De Keyser's Royal Hotel was a prominent hotel in Brussels, Belgium, situated on the Rue de la Madeleine (now Rue des Frères Maréchaux) opposite the Brussels Stock Exchange. Opened in 1891, the hotel was commissioned by the Belgian industrialist and philanthropist Aloïs De Keyser, who named it after his family. The building was designed by architect Henry van de Velde in an eclectic style that incorporated Neo‑Renaissance elements and featured a grand façade with ornate stonework, a large central dome, and an extensive interior courtyard.
During its operation, De Keyser's Royal Hotel accommodated a range of distinguished guests, including royalty, diplomats, and artists, and it hosted many significant social and political events. The hotel was noted for its luxurious amenities, which at the time included electric lighting, telephones in each room, and a sizable banquet hall.
In the post‑World II period, urban redevelopment plans for Brussels targeted the area around the hotel for the construction of a modern convention center. Despite public protests and attempts to preserve the historic structure, the hotel was demolished in 1966 to make way for the Palais des Congrès (now the Brussels Expo). The demolition — cited as part of the city’s modernization efforts — remains a notable example of mid‑20th‑century heritage loss in Belgian urban history.
The site where De Keyser's Royal Hotel once stood is now occupied by the Brussels Expo, a major exhibition and conference venue. Photographs and architectural drawings of the hotel are preserved in the archives of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and the Brussels City Archives.
