Step inside the Radisson RED, a hip millennial haven with a fierce commitment to local talent, fashion, music, and art. 

Art. Fashion. Music. Apps. A Tesla Powerwall Battery. What more could a millennial want? Ahem, authenticity. The Radisson RED Brussels — affectionately known as “The RED” — delivers just that along with a healthy dose of eco-consciousness. This un-hotel lifestyle brand is a self-proclaimed revolution that aims to disrupt the conventional hotel industry. There’s no staff but a Cast of Creatives. Forget a front desk. And the concierge is 100 percent virtual. Expect the unexpected. You’ll never see even a hint of beige at the Radisson RED. Even their website professes we hate dull.

In a time when the hotel industry hopes to capture the attention of millennials – which all too often becomes a gimmicky marketing cliché of itself – the Radisson RED Brussels brilliantly pulls it off, brings the fun, inspires creativity, and delivers hospitality via an app.

Sans a front desk, the Creatives (staff) offered a warm welcome and within minutes, I was in my keyless room digging into the sweet His and Her amenities. After a quick refresh in the artfully tiled bathroom, I headed out for the day. But I didn’t get far. The RED’s lobby sucked me in. There was much to explore in this private gallery with monthly installations. It’s the “social hive” of the hotel, where local art, fashion, and music curated by Cristabel Cabanier collide. A lobby DJ set the beat while I braved the Tinder Couch and graciously received a green light. The board room table transformed into a ping-pong table for an impromptu game, and the artists were milling about engaging in fresh conversation about city art and inspiration.

Eventually, I did make it out the lobby doors to discover Brussels and found myself smack in the city center next to Place de Luxembourg and the Royal Quarter. Brussels’ well-heeled French air perfectly mixes with a funky alternative bohemian vibe. Some might call it culture clash. I see it more as a fusion of opposite flavors perfectly blended.  As fortune had it, that weekend was the multi-cultural Zinneke Parade. The streets were filled with parading troupes of costumed musicians, dancers, and entertainers of all ages grooving to a Bohemian beat. I explored the old market hall and crowded bars of St-Géry square where locals and tourists alike basked in the sun enjoying Belgian blonde beer. Then there’s Rue Antoine Dansaert where I discovered alternative fashion pop-up boutiques and marveled at the gilded 17th century Grand Place. Not to mention, the elegant Les Galeries Royale Saint-Hubert.

Back at the RED, I flopped on the comfy bed after a fun but quite long day out. With the RED app, I synced my iPhone to the 50″ flat screen TV and watched a slideshow of pictures from my day. I also dipped into the minibar for one last glass of champagne. Rooms are light, bright, and of course, red and artsy. The 149 studios are equipped with free-flowing high-speed Wi-Fi, and an app that manages check in, room service, restaurant reservations, and check out. Technology is definitely part of the experience. Yet I didn’t feel that I missed out on the personal touches that make a hotel stay my home-away-from-home.

A fierce advocate for global street art, the Radisson RED’s artist of the month is Alice Pasquini, whose art is seen both in galleries and on city walls. Both a street artist and classically trained painter, the Roman-born Pasquini says in her interview with Radisson RED that her creativity “is influenced by many things—the light and the colours of the surroundings (one of the reasons I paint during the day), the people who pass by and their reactions, the fragility of the surface, and spontaneity of my stroke (necessary due to the rapid action). I usually pick walls that are already beat up, often already built up with tags. The scars of the city make the best canvases.”

It’s not only art that Radisson RED Brussels is passionate about. Count in fresh and organic cuisine. Brussels’ burgeoning foodie scene is represented at the OUIBar + KTCHN and their Van Rouge Food Truck. I caught breakfast at KTCHN and it was excellent. Quite the opposite of a dreary hotel heating lamp buffets, breakfast was made to order and was European perfect. Crusty artisanal bread, poached eggs, and creamy cappuccinos that rivaled my favorite coffee bar in Rome. The freshness and quality of the ingredients shone through and set a high bar for hotel breakfasts.

Extra perks for Radisson RED Brussels guests are free parking (seriously, what hotel in a city center offers free parking? Talk about a hotel revolution!), and for a few extra euros, bring your pooch.

Whether you find the Radisson RED Brussels’ “ageless millennial” hotel concept gimmicky or it’s music to your ears, the truth is that the RED brand brings the fun and is worth a stay. With the American flagship newly opened in the art mecca of Minneapolis, more Radisson REDs are landing soon in Miami, Capetown, Glasgow, Portland, and Campinas.

Go RED for a day. Be bold. No boundaries. Be sassy. Express your style. And see what happens. If you’re not already, you just may become a RED convert, even if, like me, you’re a non-millennial.

Find Donna on Twitter and Instagram

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Images via The Radisson RED Brussels 

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Brussels has had a rough go of it recently. Last week, Brussels was under a five-day lockdown because of terrorist threats. The bright people of Brussels decided to take to social media to lighten things up by tweeting tons of photos of cats. Well, to help Brussels get its tourists back, officials are planning on making the city a cat-playground.

“Patrick Bontick, head of Brussels’ tourism office, said he hoped tourists would be reassured that authorities had taken all necessary measures to protect the city. He agreed with Van Eycken [a Brussels spokeswoman] that cats might be the solution.”

