Le Bassin Hotel

Le Bassin is a small hotel at the start of the Visserskaai, directly opposite Ostend station, with some rooms looking out over the harbour basin. The Vanhaecke family took over the former Strandhotel in 2008 and have since grown it from 25 to 40 rooms, alongside studios and flats for longer stays.

A buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. Downstairs, the brasserie focuses on North Sea fish and regional produce, and Le Bar du Bassin, a tapas and wine bar opened in 2020, is run by the family’s daughter, a sommelier and cheese specialist. Dogs are not allowed in the rooms, though they are welcome in the bar and brasserie.

There is no car park, but the Churchill Q-Park is opposite and guests can use an enclosed bike shed. Check-in runs until 23:00, after which a night porter takes over. For anyone arriving by train, or planning to use the coastal tram, it is hard to find a better-placed base.