De Wever Lodge

Dinner was the best part of our stay. The food was flavorful and well prepared, though €35 per person for one course is pricey. The forest setting is beautiful, probably even nicer in summer. Still, at €300 a night, I expected service closer to a 5-star hotel, and several parts of the stay fell short. Check-in was confusing, with no clear directions. After we finally checked in, we were given a cabin number and left to find it ourselves in the woods. It felt like a scavenger hunt, and nobody offered help with our luggage or guidance. Inside, an overpowering diffuser scent made the cabin uncomfortable. Cracking noises from the roof continued through the night, making it hard to relax and leaving me concerned about possible pests. The bed was very close to the roof, and with poor ventilation the room got extremely hot. I felt like I was cooking like a sausage. We were also told a reservation was required for lunch at the restaurant, which surprised me as hotel guests. I would have expected a hotel at this level to prioritize its own residents. Breakfast was disappointing too: during what seemed like a busy, understaffed period, I waited about 45 minutes for a cappuccino. The setting and food have a lot going for them, but the room and uneven service didn’t justify the premium price for me.

We enjoyed the cabin in the woods, and breakfast was wonderful. The food was good too. One odd thing: we’d booked half board for two nights in advance, but were served pretty much the same meals on the second night. The hotel restaurant could have taken that into account.

The place, food and setting were all beautiful, and there’s a lovely atmosphere when you walk in. We stayed two nights in a cabin in the woods. The shower ran out of hot water very quickly. I mentioned it to the staff after the first time, but still had another cold shower the next morning. It’s also very dark walking to and from the cabin at night. When my husband asked for a lantern, they had to check whether they could lend us one for the night. I think that should be included as part of the stay, which is why I’m giving it four stars instead of five.

Room 2 is right by the restaurant area, so during the day you hear everything going on there. We slept fine because it was quiet from 11 pm to 8 am, but anyone even a little sensitive to noise or music probably won’t be able to rest during the day. We’d come back, but would pick another room, probably on the second floor or in a cabin. There was no tea in the room or common areas either, and it would be nice to have some available all the time. The restaurant and veranda welcome dogs, but the rooms don’t. For my family, that makes it much harder to return because we can’t bring our furry friend. It’s a special, boutique-feeling place surrounded by nature. You can hear birds and horses, and everything was clean and cosy. The design and details, plus fireplaces in the common areas and restaurant and bonfires outside, made it easy to unwind. There’s a great 5km hiking trail across the road, and it’s a 13-minute walk to the park entrance with bikes. The staff were very friendly and found us a table for lunch and dinner with almost no wait. We had breakfast, which was included, lunch of soup and salad, and dinner of fish, potatoes and salad. The food was amazing, and the drinks were great too, with creative non-alcoholic cocktails and kambucha.