“Even in a bad situation, we can also have some humor in Brussels,” Bontick said. “We’re a surrealistic country,” he said, adding he hoped the cats would provide a “friendly” image of the city, Mashable reports.

Watch the video below to see the types of antics that went on during the lockdown. Man, those Brussels cats really know how to party!

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Your weekend bag for a stay at the Pantone Hotel — versatile basics in bright solid colors.

When packing for a weekend at the Pantone Hotel in Brussels, go with the theme and bring colorful basics that ensure that you blend well into the surroundings. It’s a bit chilly in Brussels right now, so versatile basics that will keep you warm is a must.

Organic Woven Scarf – Pantone 144
A big scarf is a must-have when you travel anywhere. This one, by fairtrade fashion company Indigenous Designs shines on a bright shade of orange (Pantone 144) and dyed using low-impact, eco-friendly dyes.
$19, Indigenous Designs

Organic Sweater with Tail – Pantone 3945
This lemon yellow (Pantone 3945) sweater by Organic by John Patrick is longer in the back and shorter in the front, perfect for matching with anything from your favorite travel tights to a fancy skirt.
$212, Otte

Braided Hat with Tassels – Pantone 290
With earflaps and fun braided tassels, this bright blue (Pantone 290) hat is a fun addition to your cold-weather wardrobe. It’s hand knit by formerly disadvantaged mothers in Njabini, Kenya.
$26, Njabini Apparel

Baggu Backpack – Pantone 184
This neon pink (Pantone 184) backpack is made from 100% recycled cotton duck. It’s great for carrying all those essentials with you while exploring Brussels. If pink is not your color, there are several more to choose from.
$34, Baggu

Olsenhaus Wedge Booties – Pantone 249
“Bring comfortable shoes” is one of the cardinal rules of traveling. But we think you should also pack something a little more suitable for evening pleasures, like these bright-purple (Pantone 249) vegan booties by Olsenhaus.
On sale for $150.50, Cow Jones Industrials

Merino Silkweight Crew – Pantone 570
This top from Patagonia combines the technical merits of merino wool with travel-savvy style. The lightweight fabric is designed to keep you dry, comfortable and odor-free — it’s a mix of chlorine-free merino wool from non-mulesed Australian merino sheep and 100% recycled polyester.
$65, Patagonia

Slim Color Pant – Pantone 172
Give those black pants you usually travel with a rest. This deep orange (Pantone 172) slim color pant is the perfect colorful travel companion. Each pair is handwoven in Romania and are absolutely unique (you can enter a special code located on the inside seam to find out how).
$145, Kaight

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Room with a hue: the Pantone Hotel is themed around every designer’s essential tool.

Cutting-edge design might not be the first thing that springs to mind when Brussels is mentioned. Maybe mussels, chocolate, lots of Euro-politics. As such, the Pantone Hotel is a much-needed blast of color in the midst of bureaucratic grey. If you’re a beige, greige or otherwise neutral palette person, then forget it. If you’re a designer, it’s hotel heaven.

Everything, from mugs and folding chairs to walls, is in a Pantone color showing its ID number or name. Even the bicycles (available for sale, though not for riding) are brightly colored.

Sixties moulded plastic chairs in zingy orange and Mediterranean turquoise, and stripey walls, are guaranteed to pep you up for a stroll round the city, but won’t look so great after too many brews.

Interiors are white canvases with splashes of color, each of the seven floors is themed by mood (earthy: brown; fiery: vermillion; vibrant: orange; fresh: aquamarine). The accents, used sparingly to dramatic effect, are provided by pantone panels on the walls showing each room’s palette along with tonally-coordinated original artwork. Block-color bedspreads abound in the bedroom; in the bathroom, cups, shampoo and toilet roll (yes, really).

The 61 guest rooms have LCD TVs and free WIFI; being a tall townhouse, the top ones offer great city views. If you’re a low-down, just pop up to the roof terrace to look out over this medieval city.

Rates from $143 including tax and every color in the rainbow and beyond, but not the Pantone products (cups, chairs, iPhone cases). The little colored sugar sachets are good to go, though.

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This house in Belgium features a vertical garden and a logistical mowing challenge.

How often do you paint your house or agonize over what color to make it so that the neighbors don’t hate you? If you lived in this vegetation-rich dwelling, you would be freed of that intense decision-making. An added bonus? It’s green all over.

The “vertical garden” helps keep the six-bedroom family house (it’s the home and studio of a cinematographer) cool in summer, while acting as insulation in colder weather. It also provides privacy from the neighbors on three sides; the fourth wall, overlooking the (horizontal) garden, is glass. A simple white curtain provides shade during hot months.

Low-maintenance lush gardens are maintained with rain and a built-in irrigation system. We love the way it blends into the garden, almost as if it’s not really there at all.

This private home took eight years to construct. The original plans called for ivy, but as the idea of a green façade grew, the ivy was ditched for a selection of exotic plants by botanist Patrick Blanc. Architecture firm Samyn and Partners in Belgium created the design and project and refer to it as an “envelope.”

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