Tourist Attractions
Brussels
Some people find Brussels more appealing as a starting point to explore Belgium's historical cities, but you can ofcourse stay in Antwerp at night and visit Brussels during the day.
You can easily reach the European Capital, starting in Antwerp. By train, you're only 45min away from this very interesting city. If you do want to spend the night in Brussels, there are many hotels in Brussels that will satisfy all your needs. Hotels in Antwerp usually display a somewhat more authentic feel but overall, hotels in Brussels are pretty much the same for most standards.
The only big difference with hotels in Antwerp is that a lot of hotels in Brussels tend to pay more attention to business travellers and diplomats, mainly due to the presence of European institutions.
Ghent
Visiting Ghent is absolutely recommended if you want to stay in a city that offers a lot of possibilities but hasn't lost its peace & quiet.
The 2nd largest city in Flanders is only 30min away from Antwerp by train. There are a lot of people who believe that hotels in Ghent don't offer the same cosmopolitan charm than hotels in Antwerp, but this doesn't necessarily need to be so. Gent's beautiful historical settings, its high quality hotels and, most of all, its absolutely sparkling atmosphere at night are only a few reasons why you should definitely stay in a hotel in Gent.
Ghent is considered to be less touristic than Antwerp, but this is hardly the case during summer, when the biggest stream of visitors arrive. Combining your stay in a hotel in Gent with the ten day long very vibrant street festival called the "Ghent Fests" (Gentse Feesten in Dutch) is totally it!
Bruges
Bruges, the only true Venice of the North, receives more than 3 million visitors a year. Not surprisingly, since it was put on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is almost completely protected. It's as if time stands still here and the city won't seize to amaze you with its marvellous, age old, brilliantly renovated buildings and countless traffic free cobbled streets and alleys.
From Antwerp, it will only take you a little over an hour to get there. Choosing a hotel in Brugge that is located right in the historical city centre, will perhaps remind you of your stay in Antwerp. Ofcourse Bruges is, due to its small size, far less cosmopolitan or trendy than Antwerp, although you can find some remarkably modern hotels in Bruges as well.
Most important advantage of hotels in Bruges, compared to hotels in Antwerp, is that it will take you less time to enjoy all the architectural and cultural highlights Bruges has to offer. Please bear in mind that hotels in Brugge, mainly due to the city's reputation as the one and only Venice of the North, are sometimes more expensive than hotels in Antwerp.