Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof Ghent

Ghent did well to pedestrianize its historic city center: in so scenic a city, walking (or biking) allows time to linger with longing over its sumptuous frontage. Right in the thick of it all sits Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof Ghent, spanning a 1724 townhouse and its 20th-century neighbor — a union which is almost a perfect metaphor for the contemporary boutique hotel, balancing local authenticity and personal intimacy with global, forward-looking standards of service.

The public spaces exemplify Empire style to a tee — ornate mantelpieces and wainscoting, pedimented doorways — and bear the names of a slew of Ghent’s finest, from Valerius de Saedeleer to Emile Claus to Lieven Bauwens. (It’s okay if they’re not household names.) The whole enterprise honors Baron Olivier de Reylof, a wealthy poet from a time when such a thing was imaginable. Yet this hotel also puts modern “green hotels” to shame, incorporating sophisticated micro-cogenerators and heat-recapture systems throughout in a marvelously competent display of sustainability.

In the rooms and suites the décor skews less theatrical, favoring an eggshell-and-tan palette spiced with warm tones and parquet flooring, all naturally lit by floor-to-ceiling windows; complimentary wi-fi, Nespresso machines, flatscreens, and rain showers evince a thoroughly contemporary approach to comfort. Besides enviable views from private terraces, suites add gratifying touches like freestanding tubs and integrated sound systems.

The Spa Reylof occupies what used to be the carriage house, and includes a sauna and an indoor pool, while the fine-dining restaurant, LOF, combines Flemish flavors with classical technique in a series of artful preparations. Meanwhile Olivier Le Petit Bistro is the more casual everyday option.