The first hotel in Belgium to be included in Design Hotels' list of the world's most stylish places to stay, The Dominican (00 32 2203 0808; www.dominican.be), will open in Brussels at the end of October.

With sweeping archways, lofty ceilings and an interior courtyard, its historic look echoes the abbey that stood on the site in the 15th century, but the 150 bedrooms are all ultra-modern and cost from around £120 a night.