Boulevard Leopold Rooms & Suites

Some hotels are made for socialising, their lobbies as vast as belle époque-ballrooms, their verandas designed for advanced people-spotting.

Checking into one of these places is almost a social event, where dinner plans with random acquaintances might be made at the same time as you are handed the key to your room.

For breakfast, you have to dress up, as it is less about having morning coffee and scrambled eggs than it is about seeing and being seen.

Boulevard Leopold Rooms & Suites is not one of these places.

A three-story, 19th century townhouse, the bed and breakfast used to be the personal home of its owner. It is situated in the orthodox Jewish district, close to several areas with pleasant restaurants and inviting bars.

There are only five rooms, or more accurately, three rooms and two suites, one on the firsts floor and one on the top.

This means that staying here is a more private affair, meant for those who prefer spending their time in Antwerp relaxing to socialising in a busy bar.

There is a distinct type of Belgian aesthetic, that would more accurately be described as a stylistic characteristic of Antwerp.

Difficult to describe in words, one knows the instant it appears. In fashion, it is the look of black, deconstructed garments, an investigative design discourse where garments are explored and dress traditions questioned and unpacked, initially associated with the Antwerp Six – Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee – who graduated from Antwerp’s Academy of Fine Arts in 1980–81.

The style has also heavily impacted Antwerp interior design, often incorporating large mirrors, glass domes placed over shimmering butterflies or dark insects, as well as corals, exotic stones and antiques in its mise-en-scène.

All rooms in the B&B are different, but each is true to its specific theme. Most people prefer the suite on the first floor, as this comes with a separate living room, facing the boulevard in front of the building, while also offering a spacious bathroom in the back.

Breakfast is held in the breakfast room, just behind the large living-room, where every morning, a simple but rewarding, Belgian breakfast – including fresh orange juice, fresh fruit salad, bread and eggs – is set-up.

Most people find their way here simply by word of mouth. A friend or a colleague once stayed, and gave a recommendation.

Because of this, many people who stay here seem to work in the same kind of creative field – fashion, food or interiors – even though they speak different languages and travel from different places to come here.

Many also come repeatedly, sometimes to experience Antwerp but sometimes only to relax in the calm atmosphere of this townhouse. As it is a B&B, there is no cleaning service and no one to disturb you, once you have settled in.

Boulevard Leopold Rooms & Suites 

Antwerpen, Belgium