The Little Monastery - Damme

Fred S.

Lieu typique restauré dans les règles de l'art par un couple d'esthètes ! L'endroit est particulièrement élégant, la maitresse de maison et le personnel d'un professionnalisme irréprochable, souriantes. Les chambres sont très confortables, très propres et la décoration soignée. Petit déjeuner copieux et raffiné. L'on se sent comme dans une bulle où calme et sérénité riment avec luxe et volupté. J'ai beau chercher, absolument rien à reprocher ! Merci pour ces purs moments de bonheur !

Franck D.

Lieu magique, décoré avec un goût sublime.... accueil simple et haut de gamme. nous nous réjouissons déjà de revenir dès que possible . Les bâtiments, les diverses chambres, le choix des couleurs, des objets, des matériaux, le jardin et les dépendances, tout évoque un luxe subtil, pas tape à l'oeil....

Nicolas H.

We stayed here for five nights in August. Upon entering the gates you are immediately struck by the sheer beauty of the place- a visual treat. Quiet lounge music from outside speakers cleverly hidden in the Boxwood hedges, atmospheric outside lighting, a manicured, very Jacques Wirtz- like garden with lots and lots of Boxwood “clouds”, all this makes for a fine first impression. Brigitte Garnier greeted us charmingly upon arrival and showed us to our room, which is more like an apartment. Warm, inviting colours, Antiques, carefully chosen Asian ceramics, candles glowing, an incense burner lit with a nice and relaxing fragrance- you instantly feel at home in this room (Marguerite in our case) It is furnished in a nice, stylish but still relaxed way in a quite unique Flemish style, with Antiques ranging from Swedish early Gustavian painted chests to a northern Italian Baroque Sofa and a contemporary Belgian linen Chaiselongue, on which you can curl up in a cashmere blanket in front of the fire with a cup of tea (or a glass of chilled white wine which Brigitte brought over upon arrival in our case). The small kitchen has all you could wish for- the fridge was even stocked with some Sancerre and Cremant, there is a Nespresso maker with a selection of coffees to choose. The bed and linen, high up on a gallery under exposed beams was first class. The Bathroom was very inviting- a rain shower, Rituals toiletries, and the fluffiest towels imaginable. Breakfast is served on hand painted Limoges China in the large and beautiful living kitchen/dining room, which in itself is an aesthete’s dream, with Brigitte and her wonderful staff catering to every need. Here as in the rest of the house and the rooms her immense sense of style is very much apparent, (you can buy most of the antiques in the rooms and house, the Garniers are among the most influential Belgian Antiques Dealers and Decorators).||Fresh eggs, wonderful bread, croissants etc. You start your day sitting in an antique armchair, sipping one of Brigitte’s carefully mixed fresh squeezed fruit juices (which range from orange, and carrot to beetroot and ginger) looking out on the romantic and completely unspoiled Flemish landscape. I highly recommend visiting the immediate surroundings. Brigitte’s Sister in law, Sandrine, was incredibly helpful finding the right restaurants (we were travelling with two small children who felt perfectly at ease, playing with the houses’ Labrador, but selecting suitable watering holes for them can be difficult without guidance), giving addresses and all help imaginable for trips to Bruges and Knokke, both nearby, and the charming local town of Damme. Summing it up: A peaceful, tranquil retreat, very stylish but completely unstuffy and relaxing. We will definitely come back. Only thing we could wish for: Keep this as much a secret as possible!!

Stephen M.

Good Lord, was this place beautiful. My wife and I stayed, alas, only for one nigh in mid October 2015 (really wish it could've been longer). When we travel abroad, we always try to have one spa experience, and chose our room (I can't recall the name of the room) at the Little Monastery because it came with its own sauna and steam bath. It also had its own wood-burning fireplace, which was lovely on a cool night. The furnishings were all wonderful (and all were for sale) and the loft-space were we slept was cute. The grounds are immaculately manicured; you'll never find rounder boxwoods, and the espaliered roses were gorgeous. Breakfast is served to your specifications in the Tolkien-esque thatched-roof house, and the staff was helpful in offering advice. We had dinner down the road on a late Sunday evening at the nearby Platheule, which is a cute family-run place and quite personal. If you're staying at the Monastery, a rental car is a near must, as it's a few miles from Damme (an adorable little village) and several miles from Bruges; though I suppose if you're biking during warmer weather, it'd be doable. Be aware that they don't take credit-card payments and you must arrange to pay by bank transfer ahead of time. But again, very well worth it.

Margot P.

We have spend a night in this luxury charming B&B and what a treat !||We were staying in the Summer House room tastefully decorated, with your own cosy living room and intimate open fire, and upstairs a large comfortable bedroom and en suite bathroom all very chic and relaxing. ||The grounds are beautiful and very well manicured, the views wonderful. ||We loved the peaceful setting, although not far away from the busy Bruges or Knokke.||The warm hospitality given by Madame Garnier and staff concerned for your comfort and needs, made our stay even more special. ||The breakfast was wonderful, overlooking the countryside with fresh products, delicious coffee, all sorts of bread and eggs cooked to perfection absolutely 5 stars.||||Everything was amazing, with a great sense of peace and elegance!||We had a phenomenal time, and cannot wait to go back.||This is truly a very special delightful place.

Gottfried G.

Great property & garden, nice breakfast, but The Summer House Room was very disappointing: dirty curtains, stains on the walls near the roof, shower water was of a rusty brown, a hundred flies in the room. Quite shabby, not as all as expected.

Cedric K.

Het was gewoon genieten van de eerste tot de laatste minuut. Een perfecte gastvrouw, een heerlijk ontbijt, prachtige locatie en dromerig slapen. Het plaatje klopt gewoon helemaal. We zijn super tevreden en uitgerust!

anne V.