Hotel Review
Martin’s Dream Hotel is located in a 19th century Neo-Gothic building that was the home of the Sisters of the Belgian Abbey before being converted into a church. Now a four star hotel, it retains many of the building’s original features which add to its charm.
Location:
The hotel is located in the Wallonia region of south west Belgium and is easily accessed by public transport. We took an early morning Eurostar service to Brussels from where we transferred onto a local service to Mons taking just under an hour.
Arrival and check-in:
The hotel is a 20 minute walk from the railway station and for guests arriving by car the hotel has its own car park (additional fee payable). After an early start to the day, we arrived at the hotel at 11.00 a.m.
The entrance lobby is bright and cheerful and we received a warm welcome from the receptionist on duty. It had just been our intention to drop off our bags but it was our lucky day as the room was ready and we were able to access it straightaway.
The room:
After taking the lift up to the first floor we tapped the key card on the door reader and were immediately enchanted by the appearance of the room with its full height Neo-Gothic church window. The room was spacious and felt light and airy with its high ceiling. Our twin beds were extremely comfortable and were dressed in high quality linen with the softest of pillows, sending us to sleep instantly.
The dressing table / desk was equipped with ample power/ USB points and contained a well stocked hospitality tray containing fresh coffee bags, teas and biscuits with complimentary bottled water in the fridge near the door. My favourite part of the room was the seating area beside the church window. I’ve had the pleasure of staying in a castle and a windmill but never before a converted church and I liked it so much.
The en-suite bathroom gave a nod to the former church with its tastefully etched church window design. With a large walk-in shower, fragrant toiletries and luxurious, thick towels we definitely felt very pampered.
Dining:
Dinner is served in the hotel’s Le Bistro Martin restaurant serving Belgian brasserie style cuisine. The restaurant is furnished in a contemporary style contrasting well to the church features in some of the guest rooms. Service was relaxed yet efficient and I’m glad that we decided against a starter as our steak, chips and salad was of a generous size.
The steak was thick cut and cooked perfectly to our liking of medium rare. Drinks were reasonably priced with wine being available by the bottle or glass. Luckily we’d saved room for desserts as we spied waffles on the menu and you can’t come to Belgium without sampling a least one of these delectable sweet treats.
Breakfast is also served in Le Bistro Martin. We started the day with glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice, yoghurt, berries, cold cuts of meat and cheese. We then followed this up with some bacon, scrambled eggs and mushrooms from the hot plate. Two cups of freshly brewed coffee and an irresistible pastry later and we were ready for a day of sightseeing.
The Facilities:
The hotel has 62 individually decorated rooms all attractively furnished with the ones having church windows being extra special. Alongside the restaurant is a sparkling glass bar, several seating areas and an outside terrace.
Other facilities include super fast Wi-Fi and a wellness centre offering spa treatments.
Out and About:
Mons was awarded the European Capital of Culture in 2015 as it resembles an open-air museum with its wall murals, stunning architecture and heritage buildings. Follow my suggestions for the best things to see and do in this vibrant city.
The Grand Place
The main square is one of the most beautiful squares in Belgium dominated by the impressive Gothic town hall constructed between 1458-1477 boasting a Baroque bell tower added in 1718.
Surrounding the square other architectural gems date from the 17th century, now mostly home to bars and restaurants which create a lively atmosphere with their terraces spilling out over the cobblestones.
St. Waltrudes Collegiate Cathedral
This vast Catholic church is a protected Belgian monument tracing its origins back to 1450 and dedicated to St. Waltrude of Mons. The church is built in Gothic style with splendid alabaster statues and elaborate stained glass windows. The treasury houses a beautiful collection of silver and gold religious icons: statues, paintings and ancient manuscripts dating from the 12th-19th centuries.
CAP Fine Arts Museum
The museum is made up of three distinct parts, the Fine Arts Museum, the Collections House and the Buttery Pear Tree Garden. The garden takes its name from a variety of pear developed nearby in 1759. CAP Fine Arts Museum
Artotheque
The Artothèque was founded in 1984 as a repository of contemporary art showcasing the world of local and international artists. As the majority of the art work is hidden away but has been indexed and labelled from view, visitors can explore the collection by using large touch screens. Artothèque
Mundaneum
The Mundaneum is a landmark institution that classified the world’s knowledge with a system called the Universal Decimal Classification. It was originally created in Brussels but later moved to its current home in Mons. This unique project of universal knowledge for world peace traces its roots to the early 20th century. Founded by Belgian lawyers Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine its aim was to gather, organise and spread knowledge from around the world. Often referred to as a ‘Paper Google’ of its time the Mundaneum is home to an extensive collection of documents, books and photographs. Mundaneum
Mons Memorial Museum
This museum on the edge of the old town is dedicated to military history collections of the First and Second World Wars belonging to the city. Mons played a significant part in the wars due to its position at a strategic crossroad of Europe, making it the scene of numerous historic conflicts. One of the galleries focuses on the famous Battle of Mons which took place in 1914 when the city was occupied by German forces remaining under their control until liberated by the Canadian Corps towards the end of the war. Mons Memorial Museum.
Overall:
Martin’s Dream Hotel lives up to its name as it was an absolute dream to spend a weekend there. Staff were friendly and helpful, the church inspired architecture delightful, breakfast and dinner delicious and its central position unbeatable. Definitely my ‘go to’ place on a return visit to Mons.
Details: Martin’s Dream Hotel, 17 Rue de la Grande Triperie, Mons, 7000, Belgium.
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During our stay we were guests of Visit Wallonia and as always, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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