Design studio WeWantMore has overhauled the ground floor of ibis Antwerp Centrum, and the difference starts with how the space is meant to be used. Instead of a lobby you simply walk through, the hotel now treats it as a social hub that shifts purpose across the day — breakfast spot in the morning, co-working area by mid-morning, bar and meeting zone in the evening.
The hotel sits on Theaterplein, right in Antwerp's theatre district, and that setting shaped the whole concept. The stand-out feature is a suspended ceiling installation of sweeping felt forms inspired by birds in flight, layered against the exposed structure above. Changing light and angles make it feel like it's moving as you walk beneath it.
The layout changes are practical rather than cosmetic. The old meeting room was removed to enlarge the breakfast area, the kitchen got bigger, and a new meeting room now sits behind a rounded bar overlooking the courtyard. Reception and the bar form one central social point, while the co-working space can be joined to the meeting room when groups need it. Curtains let the ground floor open up or close down through the day — a flexible fix with a deliberate theatrical nod.
Visually, the project keeps the bones of Accor's ibis Plaza standard: exposed structure, concrete, black finishes and graphic detailing. WeWantMore softened that with upholstered seating, slim chairs against chunky banquettes, and custom carpets designed in-house that run through the corridors and meeting room, echoed in loose rugs across the lobby. The project was developed with Accor and WiZiU, Covivio's hotel management platform, with JLL managing site operations, Forum delivering corridors and rooms, and Bossuyt handling the kitchen.
For travellers, this matters because the modern ibis is quietly becoming more than a budget bed. If you're staying in central Antwerp on a work trip or a city break, a lobby where you can genuinely work, eat and meet people changes what an affordable hotel can offer — especially one steps from the theatre district, Meir shopping street and the sights around Groenplaats.
