Second Meininger hotel opens close to Midi train station

Located a five-minute walk from the Midi train station, the new Meininger hotel in Anderlecht welcomed in its first guests yesterday evening.

With its sister hotel in Molenbeek, the German hostel-hotel chain now operates two hotels in the capital.

“The colourful mix of Brussels is a perfect reflection of the philosophy of the Meininger hotel group,” Meininger Hotels CEO Hannes Spanring said in a statement. “Brussels is a magnet for tourists – not just because it’s the seat of the EU institutions, but also because of its great and diverse art, and cultural landscape. And that’s something we also feel here.”

For its Belgian expansion, the international hotel operator has consistently chosen not to set up shop in central Brussels or trendy municipalities like Ixelles or Saint-Gilles. Instead, it’s opted for poorer but fast-gentrifying neighbourhoods like Molenbeek and Anderlecht.

The interior of the Anderlecht hybrid hotel was inspired by one of Belgium’s greatest surrealist painters, René Magritte.

The Anderlecht hotel has 150 rooms and 678 beds, and is targeted at people travelling solo, as well as at groups and business travellers. It’s the fourth hotel the German hotel group has opened in the Benelux area this year.

Photo courtesy Meininger Hotels

Written by Linda A. Thompson