2 Best Hotels in Leuven, Day Trips from Brussels

Arguably the city's most complete stay is the attractive Martin's Klooster, which used to be a 15th-century Augustinian monastery and hospice. Stashed away in a quiet cobbled corner not far from the center, its Klooster Bar is also one of the better spots in town for a cocktail. Rooms are no less desirable, with the upper end sporting four-poster beds and "bubble baths." It is simply one of the prettiest stays in the area, complete with a magnificent interior orangery garden.

This family-run hotel is, in truth, more like a grand B&B: owner Carmen still rents the building, which used to be a rectory, from the church (Sint-Michelskerk) across the road. It's a charming location, with an attractive interior walled garden where you can take breakfast on sunny mornings. You can even pick its apples and strawberries when in season. Rooms have been recently renovated, and the "Michel Suite" in particular is gigantic—practically a flat in itself. It's the kind of quirky stay where there's nothing else quite like it in the city, and it's all the better for it.