HotelChatter - be

Seventeen Women Freed from 'Slavery' at Conrad Brussels

Jenna — 2008-07-03T14:15:09-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/conradpropic.jpg" class="imgborder"> Holy crap. Dozens of police raided the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Conrad+Brussels/local/533">Conrad Hotel Brussels</a> (which has been called the "most exclusive" hotel in the city) and freed 17 people who were being held as slaves by a royal family living in the hotel. The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/unitedarabemirates/2236851/Women-'enslaved'-by-Arab-royals.html">Telegraph</a> had the scoop: <blockquote>The operation was triggered by the apparent escape of a maid who was among 20 servants working for the widow of a senior royal figure from the United Arab Emirates and her four daughters who have rented the entire fourth floor of the hotel for the last year. The servants, dubbed "slaves" in the Belgian media, allegedly had to be at the service of the Arab royals 24 hours a day

Seize the Day at Manoir Carpe Diem in De Haan

mytwocents — 2008-05-16T09:14:40-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/dehaanhotel.png" class="imgborder"> Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Well said, no? And this is exactly what our friends will be doing next month. Instead of traveling the well-touristed paths in Brussels and Bruge, they're heading to Belgium's North Sea coastline, to the village of De Haan. Never heard of it? Neither had we, but get this. This is where Albert Einstein and Marvin Gaye went to escape the madness. It obviously has just the right equation to get it on (sorry, couldn't let it pass without a plug for Marv and Al, rest their souls). Anyway, our friends will be

Snapshot :: Speaking of Brussels Hotels

juliana — 2008-01-17T17:47:30-05:00

While we were showing off our mini-hotel guide to Brussels, the TheNotoriousMEG was dropping off shots of her stay at the Sheraton Brussels in the HotelChatter Flickr Pool. While she has plenty of shots of the suite, we liked this snapshot of the bathroom. You gotta love those antiquated European hair-dryer systems.

[Photo: Notorious Meg]

Just What We Wanted: A Mini-Hotel Guide To Brussels

juliana — 2008-01-17T14:02:27-05:00

<![CDATA[We can't seem to get enough of <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotels/city/be/Brussels">Brussels</a> and it seems our readers feel the same way too. One such fan, Elliott, gave us a belated Christmas present by summing up the Brussels Hotel Scene. So here is his mini-hotel guide to Brussels. Any tips, questions, suggestions or Belgian chocolates, <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">send 'em our way.</a><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/brussel_view.jpg" class="imgborder">The view from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36521980528@N01/175268920/">Hotel Le Chatelain</a>Basically, when you go to Brussels you have three choices when it comes to location of hotels: Do I want to stay in the city center, around Avenue Louise (upscale shopping/residential area close to the city), or more towards the EU Parliament? All have advantages and disadvantages, overall the city is quite easy to navigate on foot

A Boxing Day Vow: Next Christmas, A Luxury Hotel in Bruges

femmefatale — 2007-12-26T10:08:42-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/rbc_bruges.jpg" class="imgborder">Guess what <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/monica%20guy">Monica Guy</a> was doing yesterday on Boxing Day? Yup. Fantasizing about hotels....It's Boxing Day and you're wishing you'd gone away for Christmas. The turkey-smeared plates are piled up in the sink and you are feeling the after-effects of Aunty Jean's home-made concrete mince pies and knock-out Christmas pud. (Or is it just the English who inflict these Christmas "treats" upon each other?) Either way, you've vowed you won't be messing around with Christmas at home again - you're on the internet checking out Christmas hotels for next year. Bruges, Belgium is possibly the sweetest Christmas city in Europe. Okay, so it's cold...but you might get snow and at least it's small and cosy enough