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The Dominican Brussels, Urban Sanctuary Hotel of the Year 2026

European Hotel Awards 2026 / September 28, 2026

Bert Vandewaetere, General Manager — The Dominican © Daniel Bottlaender / European Hotel Awards 2026

In the centre of Brussels, where institutional life, business, culture and tourism overlap every day, The Dominican offers a different proposition: a hotel that remains fully connected to the city while creating a marked sense of retreat once guests cross the threshold. That balance earned the property the title Urban Sanctuary Hotel of the Year 2026 at the European Hotel Awards.

Represented by General Manager Bert Vandewaetere, The Dominican is located only minutes from the Grand-Place and La Monnaie. Its identity draws on a long history associated with the site, contemporary design, intimate interiors and one of the most valuable assets a dense city hotel can possess: a protected courtyard that changes the pace of the guest experience.

A Brussels address with historical depth

The character of The Dominican begins with the history of its location. The site reaches back to the fifteenth century and the presence of a Dominican monastery in Brussels. That heritage is not treated as a historical reconstruction, but as a layer that informs the atmosphere of the property.

The result is an urban hotel with a sense of depth. Rather than separating old and new into opposing styles, the building allows memory, architecture and contemporary hospitality to coexist. Guests remain in the centre of Brussels while entering an environment that feels deliberately removed from the intensity outside.

The Dominican, Brussels © Courtesy of The Dominican

Architecture that works through transition

The Dominican does not rely on a single spectacular room. Its effect comes through transitions: from the street to the lobby, from public areas to quieter galleries, and from social spaces to more intimate zones. Arches, darker tones, layered materials and controlled lighting help create an interior world with its own rhythm.

This is particularly important in an urban sanctuary. Calm cannot be produced simply by lowering the lights. It depends on spatial sequencing, acoustics, proportion and the ability to offer different degrees of privacy throughout the stay.

Architectural details at The Dominican © Courtesy of The Dominican

The Dominican lobby © Courtesy of The Dominican

The courtyard: a genuine pause in the city

The inner courtyard gives the Award category its most tangible meaning. In a dense part of central Brussels, an outdoor space protected from traffic and urban movement changes how the hotel is experienced. It offers light, vegetation and a slower tempo without asking guests to leave the city behind.

The sanctuary idea is therefore not one of isolation. The Dominican remains close to the city’s cultural and professional life; it simply gives guests an alternative rhythm to return to.

150 rooms and suites conceived as places of retreat

The hotel comprises 150 rooms and suites. Their design continues the relationship between classical references and contemporary interiors, with deep tones, generous textiles and a residential rather than demonstrative atmosphere.

For an urban property, the guest room is the most personal form of retreat. At The Dominican, the rooms extend the identity of the public spaces rather than introducing a completely different visual language. The result is a stay that remains coherent from arrival to night-time privacy.

Guest accommodation at The Dominican © Courtesy of The Dominican

A hotel that remains open to Brussels

A successful urban sanctuary cannot become a fortress. The Dominican also functions as a Brussels address for dining, drinks and social encounters. Its restaurant, Lounge Bar and courtyard allow residents, international travellers and local guests to share the same environment.

This permeability is central to the hotel’s relevance. The property offers retreat without cutting itself off from the city, allowing hospitality to work in both directions: the traveller discovers Brussels through the hotel, and Brussels enters the hotel through its local life.

Restaurant and courtyard at The Dominican © Courtesy of The Dominican

Bert Vandewaetere: turning design into hospitality

Bert Vandewaetere, General Manager since 2021, brings a strongly operational dimension to the property’s architectural identity. His professional background includes Food & Beverage before moving into general management, an experience that is particularly relevant in a hotel where bars, restaurants, public spaces and the courtyard all depend on how people actually use them.

Design may establish a mood, but hospitality depends on teams. A lobby becomes welcoming because people know how to receive guests there; a courtyard becomes memorable because service and atmosphere allow it to function naturally. That human layer is essential to The Dominican’s character.

The Dominican lounge © Courtesy of The Dominican

Why The Dominican received Urban Sanctuary Hotel of the Year 2026

The European Hotel Awards Board selected The Dominican for the exceptional coherence between its location, history, architecture, courtyard, interior design, service culture and its ability to create a convincing sense of retreat in the very centre of Brussels.

The Award does not simply recognise a well-designed hotel or a strong address. It recognises the way those elements reinforce one another. The property remains unmistakably urban and connected to Brussels, yet it creates an interior atmosphere in which guests can slow down, regain privacy and choose their own pace.

The Board also recognised the work of Bert Vandewaetere and his teams. The notion of sanctuary depends as much on human behaviour as on architecture. Warmth, discretion and the ability to make shared spaces feel personal are what turn a design concept into an authentic hospitality experience.