Silt: architectural recognition and economic boost

Silt Middelkerke stands out for its integration with the coastal landscape and its multifunctional approach. Its transparent facades also offer spectacular views of the sea. Hotelvak went on site to check it out.

Notwithstanding the complexity and challenges of the construction process, this ambitious project was completed in a remarkably fast time of just two years. This was made possible by the dedicated collaboration within the Nautilus Construction Team, which shared the vision with Middelkerke municipality to create a new and vibrant centre. But Flow Hospitality Group has also already built a solid reputation, with several successful hotels along the Belgian coast.

Shabba De Smet, marketing Flow Hospitality Group: "Our group focuses very hard on the Belgian Coast. With a well-defined distinction for each hotel, according to the target group we aspire to. Indeed, in addition to the well-known C-Hotels - Ostend (2), Blankenberge (1), Middelkerke (3) and De Panne (1) - we have three other brands: Upstairs, West Bay and Rosa. For our Rosa hotel in Ostend, we went all out for hotel guests who are very concerned with wellbeing, who are looking for peace and quiet, but who also have an eye for our planet and therefore consider the sustainability aspect of their stay important. Upstairs is then rather very urban and child-friendly, with a slide and funky quotes. Our third link, alongside C-Hotels, is West Bay. Those then are our holiday flats with kitchenette and communal natural pool. And just in case you think we're bored, meanwhile the next project has already started: a brand new hotel in SKY District, close to the marina and railway station in Ostend. It will be a four-star hotel with 113 stylish, trendy hotel rooms."

The recently finished Silt in Middelkerke is definitely one of the showpieces in Flow Hospitality Group's portfolio. The complex includes a hotel, wellness, casino, bar, restaurant and event spaces, all seamlessly integrated into an artificial dune landscape that flows smoothly into the natural coastal environment. This design - think of a bollard to which a ship, by means of a hawser, can be anchored - is not only visually attractive, but also reinforces the existing seawall and offers a renewed interaction with the North Sea and the dunes.

"It took a lot of planning and negotiations with all partners, but Flow Hospitality Group wanted to build the most impressive hotel on the Belgian Coast from the outset. And immediately also the hotel with the slogan 'closer to the beach you cannot find in Belgium'," says Shabba. "In terms of service levels, we looked at our Andromeda four-star hotel on the Ostend dike. Surely our showpiece and a hotel from which we have already learned a lot. We could now copy that input and knowledge to Silt and later to SKY. Silt was of course a brand-new hotel, unlike Andromeda, so there we were really able to choose all the materials we had in mind down to the smallest detail. In collaboration with the entire construction team, all the partners and concessionaires." 

Silt is designed to attract a wide audience. The sensational hotel offers a rich mix of activities and facilities designed to appeal to local visitors and international tourists alike. From luxury accommodations to a cultural stage overlooking the sea.

"You actually have three partners that Middelkerke municipality - which handles its own events - works with. The Compass Group, which created the culinary concept Taste Silt, so that everyone can enjoy top-quality meals in a special seaside setting. Belcasino Middelkerke, which runs the casino together with BetFirst, and of course us, C-Hotels. It seems like a jumble of stakeholders, but I don't think I have ever experienced a project of this magnitude, where everyone works so well together, from the first spade to the final finishing touches."

The project has also received recognition within the architectural world, with awards such as the International Architecture Award 2022 and the World Landscape Award of Honour in the 'Concept - Large Design' category. These awards confirm the aesthetic and functional superiority of the complex, and its positive impact on the economy and social structure of Middelkerke.