Hotel Indigo Brussels – City
Botanical Design Meets Art Deco Heritage
Why DNA Hotels Loves It
● A beautifully restored 1928 landmark where Art Deco architecture is reimagined through a lush botanical design concept.
● Individually designed guestrooms inspired by the nearby Botanical Gardens, each offering its own distinct atmosphere.
● A refreshing urban retreat that combines nature, sustainability, and contemporary hospitality in the heart of Brussels.
A Historic Landmark in Bloom
Overlooking Brussels’ Botanical Gardens, Hotel Indigo Brussels – City occupies the former Hotel Albert I, a landmark dating back to 1928. Following a complete transformation, the hotel has evolved from a traditional city hotel into one of Brussels’ most distinctive boutique-inspired destinations. While the elegant façade preserves its Art Deco heritage, the interiors celebrate the city’s botanical identity, creating spaces that feel vibrant, welcoming, and deeply connected to their surroundings. The result is less a conventional hotel than an urban greenhouse where architecture and nature exist in perfect balance.
Inspired by the Botanical Gardens
The hotel’s design takes its inspiration directly from the neighbouring gardens. Its 284 guestrooms are divided into three distinct design themes—Floral, Herbal, and Tropical—each interpreting a different botanical landscape through colour, texture, and material. Floral rooms introduce bold botanical wallpapers and rich floral tones. Herbal rooms create a calmer atmosphere with soft greens, natural timber, and earthy textures. Tropical rooms bring a more playful energy through rattan furnishings, vibrant patterns, and lush botanical murals. Throughout the hotel, leafy ceiling motifs, living plants, and self-contained terrariums reinforce the feeling that nature is never far away.
Contemporary Comfort with Natural Warmth
Beyond their distinctive personalities, every room delivers the comforts expected of a modern city hotel. Rainfall showers, Nespresso machines, premium bedding, generous workspaces, and large windows create bright, comfortable retreats after a day exploring Brussels. Natural materials and carefully selected lighting soften the contemporary interiors, allowing the botanical concept to remain elegant rather than theatrical. It feels fresh, calming, and effortlessly inviting.
A Green Heart for the City
The public spaces continue the garden-inspired narrative. The lobby resembles an elegant conservatory, filled with planting, warm natural textures, and comfortable seating that encourages guests to slow down rather than simply pass through. It functions equally well as a relaxed meeting place, a workspace, or somewhere to enjoy a quiet coffee while overlooking the city. The atmosphere remains lively without ever feeling hectic.
Seasonal Dining
Serra, the hotel’s restaurant and bar, extends the botanical philosophy to the dining experience. Seasonal ingredients, local produce, and sustainable sourcing shape a menu that celebrates freshness and simplicity. Surrounded by greenery, natural light, and botanical artwork, the restaurant feels more like a contemporary greenhouse than a traditional hotel dining room. For lighter meals and drinks, the adjoining Urban Picnic Bar offers a relaxed setting throughout the day.
Why It Works
Hotel Indigo Brussels – City demonstrates how thoughtful storytelling can completely transform a historic building. Rather than relying solely on its Art Deco heritage, the hotel layers in the identity of Brussels’ Botanical Gardens to create a destination that feels distinctive, uplifting, and unmistakably local. Combining heritage architecture, imaginative interiors, and genuine attention to sustainability, it offers one of the Belgian capital’s most refreshing contemporary hotel experiences.
