Hotel Astoria’s history sits beneath a new glass roof

Hotel Astoria at Rue Royale 103 in Brussels reopened on 9 December 2024 after being closed since 2007. The building dates from 1908–1909 and was designed by Henri Van Dievoet. Its present name is Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels.

The Brussels heritage inventory places the Astoria among the major belle époque hotels. Behind its eleven-bay façade, five storeys surround a central light well. The words “hotel astoria” above the entrance still recall the original establishment.

The most striking intervention is above the lobby. The original stained-glass roof disappeared in 1948 and later survived mainly in photographs. During restoration it was recreated using traditional glass-painting techniques, with surviving first-floor panels as models. A modern double layer above provides insulation and weatherproofing.

The building has been protected since 2000. Protection covers the street façade and roof, but also parts of the interior, including the lobby and grand staircase. The renewed dome is therefore a reconstructed element within a protected whole.

Non-residents can visit the Palm Court beneath the glass roof, according to BRUZZ; it is open to the public without a reservation. The hotel also lists concerts in the historic Salon Elisabeth, including a performance on 17 October 2026. Current venue conditions apply to any visit.

The reopening brings a long-closed building back into daily city life. The dome shows that restoration can involve more than keeping what remains: a lost form was rebuilt from photographs and surviving fragments, with modern technology above it.