Hotel and itinerary in Belgium

For 5 nights, I would perhaps consider Ghent as a base. Brussels is convenient for a short stay thanks to the better international links, but domestic day trips are just as easy - arguably, easier - from Ghent, and Ghent is a more charming city than Brussels.

If you still prefer Brussels, the hotel you picked is in a great, upscale part of the city, with plenty of good restaurants in Châtelain and nearby Ixelles. For your day trips, it will take 20-25 minutes to reach Midi or Central stations from there, but that is not a dealbreaker.

Thanks for the tips, I appreciate it! I'm flying in/out of Brussels so I thought it would be best to just park myself there and do day trips around Belgium.

I personally prefer to wake up in Antwerp. Some visitors find Brussels dry or dull. If you are making daytrips it can be nice to be walkable to the train. (3 stations in Brussels, 2 in Antwerp.) Antwerp also has some international connections. Antwerp is much larger than the historic cores of Bruges and Ghent; It can't be seen in one day.

Brussels is fine in my opinion. If you know where to go it has a lot of nice places. Ghent and Bruges are easy to do in one day. Antwerp is bigger but in my opinion it's less charming. It offers great restaurants and bars however.

Hotelwise it makes more sense to be located closer to the central station. Especially if you like to do things by foot and on top of that it's easier to avoid "bad" neighborhoods. Also i'd advice to avoid the Matonge quarter, especially at night. It's nearby your hotel but I wouldn't recommend tourists to walk through it, even though it's the fastest way to some attractions.

If you prefer to do something else than most touristis. Leuven and Mechelen are 20-25 minutes from Brussels and both have a few nice attractions.

I love Brussels, but like the poster above, I would strongly advise staying in the area between Central Station and the Grand Place. The area around Midi Station can be unsafe, especially when you are returning from your day trips and want to go out for dinner in the evening. I think you will find it just as convenient to use Central Station for your day trips, and that area is much more convenient and walkable for seeing many of the interesting sights in Brussels as well.

Thank you all! I've changed my hotel reservation to something closer to the Grand Place. I agree that after a day trip I'd like to have something convenient to come "home" to. Appreciate all the suggestions!