Hotel Botteltje

The hotel has been refurbished, and the rooms are comfortable and named after Belgian breweries. Breakfast is a good buffet with lots of choice, and there’s a restaurant for evening meals. It’s close to the main shopping area and beach, with the harbour, railway station and tram stops a short walk away. The hotel belongs to the same family as the excellent adjoining bar, Cafe Bottelje.

The room was a good size and had great facilities. There’s a garage for storing bikes, which was fantastic.

If you love beer, make a stop here. The bar has a fantastic selection at very reasonable prices, friendly staff, plenty of seats inside and out, and great decor. It’s a lovely hotel too, right in the centre of Ostend, with rooms refurbished about four years ago. My only small gripe was that we had to get the staff’s attention when our drinks were empty, but otherwise the service was very good.

There’s a great bar and restaurant attached, with superb food and a huge range of Belgian beers. The hotel itself is quaint and quirky, with plenty of stairs, though it does have an old-fashioned lift. Rooms have Belgian brewery themes, and there are two complimentary bottles of the matching brewery’s beer in the fridge. Breakfast is basic, with cold meats, cheese, boiled eggs and drinks.