La Réserve: the great metamorphosis of a Knokke-Heist hotel legend

La Réserve Resort, the famous hotel on the Zegemeer - between the Albert beach and Knokke - carries a rich history with it. It opened its doors in 1946. During the 50s to 80s, the hotel welcomed celebrities such as Charles Aznavour, Bjorn Borg, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Jacques Brel, Salvatore Adamo and even Jean-Claude 'the muscles from Brussels' Vandamme. But although the names of countless celebrities have been immortalised in the hotel's stone walls, for a long period the building bore little resemblance to its original timeless class.

The building that emerged in 2007 was only a vague shadow of the charming 1946 hotel. For those who visited La Réserve over the past 15 years, it was clear: the building lacked character, warmth and a soul. "While La Réserve enjoyed a reputation, it was gradually fading," said Kelly Verbouw, sales manager at La Réserve Resort. "We are therefore determined to breathe new life into it and turn it back into a stunning place of 'iconic excellence'."

No main contractor, but two site managers

Kelly: "It turned out to be a very challenging project, as we achieved the complete metamorphosis in about six months. Investors/owners Marc Coucke and Bart Versluys had the idea that they wanted to open the completely renovated hotel in the summer of 2023. And so it happened. Architect Glenn Sestig and the two site managers have really pulled off a feat. By the way, as a thank you, the names - Kurt and Jonas - of those site managers were hand-engraved in the sera natural stone, alongside all the other famous names. A beautiful tribute."

At certain times, over 300 people were working at the same time. "To get that coordinated was obviously not obvious. Both our owners prefer to work with local contractors, each with their own speciality. They therefore never appointed a general contractor. The two site managers from Versluys Group coordinated everything."

Pure class, summer and winter

Initially, the plan was to renew only the lobby and restaurant of La Réserve, but eventually it became a total renovation. "The advantage of such an old building is that the surfaces are very large, which gives it a real grandeur. Of course, we have the best chef in the country in the La Rigue restaurant: an attraction of note. So we want to attract people all year round and not just in summer. Apart from being in Knokke-Heist, which is already a popular travel destination, we want to make La Réserve a destination in itself. We have worked out quite an offer to that end. Our downright fantastic wellness, including fitness, will be ready in spring 2024," Kelly said. "There is also a very nice bar open 7/7. External guests can also come here for snacks and drinks. Both the restaurant and the bar both have a spacious terrace, overlooking Lake Zegemeer. Everything in the hotel is about cosiness, so we placed fireplaces just about everywhere. Lovely during the cold winter days and evenings. Finally, there are two private dining rooms that can be hired for meetings and dinners for sixteen people. There is also a real wine cellar, including private wine vaults, and we have around 500 square metres of event rooms at our disposal. So winter and summer through, professional or private: everyone can come here."■