What’s your mood? Passion, Bazaar, Safari, Bling-Bling, Aqua, Spring or Flower Power?
Good to know
- The restaurant was quite packed every evening and I’ve stayed in the hotel during the week, so make sure you book a table, especially in the weekend! The bar afterwards was superb, the way it’s set out offers you enough privacy and you won’t get bored just by looking around.
- Bloom is situated ideally, smack in the centre, just next to the Botanique or Kruidtuin, which means it’s only a 5 minute walk to the main shopping street. There’s a car park underneath the hotel at a pretty good rate, and for people coming by train it’s a 5 minute walk from the railway station (Brussels North).
Bloom
noun (formal or technical) 1a) a blossom or flower (usually one on a plant that people admire for its flowers): the exotic blooms of the orchid b) the state of having flowers: the roses are in bloom 2a) a time of beauty, freshness, and vigour: the bloom of youth b) a time or state of highest perfection; prime: in full bloom 3) a rosy or healthy appearance: the bloom on her cheeks 4) a delicate powdery coating on some fruits and leaves. 5) cloudiness on a film of varnish or lacquer.
* verb 1a) to produce or yield flowers. b to support abundant plant life: they are setting out to make the desert bloom 2a) to flourish: the children had bloomed during their stay on the farm. b) to reach maturity; to blossom: their friendship bloomed over the weeks.
