As might be expected from a city that has the world’s only museum designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Antwerp has numerous exemplary architectural landmarks, including a medieval fortress, the 14th-century Cathedral of Our Lady, the Richard Rogers-designed Law Courts, Europe’s first skyscraper, and the 21st-century Museum aan de Stroom, as well as a surfeit of Art Nouveau homes and the upcoming Zaha Hadid-designed Port House.
And yet, without slighting any of Antwerp’s other noteworthy buildings, what provokes awe in a first-time visitor is the arrival by rail into the city’s magnificent Centraal Station, a remarkable late 19th-century edifice fondly regarded as “the cathedral of railways.”
The grandeur of Antwerp’s Centraal Station © MRNY
The completion of a massive modernization project in 2007 brought Centraal Station into the 21st century without desecrating the station’s original grandeur. For those business travelers arriving in Antwerp via rail, hardly any hotel could be more convenient than Lindner Hotel & City Lounge. Located on a plaza outside the south end of Centraal Station (just beyond the station’s Diamond Gallery), the 11-story hotel was completed at the same time of Centraal Station’s renovation.
Somewhat resembling a sleek Cubist figure on stilettos, the four-star contemporary hotel features 173 rooms and suites furnished in a cosmopolitan style that evokes an urban pied-à-terre cum office. Business travelers will appreciate the functionality of modern rooms that invite you to kick off your shoes and loosen your tie – and still get your work done.
Arivé restaurant, where the hotel’s ample breakfast buffet is served © MRNY
Dining options at Lindner Hotel & City Lounge include a 94-person restaurant called Arivé (where the hotel’s ample breakfast buffet is served), as well as a bar and lounge called Bar Apéro. There’s also a well-appointed lobby level living room cum library that is perfect for a late afternoon cup of coffee or tea – and a newspaper.
For those desirous of working the body as well as the mind, the hotel’s fitness area features an immaculate sauna and a relaxation room with stunning city views.
The plaza at the rear of Antwerp’s Centraal Station – and in front of Lindner Hotel & City Lounge © MRNY
Centrally located in the heart of the city, within the city’s fabled Diamond District, Lindner Hotel & City Lounge is a short walk from Antwerp’s lushly landscaped Stadspark should you desire a run – or a respite in nature. Right next door is the Antwerp Zoo, home to more than 950 species of over 5,000 animals. One of the oldest zoos in the world, Antwerp Zoo honors its mission of animal and nature conservation.
Less than a mile from Lindner Hotel & City Lounge is the pedestrian-friendly “Meir,” one of Antwerp’s eight shopping zones, as well as Rubens House, the palatial setting where the leading Baroque artist of his time lived with his family.
For those guests fortunate to be in residence during summer, Lindner Hotel & City Lounge hosts an evening lounge club called Skybar atop its penthouse.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Click here for MRNY slideshow of Antwerp.
