by the water

Les Cabanes
d'Ostende

Ostende - Belgium

Nine design cabins hidden in a green corner of Ostend, close to the beach and city, with bikes, wood stoves and a natural swimming pond.

Pet Frienly

Beach 500m

Kitchen

Orchard

Sauna

e-Bike rental

THE SETTING

Les Cabanes d’Ostende sits in a pocket of greenery on the edge of Ostend, between the Belgian coast, Park Nieuwe Koers and the city’s green cycling routes. The beach is only about 500 metres away, and the centre of Ostend is about 10 minutes by bike, but the cabins feel much quieter than that suggests.

This is the clever part. You are not choosing between the beach, the city, and nature. You get all three in one stay. In the morning, you can walk through the green belt to the sand. In the afternoon, take the cargo bike into town for galleries, shops, seafood or a drink by the sea. In the evening, come back to your cabin, light the stove, open the terrace doors and forget you are still inside the city.

The property was created by Natacha Waldmann and Youri Vandenberghe as a small urban landscape hotel, centred on cabins, greenery, design, and outdoor living.

THE ROOMS

There are nine cabins, all designed as compact wooden homes with a strong focus on comfort. They can sleep from 2 to 6 guests, depending on the setup. Each cabin has a living area, dining space, a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom, a master bedroom with a large Auping box-spring bed, and one or two smaller rooms that can be used for bunk beds, children, or storage, depending on the number of guests. The cabins are small, but they are not basic.

Inside, the mood is warm and design-led: wood, big windows, good lighting, playful furniture, Sonos sound, a large TV with Netflix, board games, Meraki bathroom products, Le Creuset kitchenware and a wood-burning stove for colder days. Three of the nine cabins have a private hot tub outside. The others keep things simple, with a terrace, a barbecue, and direct access to the wider park. Every cabin has its own outdoor space, large windows, and enough greenery around it to maintain a sense of privacy.

THE FOOD

Breakfast is delivered in a box to the Honesty Shop around 8 am, so you can pick it up when you are ready and take it back to your cabin. The box is prepared in partnership with local bakery partners and usually includes fresh bread, pastries, and morning essentials.

On Friday evenings, a pizza workshop is sometimes organised in the picking garden, with guests making their own pizzas and baking them in the wood oven.

THE STAY

The stay is built around small outdoor rituals. Pick fresh eggs in the morning, cut wood for the stove, gather herbs from the picking garden, walk to the beach, swim in the pond, read on the terrace, then take the cargo bike into town.

The natural swimming pond is unheated, so the first dip may be a little honest, but that is part of the charm. Close by, the wellness island features a sauna barrel with a panoramic window, an outdoor shower with a tipping bucket, a relaxation area, a water fountain, and a pizza oven. Guests can book a private sauna slot during the stay. The site is car-free. Luggage is handled with the electric cargo bike provided at each cabin, which is also part of the fun once you get the hang of it. Every cabin comes with an electric cargo bike and two regular bikes. You can reach the beach, the promenade, the centre of Ostend, cafés, shops and restaurants without needing the car again.

From early May to late September, guests can also use the private beach cabin, which includes a windscreen, parasol, beach chairs, and games. Very Belgian coast, in the best possible way.

AROUND LES CABANES D'OSTENDE

Ostend is one of the liveliest towns on the Belgian coast. You are close to the beach at Mariakerke, but also connected to the city by bike paths, parks and the Green Ribbon, the cycling and walking route that wraps around Ostend. The Belgian coast is rarely about perfect tropical drama, and that is its charm: wide sand, wind, long skies, beach bars, kids running in jumpers, and the sea doing whatever it wants.

The centre of Ostend is close enough for spontaneous trips. Go for seafood, galleries, coffee, shopping, the harbour, the promenade or one of the city’s festivals. Ostend has always had a bit more edge than a simple seaside town: James Ensor, Art Deco buildings, street art, music, maritime history and a strong local food scene. Bruges is also within reach for a bigger day out.

THE OWNERS

Les Cabanes d’Ostende was created by Natacha Waldmann and Youri Vandenberghe, who live on site with their family. Youri’s architectural background shows in the cabins’ privacy, the car-free layout, the landscape design, and the way the cabins sit in the greenery. Natacha and Youri also bring a very clear hospitality style: relaxed, design-minded, family-friendly and full of small practical details.

The result feels playful but not childish, comfortable but not stiff. It has design, but also chickens, dogs, muddy shoes, barbecue smoke, and children safely chopping wood in the Woodyard. That balance is exactly why it stays memorable.

GOOD TO KNOW

The site is car-free. Parking is available for free on the public road, and luggage can be moved with the electric cargo bike provided at each cabin. Each cabin also has two regular bikes. Dogs are welcome with an extra daily fee.

Check-in is from 3 pm, and check-out is by 11 am. The minimum stay is usually two nights.

Rates usually start from around €150 per night for a cabin without a hot tub, or around €200 per night with a hot tub, plus a fixed one-off charge per stay for cleaning, made-up beds, linen and included extras.