Brussels is the capital city of the small European country of Belgium, and it is primarily a city of business and government. Many European organizations are headquartered here, in addition to the Belgian government, so it is an important city to the European Union as well. As is the case with most government- or business-centric cities, there are lots of hotels here – but many of them cater to business travelers for the most part. This means that depending on what conference or event is going on in town, it could be hard to find cheap hotels in Brussels.
Having said that, some of the more expensive accommodation options can turn into cheap hotels in Brussels if you time your trip right. After all, business travelers or visiting dignitaries in town for government functions are going to be staying in hotels during the week, but the events or conferences they are in town for rarely run into the weekend. So even business hotels can be cheap hotels if you are visiting on a weekend. Be sure to check the rates of business hotels, even if you think they are beyond your price range, as long as your stay is on a weekend. In addition to weekends, summer tends to be another time when it is easier to find cheap hotels in Brussels. This is, again, because business travelers are on vacation themselves – not attending conferences!
Brussels’ old town center is much smaller than you might expect, but when it was made the capital many of the old buildings were torn down to make way for the new buildings the government decided they needed. The main consequence for the tourist is that the charming and historic parts of town are easily explored on foot, and it is especially pleasant if your hotel is within walking distance of the historic center. However, not all of the city’s sights are located in the historic center, so be sure you find out where the things are that you want to see in relation to your hotel.
Some of the cheap hotels in Brussels which you may want to look into are Hotel A La Grande Cloche (close to the city center, in a 19th century building, 37 rooms, breakfast included, cheaper rooms with shared bathrooms), Hotel Opera (in historic center, close to Grand Place, 49 rooms, free WiFi & internet access, continental breakfast buffet included), Hotel La Madeleine (5 minute walk from Grand Place, 52 rooms, cheaper rooms with shared bathrooms, car parking nearby, dry-cleaning service available, WiFi access available, continental breakfast available), and Thon Hotels Brussels City Centre (in city center near new business district, 10 minute walk from historic center, 454 rooms, WiFi & internet access available, fitness center, sauna, on-site restaurant & bar).