My husband and I were looking for a property that we could make our home in Brussels for around 6 weeks spanning the 2014-2015 Christmas-New Year period. We looked for ages for a cool, well-finished apartment in a trendy, centrally-located area that could accommodate the two of us and a couple of visitors from time to time. We absolutely struck gold with Simon and Jolanda's apartment! If Airbnb did ratings, this would get 5 stars without hesitation on all counts. Simonis is a lovely area with a village feel - a good balance of Euro-chic and leafy escapism, right in the heart of the city. Parking is easy, it's a short (15 minute) drive from the airport in light traffic, shops are numerous and you feel close to the buzz of central Brussels without the noise and traffic of the city centre. We ate out at a number of the local restaurants (all within 5-10 minutes), which were generally unpretentious, well-priced and serve great food; there are also some more 'high-end' dining experiences to be had right on the doorstep. The wider options of centre-ville and the busier downtown Brussels areas are both a 5 minute drive or ten minute metro ride away - well within easy striking distance. Located right next to a beautiful park and a minute's walk from both the Simonis Metro and the iconic Basilique, the flat is beautifully renovated to create a modern living space which reinstates the original high ceilings and period detail - a real showcase of well-executed interior design. It has a big, wonderfully light and airy open-plan living area comprising a cosy lounge/TV room overlooking the park, a large dining table, a well-equipped kitchen with a lovely marble island area, and a second lounge giving out onto a well-designed garden area that would be great for an aperitif during summer. The bedroom also looks out onto the garden, has good wardrobe space, and its own washroom and shower area. There is a handy utility room right next door with a good washing machine. My other half found himself sleeping on the sofa-bed one night and - once we were speaking again - was able to report that it was every bit as comfortable as the main bed (which, by the way, was like sleeping on a cloud), which was later confirmed by visitors. The electronic shutters on every window also keep out light and noise really effectively, which generally made for the best sleep we've had in ages. The flat is definitely functional as well as stylish - in fact, it has everything you'd ever need in your own home and it's high quality and works well. The heating system is excellent - even in the middle of a cold spell, it was warm - the kitchen is really user-friendly, the shower is powerful and the lights allow you to control the mood in different sections of the living space. There's a broom cupboard just off the main living area where...