Het Houten Paard de Ieper

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commentaires 3

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  Ronny Vanlook

  :: 19 July 2017 10:01:36

  Super vriendelijk en proper b&b

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  Hendrik Schakel

  :: 25 February 2017 21:59:17

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  Louise Smedley-Hampson

  :: 22 July 2014 09:56:49

  After staying in some dreadful hotels in France, (one of which was hosted by a gentleman so morose we thought he must double up as the town’s undertaker), we began to explore the ‘chambre d’hote’, thus meeting some delightful people in charming homes. 'Het Houten Paard', or 'The Wooden Horse' is a good name for this Belgian B&B which concealed a whole host of gifts for the soul behind its simple exterior. The guest areas have been designed with theatrical skill to be quiet and peaceful, yet uplifting with giant pictures, dramatic flower arrangements and concealed lighting. Not usually necessary in Western Europe, there is air-conditioning which was welcome as the temperature hit 32 deg C during our stay. The second floor bedroom was equipped like a mini suite, with a king sized bed dressed in exquisite linens, a seating area with a selection of relevant history books on Ypres, flat screen TV and up some steps to a mezzanine area, a large screen on-line computer with desk. The second floor bathroom is spacious with a huge walk-in shower, plentiful soft towels and a basin tap of such unusual design it is worth booking in just to view it. The first floor dining area has a fridge stocked with cold Belgian beer plus cava and the sideboard had an array of fruits available as snacks. There is also a laptop available for use and a book containing precise and useful tourist information about Ypres and the surrounding area. Breakfast is served here and it was a gourmet feast. The best bit was the squares of Cote d’Or chocolate on the table, calculated to win any woman’s heart! Apart from this, there were delicate soft white rolls and warm croissants fresh from the bakery, jam, Nutella, eggs, ham, cheese, two types of coffee, six types of tea, freshly squeezed juice from ripe fruits, honey cake, waffles, yoghurt, cherries, strawberries...the list was endless. All this is enough to win five stars, but a sixth star needs to be awarded for Franky himself. ..a friendly gentleman possessing a big heart filled with warmth and kindness. My husband and I were made so welcome, but a special greeting was given to Leo, our Golden Retriever who wanted to adopt Franky into our family after five minutes of tail wagging cuddles. A drink bowl and some doggy snacks soon appeared in the hallway and were refreshed at regular intervals unasked. Franky directed us to some splendid restaurants and recommended some chocolate shops for the purchase of fine chocolates to take home. The house is situated in an elegant, but quiet street, just a ten minute walk to the Grote Markt , Cloth Hall and Menin Gate. There is street parking outside, but Ypres Council recently brought in a rule stipulating a maximum of three hours during the daytime, which is a mild nuisance. In this centenary year, Ypres is thronging with tourists, many of them English schoolchildren, so everywhere is truly busy. If you need somewhere to stay in Ypres, I can think of no better place to go than ‘Het Houten Paard’.