A story with a touch of history, luxury and comfort

Perfection from the techniques to the details

It started as a small and good idea for a B&B with four suites and a lounge for afternoon tea. Soon the project on Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat in Kortrijk grew into a beautiful hotel where you can come home and unwind. Cobergher Hotel opens its doors at the end of July. From the welcome over techniques to the smallest detail in the rooms, everything was thought of by a strong team of owners, contractors, designers and staff. 

Today, six interlocking buildings make up Cobergher Hotel. Under the heading of luxury with a story, this is a place where service and experience take centre stage within a historically impressive setting in the heart of Kortrijk. The first designs took shape in 2009. A long-term project, then, as inspiration kept coming and the spaces kept surprising. "When we looked behind a hatch at the top of a finished staircase, we discovered another complete attic floor where today extra rooms have been created," Virginie and Odile Dejaegere of Ontwerpbureau Dejaegere tell us. The interior designers were involved from the start and have been working with the owners of Cobergher Hotel on other projects for years. Yet Cobergher Hotel is and remains special to them. They know every room and every nook and cranny. 

You walk into the hotel past number 41. The architecture there was hardly touched. Immediately, the grandiose atmosphere of authentic elements and luxury overwhelms you. "You wouldn't know it, but the old, traditional elements have actually been replaced by copies that meet current building and safety regulations," Virginie explains. "For example, the wooden doors were identically replicated to a fireproof door. Dekkers' painting work comes out particularly well here. They conjured beautiful wood and marble structures on the supports. We designed the colour palette in consultation with Monumentenzorg. These are homely, warm colours that match the atmosphere in the building. We designed the large, fixed furniture ourselves in the historic style of the hotel. All the loose furniture was installed by Pieter Porters. He also took care of the furnishing of the suites."

After your welcome at reception, you cross the entrance hall to Salon Isabella, where you will be explained the hotel's services. "Although as a regular guest, you can of course skip that info," says general manager Raphaël Van Nevel. "This salon and the adjoining space can be rented after 5pm for private dining, a board meeting or as part of the bar." Next to the central hall with authentic staircase - only the banister was raised while respecting the original details - your eye immediately catches the courtyard. This orangery with central fountain is bathed in light through the large glass dome. The glass and painting were completely restored. "This was done in great detail, because with the paint they even created the rain effect you often see on domes like this. During the day you imagine yourself in Paris here, at night in a riad," Odile says.

The eclectically decorated Bar Mémoire is right next to the orangery. They serve tapas, drinks, wines and champagne for guests and outside visitors. But the bar can also be hired off privately, without disturbing other hotel guests through a separate entrance. "Throughout the hotel, not only doors are integrated, but also other ways to connect or close off spaces. This had to be done on the one hand for escape routes in case of fire, but also to exploit the full potential of this building," says Odile. "You can privatise up to seventeen rooms, for 4 to 150 people. Another fun fact: the bar is located in the building with house number 39, formerly a GP's office. Where the doctor's cabinet was, there is now the fumoir. Kortrijk and cigars are connected. In this way, we also give that piece of history a place."

Located just behind the orangery, the breakfast room is decorated in neutral, warm colours. You overlook the garden, designed by Odile, where you can have breakfast or a drink when the weather is nice. Adjacent to the garden is the Winter corridor that takes you past an atmospheric glass and cabinet wall to Cobergher on the Lys. With four modern deluxe rooms decorated by Ontwerpbureau Dejaegere, this is the counterpart to Pieter Porters' Cobergher Suites on Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat. "In the rooms on the Leie, the view of the Broel towers and the open space are central. That's why we deliberately chose low, comfortable furniture and a modern and more sober decoration, each with a different accent colour." 

Each room is different and offers its own unique experience. This is also true in the suites designed by Pieter Porters. From the junior suites to the Cobergher Suites. There are three of the latter, with a lounge and space for an extra bed when families visit. In addition, each suite has a king-size bed, a spacious bathroom and a sitting area. Describing the suites is almost impossible. Artist Pieter Porters' signature style is unmistakable. You can keep walking around the rooms and keep discovering new elements. "He comes along with furniture and decoration, we test it out and select what we like. Next time, he replaces the pieces we didn't like with other elements. It's fascinating to watch him at work," Raphael says. 

Cobergher Hotel also has a separate floor with fitness, relaxation room, hammam and sauna, which you book privately for two hours as a complimentary service. "We have our own parking with 27 spaces, but parking Broeltorens is also nearby. This is convenient when an event takes place here," Raphaël explains. "When the spaces in the former State Archives are ready, meetings, incentives, receptions, parties ... can take place here. There is a 180-square-metre space for 150 people. Video conferencing is also possible here, by the way, as the room has the first and largest 4K LED screen in the Benelux, measuring 2.80 by 5 metres."

When it comes to technology, home automation also deserves some extra attention. IT, wifi, phone, music, bluetooth: all modern technologies are present. But not excessively so. "In the hotel you will find 1,100 lights. Automation was a necessity," says Tony Van der Voort of The Wizard of Dreams. As systems integrator, they came on board in 2021. "Domotics is deployed here as a function of atmosphere and ease of use, with a panel at the bed, in the bathroom and at the door. If you open the door to the room, the lights start up in welcome atmosphere, the TV comes on and welcomes the guest with his/her name and in the preferred language, the climate control goes to comfort and the gas fireplace is lit. Atmospheres are also set for other situations. Via the touchscreen, also automatically adapted to the guest's language, he or she adjusts everything to the specific requirements. Or reception is asked to adjust via the central management system."

At Cobergher Hotel, old, authentic and technology work together in detail to tell a story. For instance, even the names of halls and rooms are hand-painted on the walls or doors. "It was a feat to connect six historic buildings almost seamlessly. Together with the architects from Bureau Goddeeris, we looked closely at the plans and shaped everything. It was a complex balance between what is possible, what is allowed and what is technically possible," Virginie and Odile recall. "Moreover, the aesthetic picture also had to be right and all the techniques are concealed in the building in a very ingenious way." Today, Cobergher Hotel is a four-star hotel with a five-star service. "Here it's all about recognition, feeling pampered and secure. You just have to set your GPS and we do the rest," Raphaël concludes.■