HOTEL JULIEN || A Hidden Antwerp Retreat Where Heritage Meets Modern Quietude
Hotel Julien is a city stay that glows with quiet confidence.
Tucked behind high-gloss grey doors on a cobbled lane in Antwerp’s old town, Hotel Julien feels like the kind of place one discovers rather than books. Housed in a 16th-century townhouse just steps from the Cathedral of Our Lady, this discreet hideaway marries noble history with a refined, contemporary sensibility. It’s a stay designed not only for rest, but for reflection.
Once a post-stamp auction house, the building has been thoughtfully transformed into a design sanctuary, its architecture speaking in hushed tones. The renovation traces a graceful line between past and present: salvaged timber beams—once used to age wheels of cheese—have been reborn as smooth wooden floors and balustrades. Decorative Chinoiserie doors and marble mosaics echo the building’s past, while eggshell walls and minimalist furnishings lighten the atmosphere with a calming clarity.
View from the courtyard into the softly lit salon. Floor-to-ceiling windows open onto a lush courtyard, offering a sense of stillness in the city.
Each space at Hotel Julien feels like a still life in motion. In the salons, soft light dances across curated photography from Antwerp’s Gallery 51. Charles and Ray Eames classics mingle with contemporary Vitra pieces, creating a mood that is as cultivated as it is relaxed. Guests flow naturally from room to courtyard, where greenery softens the geometric lines of black steel windows and invites a moment of pause. Here, Antwerp’s historic heart feels suspended in time.
There are just a handful of rooms, reinforcing the hotel’s sense of intimacy. From the cozy Julien Mood and Dreamer Rooms to the expansive Experience Rooms and Suite, each space is a tonal composition of natural textiles, exposed timber beams, and filtered light. Crisp linens, Carrara marble bathrooms, Aesop amenities, and espresso machines are among the quiet luxuries that define the stay.
A bright guest room framed by soft neutrals and architectural ceiling detail evokes minimalist elegance.
In the vaulted spa—a subterranean cocoon of chalky white and terracotta—guests can retreat even further. Reserved for solo or couple use, the bijou wellness space includes a hammam, ice fountain, sauna, and hot-stone table. Treatments by organic skincare brand Bamford complete the experience, continuing the hotel’s understated, almost meditative indulgence.
Even the culinary moments are deeply rooted in place. Breakfast showcases breads from local bakery Domestic, cheeses from affineur Van Tricht, and small-batch jams. The all-day menu is light and local, with dishes like Moroccan meatballs, buffalo mozzarella, and smoked salmon on toast. Signature cocktails are sipped beneath the glow of Fritz Hansen lighting, atop the same cheese-aged wood that grounds the rest of the house.
Beyond the front door lies Antwerp’s vibrant design scene—from independent ateliers and antique shops to the Plantin-Moretus Museum and the guild halls of the Grote Markt. But within Hotel Julien’s walls, there’s little urgency to leave. It’s not just a boutique hotel—it’s a quietly luxurious extension of Antwerp itself: rich in texture, creative by nature, and beautifully unassuming.
Photography by Thor Van Damme
