Welcome to Hotel Ter Driezen in the charming little town of Turnhout, Belgium.
I actually forgot to take a photo of the facade of this four-star hotel so I had to resort to grabbing the above photo from their website. Don’t you just love small European hotels? They’re so understated and quaint.
Let’s step inside into the foyer, shall we?
The hotel building, dating back to the 18th century, is steeped in history. Prior to being converted into a hotel, it used to be the official residence of the town mayor.
If not for the engraving, I’d have thought the heavy brass key holder dates back from the 18th century, as well…
We were given a room in the 1st floor (that’s 2nd floor to you, my Filipino readers). The owner was kind enough to help carry my bag up the wooden flight of stairs. That’s the one thing you have to consider if you’re staying in a small European hotel — they don’t usually have lifts.
And yes, my Filipino readers, that’s a small figurine of the Santo Niño you see near the banister on the left hand side. I only found out later on (thanks to Wikipedia) that some 3/4 of Belgium’s population are Roman Catholic.
The landing looked so cozy I stood rooted for a few minutes on the spot where I took this photo.
We were told that no two rooms are alike in Ter Driezen. So this room that we got is not representative of the other rooms. That’s an antique wardrobe in the corner and a boarded up fireplace behind the chair. Writing table cum tv stand with LCD flatscreen TV not shown in the photo.
Unfortunately, I was too tired that day to ask to see the other rooms. In fact, to prove to you just how tired I was, I didn’t even bother asking to have our room changed. I mean, I was with my husband and they gave us twin beds?!
By the way, it was a relief to find out that the toilets have been renovated to include 21st century plumbing and facilities.
Breakfast the next morning was in this beautiful dining room that overlooks a small garden.
The setting was so romantic. For a breakfast. I mean, when people say ‘romantic’, I always associate it with dinner, don’t you?
They served the most lovely and moist apple cake which I had second helpings of. Okay, okay, maybe I had thirds. Or maybe even fourths. It was that nice :P
After breakfast, we immediately checked out as we had to rush to a meeting (and continue our journey to Antwerp by train afterwards). While DH settled the bill, I snapped a few photos of the hotel’s delightful drawing room.
As of this writing, Ter Driezen’s room rates start from €112 per night for a single room, from €157 for a double. Room rates include breakfast and taxes, as well as free use of the hotel’s wireless internet facilities.
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Hotel Ter Driezen
Herentalsstraat 18
B-2300 Turnhout
Belgium
Tel: +32(0)14 41 87 57
Fax: +32(0)14 42 03 10
Email: info@ter-driezen.be
Gorgeous! I love little European hotels *heart*
Oh, so lovely!And your pics are so beautifully taken!
That’s a very cool hotel, so nice, very classic yet so modern!
the room is huge for a european hotel, and the price is just average, i love!
Hi.. my first time here.. you have a nice blog… and great posts!
sinta: and the older they are, the more charming i find them!
avril: glad you like them.
sheng: yes, we were happy with that hotel. too bad it was just for a night.
mai: i suppose the rate is good by european standards. but by the time we start converting to our local currencies…. hehe
frugal expat: welcome! glad you’re enjoying your first visit. hope to see you more often and see more of your comments :)
haha, true true. and considering it’s in a “probinsiya” in belgium, that amount does sound a little above average. but for the size of the room, sulit pa rin! :)
Hi, did you happen to roam around the areas near the hotel? i am booked there for a week for a business travel and was wondering if i can go out at nights to go somewhere nearby.. Thanks.. appreciate your response.
Jen: Turnhout is a very small town. The town’s church, restaurants and shops are about 3 minutes’ walk from Ter Driezen. There’s a chocolate shop across the hotel. There is a small castle nearby but I’m not sure if it’s open to the public; we only took photos from the outside. But one week in a very small town…. Good luck! *grin*
Thanks for the response :) i will be leaving this weekend and I hope I can find nice shops near the hotel to buy pasalubongs :P will it be near any train station or bus stops? I am planning to have a quick stop either at Antwerpen or Brussels right after I check-in on Sunday lunchtime..
So helpful, thanks a lot!
Jen: There’s a small shop selling chocolates right across the hotel. Sorry, I didn’t notice where the train station was bec someone drove us from Amsterdam to Turnhout. (Then later on from Turnhout to Antwerp.) I warn you: Turnhout is a very small town. How about Brugge/Bruges? No plans to stopover there? :)
i see.. i am not sure if I will have time to roam around. I think i can only do it on Sunday afternoon as I have to go to our office there on weekdays. Leaving in Saturday early morning so i think my chance to do so will only be on Sunday.. Unless I can still go out after office hours :)
After office hours? I don’t think so! Shops in Europe are notorious for closing down at 6pm. And in Geneva, shops are closed on Sundays as well :(
Plan your trip by checking Belgium train schedules here: http://www.b-rail.be/main/E//