Terhills Hotel — Maasmechelen, Belgium

Located in the eastern Belgian village of Maasmechelen, Terhills Hotel is the newest offering from the country’s popular hospitality group, Different Hotels. Housed in the former offices of the Eisden Colliery, the property’s grand neoclassical façade speaks of the wealth of this once prosperous coal-mining district. Inside, a soothing modernity, courtesy of local firm Simoni Architecten and interior designer Stefan Verheyeen, surfaces via an Art-Deco inspired theme, with the use of clean lines and materials such as chrome and mirrors, in a chic palette of dove greys and neutral putty. In the restaurant, Michelin-starred chef Danny Vanderhoven serves an appetising street-food-to-tapas menu, while outside, the ornate topiary in the French garden is incongruous besides two pithead winding gears that still tower nearby.