Hotel Oys: hospitality and heritage in unique setting

Repurposing medieval castle

The redevelopment of the medieval castle Van Oys into a hotel is no stranger to the brothers Michel and Leon Maes. Both have earned their spurs in the real estate sector, but they are also familiar with the hotel business. The Van Oys Maastricht Retreat opens a five-star superior hotel in South Limburg that is unparalleled.

General Manager is Marc Alofs. He knows the ropes, having taken La Butte aux Bois (Small Luxury Hotels of the World) in Lanaken to become the first five-star superior hotel in Belgium. This was followed by Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, also in the five-star superior category and a member of Leading Hotels of the World. Van Oys in Oost-Maarland now also gets that classification.

The job fits Alofs like a glove. "Everything I learned before in both places, I take with me as experience in my backpack. You can't put your finger on it concretely, but all that I came into contact with, every detail comes in handy."

Wellness loft

Van Oys Maastricht Retreat therefore wants to establish a unique concept. An estate with 81 rooms that meets the highest standards of hospitality, two restaurants, one of which is fine-dining (Restaurant Create) and another that follows the Cittaslow vision (Restaurant Maes, Cuisine du Terroir). In doing so, words like impeccable dedication are not empty slogans. Everyone who books here, whether for leisure or business, is offered an unforgettable experience. Think of a Nature Spa, valet parking, a kids' club, wine cellar 'Atelier du Vin', wine bar 'Cesar' or cooking studio 'Atelier du Terroir'.

Folklore

"We have 81 rooms spread across three properties, each in its own style: the Château (castle), the Remise (farmhouse) and the Carré (new building). We differentiate between Classic rooms, Deluxe rooms (with terrace or balcony), Suites, a Spa Suite and Wellness Loft. All rooms have views of the garden or surrounding nature. Some rooms are equipped with an atmospheric fireplace and free-standing baths. There are also 6 rooms for parties or events and 2 boardrooms for meetings. You can also buy local products from the slow-food project, with which chef Paul Jalhay works in his restaurant 'Maes, Cuisine du Terroir', in our 'Maison du Terroir', the local products boutique. The Cittaslow story goes beyond the cuisine, by the way. It is about a sustainable society, the social community in a quality environment. In this sense, in addition to trained staff, we also start working with people with a distance to the labour market and want to involve the community life for which Oost-Maarland is so well known in the estate. Think of the folklore militia, the Jonkheid, the Bronk etc."

Global trends

"Furthermore, 2-star chef Guido Braeken has been recruited as chef of the fine dining restaurant Create. He has an eye for innovative, global culinary trends, presented in an exceptional way on the plate. This can be done in a menu or à la carte," Alofs explains.

That the 13th-century castle and its interior is listed heritage and the site has three separate buildings with their own character does not make things easier architecturally. 

"Not so bad," thinks our hotel manager, "It's a matter of following the regulations, bringing out the right historical context and its own identity even more strongly . And we still meet requirements such as harmony, aesthetics and comfort of a hotel. For this, we pitched SATIJNplus architects from Born, studio Linse from Amsterdam and Verbraeken x Biset from Antwerp. Each of them has the right eye for detail."