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Belgium's property offer stretches from city chain hotels to luxury forest retreats. By Victoria Furness
Kempinski Hotel Dukes' Palace, Bruges
Located in a former 1 5th-century palace in the centre of the picturesque world heritage city, the Kempinski Hotel Dukes Palace is Bruges' first five-star property and offers 93 rooms and suites, a 260m^sup 2^ ballroom, three meeting spaces and a spa. More unusually, there are several works of modern art on display - and for sale - in the hotel's neatly clipped gardens, while inside the hotel there are artefacts from the hotel's historic past. "It's a wonderful new property that we'll be featuring in future programmes," says Hugo Slimbrouck, sales director at DMC, Ovation
Web www.kempinski-bruges.com
Dolce La Hulpe, Brussels
Dolce has transformed IBM's former conference centre, just south of Brussels, into a self-contained resort offering an impressive 4,000m^sup 2^ of conference and exhibition space. In addition, there are 264 elegant rooms and suites, two restaurants, two bars and private dining rooms. Delegates wanting to escape work can relax in the Wellness Centre or head into the Soignes Forest, which surrounds the resort. "We've had very good feedback from groups that have attended events here, and we've always found Dolce to be very good at meeting our needs," says Alicia Millar, learning and development executive at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.
Web www.dolce-la-hulpe-brussels-hotel.com
Hotel Metropole, Brussels
Brussels' oldest hotel retains much of its 19th-century glamour. In a convenient downtown location, this traditional five-star offers more than 3 00 rooms and 2 2 meeting spaces. There are two ballrooms, each with marble floors and stately chandeliers, while the sumptuous Arthur Rubinstein Room, with its original stained glass windows and fireplace, provides a historic setting for a gala dinner. Corporate clients including Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Fortis have used the hotel in the past.
Web www.metropolehotel.com
Château du Lac, Genval
This five-star hotel and conference centre, not far from Dolce La...