Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp Belgium
Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp
Lange Gasthuisstraat 45, BE- 2000 Antwerp GPS: Leopoldstraat 26, BE-2000 Antwerp
www.botanicantwerp.com
HOTEL INFORMATION
Group
N/A
Shareholders
Privately owned- Iret Development
Date of Creation
14/02/2022
Hotel General Manager
Christian Hirt
Hotel Positioning
The first 5-star superior hotel in Belgium with 4 Michelin stars under 1 roof.
The Botanic. A fascinating place where imagination has space.
A destination for connoisseurs and foodies, business travellers and design devotees, spa aficionados and affluent shoppers. Antwerp’s first 5-star superior hotel, the city’s first member of Leading Hotels of the World.
Development Strategy
Our mission for Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp is to create a place that inspires feelings of freedom and luxury born from nature, space and true privacy. This unique luxury city resort aims to set new standards in ambience, sustainable design and innovation, putting Antwerp on the map as a destination for connoisseurs and foodies, business travellers, design devotees, spa aficionados and affluent shoppers.
Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp
History & Story
Opulent and historic, the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp is one of the Leading Hotels of the World, a 5* superior city-centre gourmet, spa and weekend destination hidden away in the heart of this great Belgian city. But the story behind this five-star superior hideaway, with its tranquil gardens, atmospheric apothecary, five restaurants and spa, starts almost 800 years ago. Historic records show it was 1238 when an order of monks moved to this site to set up a monastery and the St Elisabeth hospital for the local sick and poor. In the 1400s, the order was able to add an infirmary and chapel. Magnificently restored, these 15th century Gothic gems still stand, now the spectacular setting for special events and celebrations. In the 16th century, the famous pharmacist Peeter van Coudenberghe established an apothecary in the hospital and a medicinal garden next to it, to grow herbs for the remedies. From 1501 to the 1560s Antwerp enjoyed its ‘golden era’, when this cosmopolitan North Sea trading port became one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. Among the cargoes of silks, spices, diamonds and gems on ships arriving from Africa and India would have been plants Coudenberghe would have seized on eagerly. In 1798, the hospital was taken under the management of Antwerp’s Board of Almshouses, which enabled it to continue its mission of healing and care. In 1836 the building at the front of the site – a block deep, running along Lange Gasthuisstraat, Sint-Jorispoort and Leopoldstraat – and the main entrance were constructed. A new apothecary and its adjacent buildings followed in 1847. The large extension on the Sint-Jorispoort side was added in 1856. The mid 19th century also saw the revival of Coudenberghe’s garden, which over the centuries had fallen into disrepair. The hospital’s chief surgeon, Claude Louis Sommé, and head pharmacist, Francois Verbert, replanted it as the Botanical Garden seen today. In 1950 the botanical garden became a listed space, and in the 1990s, following the addition over the years of various slipshod extensions, the first and top floors of the by then sadly shabby old monastery were converted into hotel rooms. All these layers were unravelled by historian Anneleen Cassiman during her research into this ancient site. Her extensive study of the literature, archives and the buildings on the site provided the basis on which the sensitive restoration and repurposing project was built.
The project to turn five historic buildings and a listed botanical garden into the spectacular five-star superior hotel seen today was a challenge of gargantuan proportions. The mission was twofold: to preserve the legacy of historic buildings, a former monastery and hospital dating back to 1238, and to breathe new life into the site through a focus on its tradition of botanical study. Starting in 2017, the restoration of the old buildings, including a 14th century infirmary and chapel, took place alongside the construction of new buildings. These included additional restaurants and an ultra-modern three-storey spa, which incorporated the red-brick garden wall of the original old orangery. A spirited sense of innovation drove the restoration, coupled with a sensitivity towards the need for sustainability and to preserve numerous elements of the fabric and environment of this historically important site. In 2020 and 2021, pandemic-related restrictions delayed progress on the project. But good things are worth the wait! The Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, one of the Leading Hotels of the World, welcomed its first guests in 2022.
