Hotel Julien

Rooms

The hotel has 21 rooms, split into 3 categories. The cheapest rooms are called Mood Rooms and are large with a bath or shower and a minimalist look. Some are at the front of the hotel, overlooking a street with tram tracks; windows are double-glazed but you may still experience noise.

The next size up are the Dreamer Rooms, where I stayed; huge spaces with kingsize beds, concealed cupboards, plasma TVs and enormous bathrooms with a shower and bath. Largest of all are the Julien Experience Rooms, which again have a bath and shower; an hour’s use of the spa is included for guests staying in this room type.

All rooms are pale and pared back, with Bose sound systems, Jacob Jensen phones, Krups coffee machines and a small and pricey minibar with Neuhaus chocolates among its delights. Bathrooms are stocked with REN products and are again calming and pale. The furnishings are just on the right side of minimalism - there are no rugs and just 1 or 2 pictures on the wall (all part of the hotel’s art gallery and for sale).

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The Breakfast Lounge serves a typical continental spread, with a small but well-chosen selection of specialist cheeses. You can also have breakfast in your room or on the roof terrace.

You can order tea, coffee and stronger drinks at the bar from 10am, as well as homemade cake and a limited selection of bland light bites such as Caesar salad, tomato soup and beef carpaccio.

Hotel Julien no longer has a restaurant, but as eating out is one of the great pleasures of being in Antwerp, this is no bad thing. At the end of the street, turn right on to Melkweg to find a selection of cafés and bars. I had the most divine apple cake in Café XO and would thoroughly recommend it.

Other addresses to look out for include Dôme, the city’s famed Michelin-starred joint, which also has offshoots Dôme sur Mer (a fish restaurant) and Dômestic (a bakery/deli). Vertigo on Draakplaats is an Antwerp institution, a bar with live music, cocktails, world food and whisky. For an intimate experience, try Puur Personal Cooking, where the owner is also the chef and waiter and cooks for you in his own kitchen. It’s one of many home restaurants and pop-ups around the city.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Coffee maker
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Marvel at the gold-tipped merchant houses and the town hall at the Grote Markt
  
• Visit the MAS Museum, the Museum an der Stroom, which is both an astounding building and an impressive collection of predominantly modern art, mixed with the story of the city and its port. There's a lovely café, too
  
• Ask the hotel to book you a sightseeing tour or private guide. A personal tour of Antwerp's architecture is a great way to understand the city
  
• Visit the cathedral, where you’ll find a selection of Rubens paintings and stunning Gothic architecture
  
• Take in Rubens House. The painter’s former residence has been turned into a museum of his life, not just his paintings, and there’s a pretty garden
  
• Stroll around the Fashion District, drop into the Fashion Museum, and enjoy gawking at the fashion students and what they wear. Nationalstraat is the mecca for clothes in the city, with the flagship Dries Van Noten store at its centre
  
• Take a mini gastro tour: buy frites with mayo at Groenplaats, then wander on for waffles, beautiful boxes of chocolates and more towards Rubens House. Pierre Marcolini’s tea room and bakery on Kelderstraat is the number one destination for a modern reworking of priceless chocolates in the city
  
• MUKHA, in the Zuid district, is a former warehouse turned modern art mecca and contains works from the 1970s and beyond by Belgian and international artists
  
• Take a Velo bike for a spin. Antwerp, like Paris and London, has a simple bike hire scheme and a cycle along the canal with a picnic is a joy on a sunny day

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Private guided tours
• Shopping / markets

Kids

The hotel accepts children of all ages. It’s within walking distance of the city’s major sights, which is a major plus point. The hotel can provide baby cots (free) or extra beds (additional cost) but there are no child-friendly facilities.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Only the Julien Experience Rooms and Julien Experience Suites can fit a baby cot or a rollaway bed

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel Julien is in the centre of Antwerp, near Groenplaats and the Grote Markt, in northern Belgium. The best way to get here from UK is by train and taxi.

By Train:
From London, take the Eurostar, changing in Brussels. The train station is a 20-minute walk or a short taxi ride from Hotel Julien.

By Air
Antwerp has a small international airport, just 9km from the hotel. Alternatively, Brussels has regular daily flights from the UK and Europe, and international arrivals from around the world; it's then a 45km train or taxi journey to Antwerp.

By Car:
Parking in Antwerp is tricky (and expensive), and the city is navigable on foot, by bike or by tram, so we don't advise coming by car. If you do want to hire one, though, see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.