Review: First in: Botanic Sanctuary, Antwerp hotel review

Why book Botanic Sanctuary?

Antwerp has often been overlooked for a foodie city break. Maybe because, in spite of its stellar restaurants and cafes, it lacked a stand-out luxury hotel in which to kick back between meals. Botanic Sanctuary fills the gap with aplomb. Painstakingly forged from the bones of a mediaeval monastery and hospital, it’s a place of surprises, storytelling – and excellent food. It already has five restaurants (three with Michelin stars) – and more are planned. A further 17 Michelin-starred restaurants (with a total of 21 stars between them) are within walking distance.

Set the scene

Although 80 per cent of the buildings are heritage, Botanic wears its history lightly – it’s playful rather than oppressive. Sunlight slants through a cloistered corridor; a 15th-century chapel plays host to Sunday brunch; afternoon tea is taken in a fairy tale cottage in the woods. New additions feel fresh without being obtrusive: the atrium echoes a vast greenhouse, with sofas sitting in the shade of arching trees in planters.

The backstory

Sit back for a history lesson. In 1238, the Sint-Elisabeth Hospital and its monastery moved here from outside the city gates. A chapel was added in the 15th century, and a hundred years later, famed apothecary Peeter van Coudenberghe planted a garden to provide medicinal herbs for the hospital. The garden was revived in the 19th century and became a listed space in 1950 (it still sits next to the hotel and is a must-visit). Buildings were demolished, restructured, added and extended through the centuries. Fast forward to the present, and Maryse Odeurs (a former intensive care nurse) and Eric De Vocht of real estate development, IRET were looking to add a luxury hotel to their portfolio. The 20,000 square metre site was owned by the City of Antwerp, but the group managed to obtain a 99-year lease in 2017 and, in 2019, set about stripping it back to its ancient stonework and structures, in close consultation with the City’s conservation department. The hotel opened in 2021 but is still expanding, tweaking and finessing.

The rooms

108 rooms and suites (all different) are spread throughout five heritage buildings (Sint-Joris, Monasterium, Sint-Elisabeth, Alnetum and Filips Van Marnix Huise). For winter cosiness nothing beats the top floor suites where exposed beams and highly pitched ceilings exude Flemish artist atelier vibes (some even have winding wooden staircases and corners evoking childhood hide and seek). Come summer, the first floor rooms offer airy serenity. The structural bones of the buildings provide all the design drama you need, and there’s a deep understanding that the human animal needs calm spaces and snug sleeping quarters in which to rest. Colours are kept soft and warm (sage, putty, clotted cream, sand), with choices surprising enough to pique interest without jarring. It’s the epitome of sanctuary.

Food and drink

Michelin stars sparkle all over Botanic, but the hotel mainly shrugs off the crisp, napery, and traditional formality of most of Antwerp’s destination restaurants. Chef Gert De Mangeleer’s rock and roll exuberance bounces off maître-sommelier Joachim Boudens’ poise at two-star Hertog Jan. The organic simplicity of the interior (by Benoit Viaene) focuses all your attention on the ‘omakase’ (trust the chef) tasting menu. It’s a culinary expedition where nothing is quite as it seems, and you even shift tables halfway through to a dome next to the kitchen.

Fine Fleur is a larger contemporary space, all flowing curves, ruled by Jacob Jan Boerma and Thomas Diepersloot, while afternoon tea at Het Gebaar has swiftly become an Antwerp institution. Squatting at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens (it used to be the hospital’s apothecary) it gives strong gingerbread cottage in the woods vibes. Starred chef Roger van Damme is renowned for his desserts, but savouries are equally works of art.

Smart brasserie Bar Bulot is a De Mangeleer/Boudens spin-off – highlighting Flemish cooking (the vol au vent for two is out of this world).

Henry’s Bar & Bistro segues from an intimate bar to a light, bright conservatory spilling out onto a terrace (plus a private dining room where the walls have been painted with wine). The menu is robust, featuring a mix of French and Belgian favourites. Down in the cellars, The Unprecedented plays host to the invitation-only Scotch Whisky Investors Club.

Breakfast takes place in a cathedral of a room with a soaring ceiling and huge rustic beams. The buffet is vast; the Champagne flows (or fix yourself a Bloody Mary from a dedicated station); and there’s a small but well-designed a la carte menu. Sunday brunch is very much an event held in the chapel.

A sixth restaurant, by starred chef Jacob Jan Boerma, is set to open next year – an “interactive experience” shrouded in mystery at present. A seventh restaurant is under debate. Nobody goes hungry or gets bored at Botanic.

The spa

At present, the spa is perfectly pleasant, with a top floor pool (sadly not open-air – a missed opportunity), a decent steam/sauna set-up, an airy and well-equipped gym, ten crisp treatment rooms, and a slightly unsure of itself relaxation space. Karin Leppens is the facialist to book for a solid old-school facial (Physiodermie). Functional medicine coach Kim Smolders is inspiring and pragmatic – the best combination.

The initial vision of a blending of TCM and European monastic medicine hasn’t arrived quite yet, but there are plans to extend into an adjacent building and offer a more targeted integrated wellness clinic alongside the soft spa offering. Xavier Le Clef, osteopath, TCM and holistic practitioner, has big plans. This is one to watch.

The neighbourhood

This formerly forgotten (and, some would say, disreputable) corner of the city is undergoing a total change of personality. IRET has been investing in the area, buying up properties around the hotel and renting them to like-minded businesses (florists, interior businesses, restaurants, cafes, tapas and wine bars). A public street runs through the hotel grounds, connecting it to the new quartier. Nothing is far away – a ten-minute walk takes you to the historic centre with its beautiful cathedral and Rubens’ House. A 20-minute stroll in the opposite direction, and you’re at the newly renovated KMSKA (Royal Museum of Fine Art).

The service

Finding the right staff has been a challenge, reflected in some slight inconsistencies in service. However, all the staff are warm and welcoming, and new GM Christian Hirt (ex-Raffles and the Fairmont in Doha) is poised to whip everything into line.

Eco effort

Combining luxury and sustainability isn’t easy in a heritage site that puts limits on initiatives. However Botanic are working towards Green Key certification and are optimistic they will achieve it next year. There’s a major commitment to working locally, and the shuttle service uses hybrid cars, which mainly run on electric power.

Accessibility

All public areas are accessible for people with reduced mobility (some require advance warning so the hotel can place ramps). There are five fully accessible rooms with lower mirrors, wider doors, and accessible showers. Three suites (containing stairs) have interior elevators. The spa and all the restaurants are wheelchair friendly, with the exception of Het Gabaar, which has four steps).