From Royal Windsor grandeur to Brussels’ next great hub

The story of this landmark began in October 1970, when Ed François et Fils S.A. secured permission for Oddenino’s Hotels to build the Royal Windsor Hotel beside the Grand Place — on the very spot where the Duke of Wellington is said to have inspected his troops before Waterloo.

The hotel opened on 21 March 1973, managed by Oddenino’s Hotels and Restaurants Ltd. Under the leadership of Mr. Morgan Jeff David, it quickly became one of Brussels’ most sophisticated addresses. In 1981, the property joined Richard Chiu’s new Warwick International Hotels group, marking the start of a global portfolio.

For years, the Royal Windsor was a glamorous five-star hotel (even a member of The Leading Hotels of the World) with a distinctly British flavor — complete with an English pub, the Waterloo piano bar, Michelin-starred dining at Les 4 Seasons, and even the legendary Crocodile nightclub (home to two live crocodiles later rehomed at the zoo). Its reputation drew international stars and world leaders alike: Lady Gaga, The Bee Gees, Jay-Z, Richard Gere, Johnny Hallyday, and numerous heads of state all passed through its doors.

The jewel in its crown became the Grand Place Suite, with its extraordinary 150 m² terrace offering panoramic views across Brussels. Over the decades, the hotel has seen countless refurbishments and eventually rebranded as the Warwick Brussels – Grand Place. Yet for many locals, it remains affectionately the Royal Windsor — a name synonymous with old-world glamour.

---

A Landmark in Need of Reinvention

Today, the brick building retains its scale and enviable assets — 267 rooms, 20 suites, 15 meeting spaces (740m2), a rooftop terrace, and parking. Its location is unbeatable, with Booking.com scores of 9.6 for location and 8.4 overall. Guests come because of where it is, not what it is.

The once-fashionable British style feels increasingly misplaced in Brussels (wink wink, Brexit). The grandeur has faded, and the hotel’s identity has not kept pace with the way people now travel, work, and live.

---

The Concept: The VEN

The VEN is about reinventing the large-scale business hotel. No longer a tired four-star with nostalgic styling, but a vibrant four-star plus hub where business, leisure, and lifestyle converge.

• Rooms as sanctuaries. Standard rooms (25 m²) are smartly redesigned for rest, not work.
• Communal energy. Work, meetings, and dining shift to dynamic open spaces: buzzing cafés, co-working lounges, and stylish social zones.
• Wellness built in. A state-of-the-art gym and wellness corners balance productivity with recovery.
• Events reimagined. Creative, inspiring spaces for anything from a small brainstorm to a major conference — no dreary rows of conference chairs.

---

The Rooftop Reborn

The rooftop terrace is one of Brussels’ best, but today it’s tied to the Grand Place Suite (200 m²) — meaning the bar often closes when the suite is booked. Under The VEN concept, such a massive suite is redundant. Instead, this space will be transformed into a permanent indoor/outdoor rooftop bar and lounge, open year-round and always accessible. It could become one of Brussels’ most iconic nightlife spots, finally giving the rooftop the prominence it deserves.

---

Why Four-Star Plus, Not Five?

While a five-star label once suited the Royal Windsor, today’s reality points elsewhere. With rooms averaging 25 m² — not large enough to compete with luxury benchmarks — and with its business-first DNA, the smarter strategy is a distinctive four-star plus positioning. This is The VEN standard: high design, dynamic lifestyle programming, and unmatched location, without the stiffness or pretension of five stars.

---

The Promise

The VEN – Brussels Grand Place is about honoring the building’s extraordinary history while reinventing its future. It takes a hotel once defined by faux-British grandeur and reimagines it as Brussels’ most vibrant hub — where locals and travelers meet, work, recharge, and celebrate.

This is not about nostalgia.
This is about relevance.
The VEN: Where business meets life.