The Verhaegen, Ghent: Design Reclaimed in a Rococo Dream
A Living Masterpiece of History, Heart, and Harmony
Some hotels are restored. The Verhaegen is reborn.
Hidden behind an unassuming façade in the heart of Ghent, this 18th-century townhouse has been reimagined by designers Jan Rosseel and Marc Vergauwe into a quietly spectacular maison d’hôtes—a place where history and design converse in perfect cadence. This isn’t simply a hotel; it’s an intimate world built by two visionaries who understand that the true essence of luxury lies in thought, not in excess.
A Meeting of Minds, and Centuries
When Rosseel and Vergauwe met as design students, neither could have foreseen that decades later they’d be the stewards of one of Ghent’s most elegant private mansions. In 2004, they purchased a fading aristocratic home—once belonging to the Verhaegen family—and began a meticulous restoration that would span years. Their approach wasn’t about replication but resurrection. The result is a space where Dutch restraint meets French grandeur, where every cornice and panel feels considered, and where modern living flows seamlessly through an 18th-century frame.
Where History Is Framed in Modern Quiet
Step inside, and the house greets you not with pomp, but with poise. The Grand Salon—lined with ethereal Rococo murals by Pierre Norbert van Reysschoot—opens onto a formal French garden, its symmetry mirrored in citrus trees and sculptural hedges. Yet this is no museum of frozen beauty. Every antique, every chandelier, every curve of plaster is met by a counterpoint of clarity: contemporary art, sleek lighting, minimal clutter. The Verhaegen is not staged nostalgia—it’s living heritage. It’s a dialogue between past and present, spoken fluently in texture and tone.
Rooms With Their Own Rhythm
Each of the four guestrooms (and one private apartment) continues the story with a distinct rhythm and personality. Tall windows frame Ghent’s skyline, while antique mirrors reflect soft daylight onto herringbone floors and sumptuous linens. Bathrooms, lined with marble and walk-in showers, deliver modern comfort wrapped in timeless calm. The layering of detail—historic frescoes beside minimalist furniture—feels instinctive rather than designed. It’s beauty that doesn’t perform, it simply is.
Design Within Reach
Rosseel and Vergauwe’s design studio and atelier are housed within The Verhaegen itself, adding a deeply personal dimension to the experience. Many of the pieces you admire—the lighting, textiles, and bespoke furnishings—were conceived just a few rooms away. Yet nothing feels curated for effect. The house is lived-in, intimate, and quietly confident—a sanctuary of authenticity where craft meets emotion.
The DNA Hotels Verdict
The Verhaegen isn’t simply a design hotel—it’s a love story between architecture and imagination, between two designers and the city they call home. It’s proof that history doesn’t need to be preserved under glass to endure; it can evolve, breathe, and invite. For travelers who seek depth over drama, craftsmanship over trend, and spaces that speak in whispers rather than headlines, The Verhaegen is nothing short of a revelation. A Rococo reverie reborn, and one of Belgium’s most exquisite stays.
