Last minute trip to Brussels, need help with hotel in another city nearby
 

Unfortunately a last min. Trip to Brussels coincides with a very large convention next week
Almost all 3star and above hotels are booked!

Found something on airbnb, but it is a converted garage, ugh! But next to the grand place.
Any ideas where to base closely that is accessible without a car

Thanks.
You would think the center of the E.U. Would have more accommodations?

I'm traveling to Belgium next month (probably not to Brussels). I'll be staying at least one night in Ghent, which is only about 30 minutes from Brussels by train - seems there are many trains to choose from. Ghent sounds like a neat town anyway. Try there next?

Try looking in the suburbs eg St Stevens Woluwe. I stayed in an aparthotel near Montgomery once when all hotels were full, it was very nice. Are the airport hotels full as well?

How about somewhere with good train links to Brussels, such as Mechelen? Leuven?

I'd second Mechelen. Lovely place to visit in it's own right.
Leuven is also a great option.

Agree with Mechelen or Leuven or the suburbs. You might cast the net a little wider by searching with a name like Zaventem, which is where the airport is located, and where there are a lot of hotels but there are still good connections into the city. The metro and rail network are pretty dense so most places will have good, quick transport to the centre. I would probably go for Leuven over Ghent as you are not competing with all the holidaymakers who stay there; just my opinion.

Lavandula