The Grand

The Grand (or One Room Hotel) was designed by Belgian architecture firm DMVA as a cross between a holiday home for its owners and a tiny, luxury hotel with just one double bedroom and more internal spaces connected by a "promenade" of staircases.

The “one room” hotel isn’t one room, exactly. An open-tread staircase leads from one floor to the next, each of which has its own function. The basement is the kitchen, the first floor is the lounge, the second floor contains the bathroom, and the third floor is where the main bedroom and sauna are located.

The three-level, 17th-century skinny house in Antwerp, is only 2.4 metres wide on its narrowest facade. It was bought by a couple who stumbled across the property while visiting the old city centre and decided to purchase it and give it a second life.

All of the original parts of the building, like the beams and walls, have been retained where possible and have been painted white, while the new additions, including the front door, the stairs and the terrace, made from wood with an exposed finish to make the difference clear.

The pale wooden flooring is punctuated with sections of glass to create diagonal views through the house, with the intention of making the long, thin house seem like one open space.

The newer part of the structure contains the kitchen, bathroom and a small hot-tub. Partial partitions help to hide these functions from the main sleeping and leisure spaces.

Facilities

• Air conditioning
• Coffee machine
• Essentials
• Parking (paid)
• Heating
• Self-service kitchen
• Wi-Fi (free)