Date Renewal
Between 2019 – 2023
Date added extensions
2023
Main Strengths, Special Touch
• In the heart of Antwerp with restaurants and spa on site – a destination in its own right
• Located in an almost 200 old botanical garden, offering an oasis of peace.
• Only 5* superior hotel in the city and surroundings
• 5 restaurants on site, 3 of them Michelin-rated and 5 of them Gault & Millau rates (points between 14/20 and 18/20)
• Exclusive Botanic Health Club and Spa
• Monastic heritage site including a 15th century Chapel and an impressive event Hall Amaryllis
• Every room and suite is wonderfully unique due to the historic nature of the Botanic
Location
• In the heart of Antwerp with restaurants and spa on site – a destination in its own right
• Located in an almost 200 old botanical garden, offering an oasis of peace.
Key sites/activities in the area
All the luxury shops are in the same street as the hotel
Many restaurants around the hotel
Musea by walking distance
Fun Facts
In room luxury shopping is possible on request
Children’s Corner
Age:
0-3 baby cot price 75 €
4-12 extra bed child price 100 €
Breakfast rate:
0-3: free of charge
4-12: € 30,00 p.p.
Baby cot is possible starting from deluxe room
Extra bed for child (4-12y) is possible starting from junior suite
Kids Club / programs / special concept?
Children amenities in the room, Henry’s Bar & Bistro and Room service menu
HOTEL FEATURES
Accommodation
• Number of Suites: 16
8 x One Bedroom Suite
2 x One Bedroom Suite Terrace
3 x Two Bedroom Suite
1 x Diamond Suite
1 x Spa Suite
1 x Botanic Suite
• Number of Luxury Rooms: 92
25 x Classic Room
50 x Deluxe Room
1 x Deluxe Room Terrace
13 x Junior Suite
3 x Family Duplex
Restaurants & Bars
• Hertog Jan**, fine dining “Omakase”, 18 cvts
• Het Gebaar*, fine dining, lunch & desert, 30 cvts
• Fine Fleur*, fine dining, 40 cvts
• Bar Bulot: Belgian cuisine, 70 cvts
Bars, lounges:
• Henry’s Bar & Bistro 80 cvts
• Spa Bistro 15 cvts (only if you spending time in the spa, not to reserve)
Wellness
• Cutting edge cellular-analysis equipment
• 10 treatment rooms
• Traditional European Medicine: consultations and diagnosis
• Traditional Chinese Medicine: consultations and diagnosis
• Journeys, retreats and workshops
• Yoga, meditation and mindfulness classes
• Manicures, pedicures and waxing Massages and full-body treatments
• 18m panoramic swimming pool Panoramic
• Finnish sauna with herbal infusions Kneipp walk Ice fountain
• Himalayan salt-stone sauna Infrared textile sauna
• Steam bath
• Foot reflexology basins Infinity whirlpool
• Herb and vitamin bar
• Relaxation area Top-floor bistro
• Technogym equipment
Corporate & Celebration Events
• 14 multifunctional conference rooms offer a range of spaces and configurations, whether it’s a small informal meeting or an event with up to 500 guests.
• Take a breath: the Botanical Garden integrates the outdoor world into the meeting experience.
• Meetings, incentives, conferences and events solutions.
• Seamless hybrid meetings with the latest technology.
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the destination and Congress Centre.
• Plenty of safe parking and in the heart of the city.
• VIP Porsche transfer service upon request for absolute privacy and security.
• Destination dining and 2,450sqm of banqueting and events spaces.
Extra Notable Features
• Cooking class on request
• Yoga & Pilates on request
• Golf on request
• Movie Theatre on request
Hotel and restaurant Awards
Independent Hotel Show Awards (2023)
BEST HOTEL CONCEPT
New Hotel Awards (2023)
HENRY’S BAR & BISTRO’: BEST NEW HOTEL BAR
BEST NEW HOTEL MEETINGS & EVENTS
Hotel et Lodge (2023)
2nd place: BEST HOTEL DESIGN
Travel + Leisure (2023)
THE IT LIST 2023
Star Spa Awards 2023
Nominated best city spa
Number of employees
160