De Lindenhoeve: staying overnight in luxury

A real experience, for people looking for something they won't find in hotel chains. This is, in one sentence, what boutique hotel De Lindenhoeve wants to offer its guests. Since 1 April 2023, couple Sven and Heidi Langenberg have welcomed them to Sluis. Interior designer Herwig Hostens talks about the project, which he considers his crown jewel.

"I am very proud of this design, really every detail has been thought about, from the beds to the taps and door handles," Hostens says enthusiastically. The Lindenhoeve has a centuries-old history. The farm has been a farm and the home of the Wemaer family since 1800. After the 1944 war bombings, Aunt Germaine rebuilt the farmstead. She cooked on Sundays for friends and acquaintances, which made her famous in the region. Everyone talked about 'eating at Aunt Germaine's'. In the 1960s, children Ilva and Theo Wemaer converted De Lindenhoeve into a restaurant, which is now run by grandson Sven Langenberg and his wife Heidi. There had long been a desire to use the space on the first floor of the property. About two years ago, the process started to create a luxury Boutique Hotel here.

"Earlier, I furnished the owner's real estate office. This pleased him so much that he also asked me for the hotel project. We started with an empty space. The challenge was to maximise luxury rooms in this large space under the roof, with its sloping slopes and dormer windows. The hotel ended up with eight rooms, and a separate lodge room was created in the garden." 

Not only on the first floor was the use of space a challenge. In fact, the restaurant also needed a majestic staircase leading upstairs, without taking away too many tables. "This is something we puzzled over for a long time, also to stay compliant with the standards and obligations of the fire brigade. It became a Hollywood-style staircase, made of solid wood, in soft tones and with natural materials. A beautiful runner has been applied to the steps and the handrails are lacquered in high-gloss for a luxurious look."

To furnish the rooms, Hostens looked to the restaurant. "We wanted to avoid a break in style. A modern and sleek design would not fit here, the whole picture had to be right. Instead, we opted for a luxurious but homely atmosphere, inspired by the long-Island style, Ralph Lauren and English style.

Fortunately, the owner immediately agreed with this; he was also very involved in the design." To emphasise the small scale and luxury of the hotel, each room has been given a different theme.

The basics of the rooms are the same tells Hostens. "All of them are equipped to spend the night in all luxury and comfort. To start with, we paid a lot of attention to the quality of the beds. We chose Revor Bedding as our supplier, because if the guest sleeps well it makes them feel good. We offer high-quality bed and bath linen, such as bathrobes, towels, and slippers. Here we colour with the season, the bed linen for winter is warmer than the materials for summer. The rooms are also characterised by cosy lounge corners and modern bathrooms. Guests can use Umami's shower and care products."

"The distinction between the rooms is defined by Ralph Lauren wallpaper and fabrics from internationally renowned manufacturers, as the motifs and colours from the wallpaper recur in the rest of the room. Every piece of furniture, fixture and decorative element has been carefully designed and crafted to fit seamlessly into the overall concept of luxury and sophistication. From custom-made furniture, decorative mouldings, antique English furniture to handmade carpets, luxurious fabrics and exquisite works of art, every detail contributes to the exclusive ambience of the hotel." Each room also has wooden parquet flooring in a herringbone pattern with an aged wenge look, finished in dark brown. Under the beds in each case is a soft, high-pile carpet, for warm feet when guests get up.

The bathrooms are deliberately large, with room-high luxury marble in Calacatta Gold as an eye-catcher. The stone has a cream background and striking veins ranging from shades of grey to rust colour. In turn, the taps reflect the 1920s style and come from RVB in Brussels. 

Superior Room 1 and 2 are back-to-back identical, like the other larger rooms they have a large desk and a lounge sofa that folds out into an extra sleeping place. "We have designed these sofas ourselves, so they are a nice sofa during the day and a full-fledged sleeping place in the evening," he says. Standard room 3 is the smallest, but still has a spacious feel due to the layout of the room and the decoration. Room 4 is a Suite room, for which Hostens designed a kind of bunk bed niche, complete with curtains and reading lights. Families with young children can thus stay in one room. When couples sleep in this room, the alcove is closed and only panel panelling is visible. Room 5 has a soft colonial feel.

Luxury rooms 6, 7 and 8 all have a large terrace, however, room 8 is also special for another reason. "The bathroom wall in this room is room-high in glass, however, we understand that guests also want their privacy. For this, we use special shutters." A special detail that Hostens says accentuates the Long Island style, but is also functional. Half-open as a transparent room/bathroom combination. Closed during washing.

Besides the hotel rooms, the upper floor also features two section rooms. One is a hunting room with walls clad in 'oak barn wood'. The second is a James Bond lounge, an honesty bar with a majestic fireplace. For this, owner Sven Langenberg took inspiration from the theme of his 40th birthday party. Moreover, this lounge naturally also fits well with the boutique hotel's British style. Thus, according to Hostens, the hotel has really become one. "As an interior designer, it is a privilege to play a role in creating such extraordinary projects," he says.

Co-owner Heidi Langenberg runs De Lindenhoeve together with her husband Sven. When she met her future husband, however, she was working in a completely different industry. As an optometrist and optician, she also worked with people, but hospitality life turned out to be totally different.

If you get into a relationship with someone in this industry, then cooperating is actually inevitable. It is better to have someone from the family present, otherwise the dummies are dancing. I like it, but the difference with my previous work is huge. Catering life is really seven on seven and that was quite difficult at the beginning. 

This actually has a long run-up; in 2012 we demolished and rebuilt three-quarters of the building. The room we used to use for extra capacity then fell away, but we wanted to create a new meeting room on the first floor. Halfway through the renovation, however, the budget proved insufficient for the finishing touches. We therefore decided to keep making money from the restaurant first, to look further at a later stage. In the end, we were itching to realise hotel rooms here after all. This was always my husband's wish, but we hesitated because it was not our line of business. Nevertheless, we took the plunge and embarked on a new adventure. We had plenty of time for this, as the restaurant continued to operate in the meantime. 

Our restaurant already served breakfast, but a hotel breakfast is really different. Because the hotel is compact, we want guests to feel seen and known. So for them, we realise a separate, extensive breakfast served at the table. We are also very busy with reservations and check-outs, checking rooms and meeting specific requests. For example, to provide an extra when it's someone's birthday. It's just a new job there.

Less fun is that I am even more tied down than before. Sven and I do most of the work, especially when it comes to the hotel, on our own. The best part is that I can be a bit freer than in the restaurant. I can engage with guests in a different way and give them more time, especially in the morning and evening. People respond very positively to this; in just one year, we have already welcomed many returning guests.