|
Liege is one of Belgium's major cities and ranks amongst Central Europe's most important economic and industrial places. With the continuing process of European integration rapidly accelerating over the last twenty years, the city has found itself at the very forefront of modern EU affairs and has become of increasing importance not just to its fellow Belgian cities, but to the entire European project. To cater for the city's booming commercial and industrial prominence, a range of superior lodgings has arisen that cater not just for the large numbers of business people who visit the city each year but also an increasing number of tourists who use its central location as a starting point for exploring Belgium and its regions. With everything from luxury 4- and 5-star guestrooms and suites to budget motels and Bed and Breakfasts from which to make your choice, you'll discover that the hotels Liege is home to offer an unbeatable mix of convenience, premium service and value for money.
As previously alluded to, this part of Belgium continues to be at the heart of all things European and as such boasts one of the continent's most integrated and extensive transportation networks. While the middle of town (particularly the 11th century streets surrounding Saint-Barthélemy) can be a warren for car drivers, the city in general is well signposted and serves as a major pan-European freeway intersection for travelers who are continuing their journeys to the Belgian cities of Maastricht and Antwerp as well the German cities of Munchengladbach and Wiesbaden. Indeed the city's centrality has been key to its economic growth over the last few decades with many international industrial and economic conglomerates choosing it as a base of operations. And with its increasing importance in the realm of European industry the hotels Liege provides its visitors have also become increasingly comprehensive, with everything from AAA-rated 5-star hotels in the city center to budget guesthouses and hostels in the city's suburbs.
Being one of the oldest sovereign states in Europe, Belgium has a long-standing tradition of hospitality and a world-class range of places to stay. You'll find most of the well-known hotel brands both within the city and outlying regions, but as well as these hotels Liege also has many places to stay that are unique to the city and provide a refreshing alternative to the norm. Many of the best places to stay in town have been offering top-quality lodgings to Belgium's visitors for generations and several are hosted in superb examples of baroque medieval architecture the likes of which you won't find anywhere else in Mainland Europe. Many of these premises take the form of small hotels, typically holding between four and twenty guestrooms, with a hotel bar or restaurant either integrated or nearby. This kind of lodging can offer the best of both worlds, with fully-featured guestrooms (usually en-suite) and facilities such as cable/satellite television and air conditioning while maintaining an authentic local flavor. While the precises nature of services provided will, by definition, vary at individual hotels Liege is unusually well-served by owner-operated establishments that are of a generally-superior standard.
If you're beginning your search for a place to stay in the city, the district around St. Lambert Square may be a good place to make initial inquiries. It exemplifies the more modern developments that are shaping it for the 21st century and beyond with many of the city's more modern lodgings all easily reached on foot. From these kinds of hotels Liege really opens up as a superb destination either for business or leisure travel with many of the city's major tourist attractions and shops as well as bars and restaurants just moments away. If you're in town for a romantic break, there are few things as evocative as a gentle stroll along the River Meuse, where you can view the refined cityscape of modern Liege before retiring to your hotel for a relaxing candlelit meal for two. If your intention is less prosaic and you're in town for business, you'll find a number of superb places to stay both here and around the city that offer all the key services that travelers need to remain productive when on the go, including business facilities for hosting meetings and wireless high speed internet access.
One of the fastest growing sectors in the modern European hospitality industry is that of the boutique hotel, premises which generally aim to attract a somewhat younger clientele than more formal hostelries with a design ethic and bold presentational style that sets them apart from more traditional lodgings. With the city's esteemed industrial heritage a common theme throughout many of the city's most dynamic restaurants, bars and hotels Liege wears its history proudly, but with a distinctly-European sense of irony and self-deprecation. It is perhaps this aspect of the city that makes it such an attractive place to visit, with a range of superb hostelries - be they luxury hotels, value-conscious motels or cheap and cheerful hostels and guesthouses - that reflect the warmth and welcoming nature of the Belgian people themselves. From its placement right at the heart of modern-day Europe, the city of liege and its people exemplify all the best characteristics of the continent, from the style and sophistication of the French to the reliability and straightforwardness of the Germans, characteristics shared by the best hotels in and around this beautiful part of Belgium.
|
|
