Thermae Palace Hotel

Thermae Palace is the grand Art Deco hotel at the western end of Ostend’s promenade, opened in 1933 by King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth. It was built as a thermal bathing palace, with Turkish baths and mud baths, against the long colonnade of the Royal Galleries that Leopold II commissioned. The spa has gone, but the scale of the building and its sea-facing façade still make it one of the landmarks of the Belgian coast.

There are 130 rooms, all with a bath and shower, and the front rooms look straight out over the beach. Brasserie Albert serves food all day with a view of the sea, and the hotel has its own car park, a gym and a small sauna you can book privately. The Koninginnelaan coastal tram stop is a two-minute walk away, and the racecourse and the Royal Galleries are on the doorstep.

The city has approved a long restoration of the building. The hotel says it will stay open until at least the end of 2026, so check before booking further ahead.