Stil 1827 is a Flemish sanctuary where time slows to nature's rhythm, offering thoughtful hospitality, exquisite farm-to-table dining and the luxury of profound stillness, says India Dowley

LOCATION

Drive deep into East Flanders, past windmills and waterways, until the roads narrow and the landscape opens into a horizon of sugar beet fields. Here, in the tiny village of Waterland-Oudeman, a weathered 19th-century farmhouse harbours an unexpected secret: Stil 1827, a beautifully considered rural retreat. 

Ancient creeks thread through the surrounding Meetjesland, where herons stalk the marshes and cyclists pedal past centuries-old pollarded willows. Ghent's medieval silhouette and Bruges' canals lie just an hour away, but stepping onto Stil 1827's grounds feels like crossing into another time zone entirely – one that moves at the pace of the seasons.

ETHOS

Built around a philosophy of thoughtful, intelligent hospitality, Stil 1827 eschews conventional luxury markers in favour of something simpler – and rarer. There are no velvet headboards or gilded mirrors here. Instead, every element, from the linen-draped chairs to the honesty bar stocked with regional craft beer, feels purposeful and considered. This is a family business at heart and the atmosphere is all the better for it: unforced, personal and grounded in place.

GUEST PERSONAS

Couples looking for a restorative escape. Solo travellers in need of space to think. Architecture enthusiasts who appreciate clean lines, heritage restoration and the absence of "Instagram moments". It's an adults-only property, naturally lending itself to a more contemplative kind of guest.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Minimalist without being cold, the design honours the original 1827 structure – exposed beams, uneven brick walls – while bringing in soft neutrals, wood, boucle and linen. Sunlight pours into the loggia, a lounge-pantry hybrid that feels like a friend's stylish home. Boucle armchairs sit beside mid-century finds and hand-thrown ceramics. An honesty bar offers coffee, wine and artisanal snacks, while shelves are stacked with bird books and board games interspersed with sculptural vessels and dried botanicals. Outside, wild gardens blend almost imperceptibly into the surrounding farmland. 

ROOMS

Each of the four rooms has its own character. Room 1, on the ground floor, hides a spa-like bathroom below ground – a brick-lined, candlelit cellar with a deep soaking tub and personal sauna. Room 2, once a coal shed, has been cleverly turned into a small standalone studio with direct garden access. Upstairs, two rooms are tucked beneath the eaves with sloping ceilings, Belgian linens and soft, contemporary fireplaces. No televisions, no minibars – just space, stillness and the comforting creak of old floorboards. Windows frame fields of livestock and distant church spires.

MINIBAR AND IN-ROOM DINING

The property embraces an honesty system: help yourself to a glass of wine or a Belgian beer from the loggia's pantry, sign your name in the book and carry it back to your room or out to the grounds. 

WHAT TO EAT

Breakfast is served at Tafel Twaalf, the family's restaurant a few paces away, where everything arrives at your table: homemade yoghurts, dried fruits, delicate pastries and petit fours, along with farm cheeses, artisanal preserves and freshly baked breads.Tafel Twaalf becomes one of the best dining rooms in the region come evening. Chef Jonas de Man serves a tasting menu rooted in Flemish produce: tomato and shrimp reimagined as custard and foam; wild duck from the family farm served pink with roasted pumpkin; nearby orchard apples folded into a tart with miso caramel. Dinners are relaxed and social, often around a single shared table, though private tables are available if preferred. Afterwards, drift back down the lane, full and content.

WELLNESS FACILITIES

Wellness at Stil 1827 is as understated as everything else. A cedar sauna and an open-air hot tub overlook the fields, both available to book privately. There's a sun-drenched terrace for morning yoga (mats provided on request) and a small library of self-guided walking and cycling trails. The focus is on natural restoration through connection with the landscape.

WHERE TO WORK

Working here prioritises clarity over connectivity. Rooms have small desks and strong wifi; the loggia's long communal table serves as a shared workspace when needed. But be warned: the view of swaying grasses is highly distracting.

STANDOUT INNOVATIONS

There's a deep, genuine commitment to sustainability: geothermal heating, solar power, rainwater recycling and farm-to-table sourcing from their own Het Waterland farm. Instead of flashy greenwashing, the owners simply live the philosophy – it's stitched into every part of the experience.

ECO CREDENTIALS

The property is powered by renewable energy, avoids single-use plastics, and sources nearly all food within a 10-mile radius (much of it from the family's own land). Guests are gently encouraged to embrace a less wasteful rhythm – from refilling water bottles at the pantry to cycling rather than driving.

SERVICE

The Stil 1827 team – mostly family and close friends – are present without ever intruding. They're the kind of hosts who greet you by name, recommend a particular beer to take into the garden and leave handwritten notes suggesting a walk you might enjoy. When we had a query about dinner timing, it was answered not by a hotel phone line but via a friendly WhatsApp message. It feels human, genuine and effortless.

INSIDER TIP

Fien (one of the family members) suggests cycling the "creek trail" at sunrise, when the marshes are misty and the herons are out fishing. The flat, peaceful route winds through the Meetjesland's waterways at their most atmospheric – well worth setting an early alarm for.

VERDICT

Stil 1827 offers something that can't be easily packaged: contemplative luxury in a world that increasingly prizes noise. It's a place that demands nothing while quietly restoring what modern life depletes.

PRICE