Hotels in historic houses in Belgium

This impressive new hotel in the heart of Bruges is located in two restored buildings just a few steps from the Burg square. Named after a mediaeval palace that stood here, the hotel has spectacular 18th-century halls, old stone columns from the 15th century and a comfortable bar with a blazing fire. Some bedrooms occupy the old mansion, while others are located in a modern extension.

This stunning hotel opened in 2017 in a renovated Gothic building in the heart of Leuven. The curious name was chosen because the hotel is the fourth occupant of the building. Built in 1479 for the local guilds, it became a theatre in 1817 and a branch of the National Bank in 1930. The building has now been transformed to create a fabulous hotel where bedrooms have smart light switches and a personal supply of artisanal coffee beans from Bolivia.

This striking boutique hotel opened in 2017 on the upper floors of the former central post office in Ghent. The 38 rooms are decorated in a warm style evoking the building’s late 19th-century architecture, with high ceilings and antique furniture. Located in the heart of Ghent, the hotel offers its guests some of the best views in the city and has a stylish cocktail bar that could soon be the most fashionable hangout in town.

Located in two restored town houses, this is a gorgeous urban hotel looking down on the old town of Liège. You enter through a baroque courtyard dating from 1620, but there is an older 15thcentury structure deep inside the complex. The interior design is cool, spacious and contemporary, with some striking spaces including a neoclassical ballroom, a lounge with views of the city, and a bar down in a vaulted mediaeval cellar. Somewhat confusingly, the entrance lobby is on the seventh floor, while bedrooms are on lower levels, but that’s part of the charm of this ancient building.

This unique 108-room hotel opened in 2021 in a historic location in the heart of Antwerp. It occupies a cluster of former religious buildings next to the botanical gardens including a hospital and a chapel dating back to the 15th century. The interiors have been sensitively restored to create
a luxury urban retreat with several restaurants, a fitness club and a spa.