Corinthia brings Brussels legend to life
Corinthia Hotels recently brought a Brussels legend back to life with a dinner to celebrate the group’s recent acquisition of the landmark Grand Hotel Astoria in Rue Royale.
Guests included dignitaries, members of the Brussels community and the hotel’s original owners, Robert and Joelle Goossens Bara, who were visibly moved to be back inside the property which has been closed for over a decade.
A tearful Ms Goossens Bara, whose grandfather built the property in 1910, said: “Everyone in Brussels has memories here… Brussels needs to have our beautiful home reopened and to relive some of its remarkable memories.”
The Astoria welcomed a string of illustrious guests in its prime, including former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and former US President Dwight Eisenhower, but fell into a state of disrepair before closing down over decade ago.
Since acquiring the Astoria in May, Corinthia has announced that it will embark on an extensive redevelopment to turn the property into the city’s leading luxury hotel comprising 121 rooms and suites. It will reopen as the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria.
However, as was the case when the group bought its London hotel in 2009, Corinthia cleared piles of dust from the hotel’s majestic lobby and ballroom to make it possible to host a grand dinner to mark the company’s arrival in the European capital.
Corinthia chairman Alfred Pisani said: “This property is a living experience of the past. Our primary responsibility is to transform the building and to revive its soul. When I say that I want the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria to be the very best in Brussels I really mean it. This will be a stunning property.”
Before the hotel shut its doors at the end of the evening for the refurbishment process to begin, Madame Goossens Bara had the final word: “We are happy to entrust you with our old and beautiful Astoria. We consider it to be a lady that has been through a lot, but it will shine again thanks to you.”