"The Radisson Blu brand may be known for its Scandinavian midcentury design, but the Royal Hotel, in the heart of Brussels , has a far older pedigree. In the soaring atrium at the heart of the art deco–inspired building sit the remains of the city’s first wall, originally constructed in the 12th century. This dichotomy between old and new persists throughout the luxury hotel, itself pulled in two directions as a business-focused hotel on the edge of the city’s historic center. The greenhouse-style restaurant and lounge surrounding the Romanesque wall have an Old World elegance to them, contrasting harmoniously with the sleek modernity of the glass ceiling and soaring geometric walls. Different rooms channel different parts of the hotel’s identity, some outfitted with midcentury Danish design–inspired furnishings, others with the wood and leather of a slick urban loft. Even the Michelin-starred restaurant vacillates, its decor taking inspiration from a refined 1930s private club while its cuisine reimagines Belgian seafood in avant garde ways."