A FAM is without a doubt, the best way to experience a city for an event professional. It’s the best way to experience a hotel, to understand a culture, to try the food, to experience the destination and we loved our 48 hours in Brussels a few weeks ago with Destinations Unlimited.
Destinations Unlimited is a leading Destination Management Company (DMC) that provides specialized services for corporate and incentive travel, meetings, and events. Established in 1989, they have over 30 years of experience delivering top-tier destination management services. Based in the UK, Destinations Unlimited partners with a network of trusted DMCs around the globe to create tailored, high-quality experiences for their clients and we love working with them. We have been partnering with them for over three years now and we love being able to bring amazing destinations to our members, directly!
We kicked this fam off on a Friday morning and were lucky enough to take the two-hour trip to Brussels from London via Eurostar and we travelled in style with Business Premier Class. Business Premier is an amazing option for your delegates, super fast wi-fi means they can work onboard while travelling. You enjoy a three-course meal, all served with champagne (if that’s your thing) and they can cater to all dietary requirements. You can relax in the lounge before your train (which is stacked with tasty treats and the best reading material ever) and with dedicated priority lanes to board your train and lots of room for luggage it is a fantastic option to travel to Brussels. The journey hits all sustainability goals as well as travelling via train keeps your carbon footprint very low (one flight to Paris from London has the same carbon footprint as 14 Eurostar journeys). We loved our trip and used the concise journey to get to know each other and work.
On arrival in Brussels we went straight into the city centre for an amazing lunch at the Grand Place: Le Roy d’Espagne which was fabulous and after enjoying lunch we had a site visit of all the wonderful, super centrally located event spaces the restaurant has. The restaurant would be amazing for a full buyout with plenty of different spaces to suit any event type. We sampled local Belgian cuisine and of course a beer of two. You can see all the event spaces here.
Up next we saw some amazing venues all suitable for conferences and dinners and you can read all about them here:
Palais d’Egmont – link
La Maison Grand Place – link
Theatre du Vaudeville – link
Our hotel for our FAM was the stunning Le Plaza Hotel (part of Great Hotels of the World Collection) which we returned to after the site visits for a bit of downtime.
The Le Plaza Hotel is steeped in some pretty significant history. Le Plaza Hotel Brussels, built between 1928 and 1931 by architect Michel Polak, is an iconic luxury hotel known for its French classical and Art Deco style. It quickly became a hub for diplomats, politicians, and high society due to its opulent design and prime location. Throughout history, the hotel has hosted significant events, including diplomatic meetings and cultural gatherings.
During World War II, Le Plaza was used by the German military, like many prominent buildings in occupied Europe. After the war, it regained its role as a venue for international conferences and high-profile events. Notably, it hosted several European Union-related meetings during Brussels’ rise as a key European capital in the post-war era.
By the 1980s, the hotel had declined but was revived in the 1990s with a major restoration project. Today, it remains a premier destination in Brussels, known for its historical charm and luxurious setting. The hotel’s theatre, used for performances and film screenings, adds to its cultural significance. Le Plaza continues to host important political and cultural events, reflecting its enduring legacy as one of Brussels’ most prestigious establishments.
After a few hours of downtime (we always feel this is so important for a fam to have the time to explore at your leisure) we glammed up and headed for dinner which was quite the experience.
We were so lucky to be hosted by Visit Brussels on a Tram Experience dinner which is “Tram Experience” a unique concept offering you a gastronomic trip through Brussels aboard a tram. “Tram Experience” will take you on a journey through the capital while you enjoy a meal and it will be amazing. I will include all the photos in this blog but they don’t do it justice. It was such an amazing experience and our members loved it. We hear one of our members booked it for a client event as soon as they returned.
The next morning we were up early for breakfast in the hotel followed by a gourmet walking tour discovering the city before a visit to la Maison du Cygne, lunch in Chez Leon and free time before heading back to London.
We had the most wonderful time exploring Brussels for events and can’t wait to go back soon.
A huge thank you to our hosts for this trip:
AIM Group, Destinations Unlimited, Eurostar, Visit Brussels and Leading Hotels of the world. Please reach out to us if you need any more information on any of the fantastic hotels or venues we visited on our trip. If you would love to work with us, please drop us a line!
