Set within the architectural splendour of Ghent’s former central post office, 1898 The Post is a first-class boutique hotel
When the beautiful neo-gothic central post office in Ghent shut down for good in 2001, many people mourned the end of an era. Designed by architect Louis Cloquet in 1898, the building’s ornate design, with its echoes of medieval churches, was a favourite landmark in the historic Belgian city.
So when, 15 years after its closure, the upper floors of the stunning building were renovated and reopened as a 38-room boutique hotel, there was a sense of joy and relief in the city.
Opening its doors in 2017, 1898 The Post was voted one of the world’s top 500 hotels by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine in 2022 – the only hotel in Belgium to make the list. It also won the AHEAD design award for best Hotel Urban Conversion in 2019.
“When the post office closed and the building was empty for so long, many people from Ghent were really sad because it was one of the epic buildings of the city,” says Commercial Director Joachim Schlosser.
But the landmark was brought back to life by owners Geert De Paepe and Greet Kerkstoel, who worked with designer Geraldine Dohogne to create rooms that combine medieval styling and antique furniture with modern comforts and natural light.
There are 15 different styles of room, with a stay in the octagonal Tower Suite offering 360° views over the old town. The names of the room sizes hark back to the building’s time as a post office – “Stamp”, “Postcard”, “Envelope” – although they’re much larger than their names suggest. And the mixologists in the hotel’s atmospheric cocktail bar, The Cobbler, have won national and international competitions.
The hotel has proved popular with both Belgian and international guests – especially with travellers from the UK and US. Ghent is just 45 minutes by train from Belgium’s three other main cultural cities, which has been a big draw, but the chance to explore the city itself is reason enough to book a stay.
“Ghent combines the trendiness of Antwerp with the historical culture of Bruges,” says Joachim. And this, combined with impressive personal service and eye-popping architecture, gives guests at the former post office something to write home about.
www.1898thepost.com