As soon as the Dutch borders open again after the Corona lockdown, my travelers’ heart starts to beat faster. Searching online for a nice boutique hotel in Belgium, I realize how much I have always taken traveling for granted and how much I actually missed it.
My search for a nice small hotel does not take long. I had already heard of the Van Cleef Hotel in Bruges. Also, given the not yet fully active tourism, it is worth informing if they have rooms available. We are pleasantly surprised when it appears that the hotel still has available rooms, which would not have been the case without the Corona travel stop.
Bruges is only a two-and-a-half-hour drive from where we live. In no time, we enter a new world. This medieval city is one of the most visited places in Belgium. It has a lot of cultural heritage. The historic city center of Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety. Those who visit the center of Bruges will notice that the city center has retained its appearance largely. Modern times have merged here in a beautiful way with the old buildings, streets, and squares.
However, Bruges is more than just a collection of beautiful buildings, squares, and streets. Above all, it is a city where Burgundian life still plays an important role. To befits a good Burgundian, you can enjoy delicious food and drinks in Bruges. It’s a paradise for chocolate lovers. We are in the right place!
The small-scale hotel is run by the Vanhaecke family, father, mother, and son. When we enter the hotel, my interior and photographer’s heart starts to beat faster. After a chat with the owner Frederik, it appears his wife, Pascale, has decorated the hotel and is a well-known interior stylist.
She has made a name in the decorating industry for interiors that are both elegant and dynamic, infused with passion, creativity & atmosphere. The Van Cleef is her latest project for which she was assisted by her son, Arnaud. You see beautiful corners, furniture, and accessories everywhere you look.
History & vision
A grand Italianate mansion with an incredible sense of history, The Van Cleef hotel, can be considered a stately home in a fabulous setting, the heart of the city. For over 700 years it has been dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure and power and has been called home to the various Counts and Dukes of the Van Cleef dynasty.
Today, The Van Cleef is transformed to a small, luxury boutique hotel where style comes with substance, where classical is mixed with contemporary and where cutting-edge facilities are combined with good old-fashioned service standards.
The hotel is run as a private residence and is exclusively open to hotel guests or to non-guests for breakfast and afternoon tea, however, only upon prior reservation. They aim to create a haven of peace in the middle of the busy touristic city, so one can relax, read, sleep, eat and … feel at home.
The in-house shop, also run by owner Pascale, sells the loveliest things. I have to restrain myself from wanting to buy everything I see. From cute dresses, handbags, and, yes, a rose ring that is of course, completely “AndBloom” and screams to be taken home with me (I resisted…).
From the moment you enter the hotel via the Great Hall, with its many antiques and opulent curtains, you are transported into a world of astonishing elegance. The beautiful daylight lounge is stylishly combined with modern, vintage and antique furnishings. The result is a refreshing fusion of trendy and chic—a beautiful place to enjoy a relaxing drink and read one of the books displayed on the table.
Their fabulous breakfast is served in the Green Room, with its impressive modern and contemporary art collection. Breakfast is made with love and served with great attention to taste and freshness. I could sit in this lovely room all day, looking out of the window overlooking the canal. Occasionally ordering a nice cappuccino and a typical Belgium waffle with strawberries and whipped cream.
