A few days before arriving in Brussels, while I was still in Antwerp, I received an e-mail from Le Plaza Hotel: Would I like to upgrade my previously booked room to a junior suite for only about $21 per night? I think you know the answer to that question.

I was concluding my three-week run around Belgium and Luxembourg back in Brussels, where my whole journey began. For my final accommodations, I chose Le Plaza Hotel both for its location—it’s super convenient to the subway, the Brussels Botanic Garden, a large grocery store to pick up snacks for the day, and the English-language bookstore where I purchased a copy of the 1872 Belgian classic A Dog of Flanders—and its luxury (I always like to treat myself at the end of a long vacation with a bit of pampering). I also love a hotel with history, and Le Plaza has that in abundance.

I exited my taxi at the curved corner entrance of the hotel and passed through the bright and airy anteroom. Down a few steps, I entered the luxurious lobby of this five-star hotel. Comfortable seating under grand chandeliers occupies the center of the lobby. Decorative plasterwork adorns the walls, and the marble checkerboard floor shines. Two additional staircases lead off the lobby, one to the bar, the other to the rooms. It was love at first sight.

After a smooth check-in, I made my way to my junior suite, which immediately elicited a broad smile from me. Within its 500+ square feet, the giant bedroom sported a high ceiling, king-size bed, built-in closets, desk with a chair, two club chairs and table, and bench at the foot of the bed. The bathroom was generously proportioned, too, with a shower stall and separate longer-than-average bathtub. Robes and slippers awaited usage, as did the large flat-screen television and coffee and tea facilities.

While I was enjoying the prompt room service for dinner—butternut and pumpkin soup, and veal stew with basmati rice, carrots, sweet onions, and mushrooms—I discovered why the hotel has been able to maintain its opulence: It’s currently owned by a baron and baroness. Completed in 1931, Le Plaza Hotel brought Art Deco style with Louis XVI luxe to Brussels. Fourteen suites and 190 rooms spread over eight floors in three wings. Highly unusual for a hotel, a theater with seating for a whopping 1,300 people was included as part of the design. Styled in a Spanish-Arab-Moorish motif, the theater featured false windows, Solomonic columns, richly sculpted wall ornaments, and seating in stalls and balconies. Things took an unexpected turn less than a decade later, when, in 1940, during the German occupation in World War II, the hotel was commandeered by the Nazis, serving as the quarters for the military commander for Belgium and northern France. Typical of the Nazis’ depravity, they booby-trapped the hotel before the Allied Forces arrived. The ensuing explosion killed two British Army officers and destroyed the Winter Garden and stained-glass dome. Following the war, the hotel re-established itself before competition and economic downturns forced it to close in 1976 for two decades. In 1996, Le Plaza was reborn under new owners, the Baron and Baroness van Gysel de Meise, who spent a good deal of time and money resurrecting the derelict hotel and bringing back its glamor, earning it distinction as a protected monument even before its reopening, in 1992. The hotel was completely renovated, its original architectural beauty restored and modern conveniences added. The theater was saved and converted into a banquet hall and conference facility.

That was a great story to fall asleep to. The next morning, I headed down a wide corridor with rich royal-purple and gold carpeting and descended the majestic stairway, decorated with stained-glass windows and wrought-iron handrails. Passing through the lobby, I took the stairs to the hotel’s lower level to the Charleston Salon, a huge breakfast room with Art Deco touches in the light fixtures and the signage for the salon’s name. A vast spread awaited me for my morning meal, certainly varied enough to never have to repeat breakfast for the four days I was here. A selection of juices, teas, pastries (from chocolate croissants to apple turnovers), cereals, and yogurts were arranged at the station that ran the entire width of the room, and then some. Fresh fruits and vegetables were available to add color to your plate, which you can also weigh down with scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon, pancakes, and potato puffs as well as a variety of cold cuts, cheeses, and breads that you can assemble into a towering sandwich. Service is quick and polished—serving trays don’t stay empty for very long at all, and your table will be restored by the time you return from your second trip up to the buffet.

At night, the bar is a stylish and chic space to end your day. Under an illuminated dome painted as a blue sky with clouds, this sumptuous space invites you in to its comfortable seating. Wall sconces and table lamps provide soft lighting to admire the artwork and pilasters with gilded Corinthian caps. At the sleek wood and chrome bar, you can relax on a high chair while enjoying a fine nightcap before returning to another night of undisturbed slumber.

It’s quite easy to see why Le Plaza has attracted such guests as Winston Churchill, Maurice Chevalier, Gary Cooper, Josephine Baker, and Brigitte Bardot. I was glad to now be among them.

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