Fodor's Expert Review Hôtel Amigo

Location, charm, and history are Amigo's stock in trade---the 15th-century site was once a prison, and it's said Belgium's then Spanish occupiers mistook the word "vrunt" (prison) for "vriend" (friend), hence the name. A block from the Grand Place, the city's best bars and restaurants sit on its doorstep, but you'd be forgiven for just lingering a while. Rooms are decorated in green, red, or blue, with silk curtains, leather headboards, and a mix of modern furniture and antiques. Works by Belgian artists hang on the walls, and Tintin pictures and figurines cheer up the mosaic-tiled bathrooms. If you'd like a view over the surrounding rooftops, ask for a room on one of the higher floors (these also cost more).