's Hertogenmolens ***

Great find. Stayed here for one night on business. Restaurant food is good, rooms are clean and modern, breakfast was very tasty. The place itself is a converted watermill and there are hints to its history everywhere. The restoration is very tastefully done and the whole place has a very god feel. I wouldn't hesitate in staying here again.

The location is very good, and in the summer when the weather is good it is lovely to sit on the terrace by the river. Food in the restaurant is very good, I have never been disappointed. The reason I rate as average is that some small points have been missed. No hairdryer in the room - I always forget this until I have showered - these days you expect a hairdryer to be there! Reception is not manned until 7 a.m. They were helpful in providing a breakfast bag when I mentioned I needed an early breakfast - but forgot to suggest I checked out the night before when I ordered the breakfast bag. The printer did not work on check out & I never did get a copy of the bill. The hotel has changed hands since it opened, I hope these small points will be addressed now they are owned by the Lodge Group.

The hotel is a renovated water mill on an island near the town. It's a ten minute walk to the town centre and it has parking, although it is a bit tricky to find the right road. Inside are oak beams, wooden stairs, floors and ceilings and it smells lovely. The rooms are minimalist - there's a bed, bedside tables, desk, chair and wardrobe. The walls are the original mill walls. There's also air con and given that the hotel is over the river both sides of the hotel have river views and some have balconies. The bathroom has a shower in the bath and is very clean. The door lock takes a bit of getting used to though - nothing as old-fashioned as keys or cards here. There's a code and it also doubles to let you into the hotel if you're out late. Breakfast isn't bad either - great choice of breads and pastries, fruit, yogurt, cheese etc. For an evening meal there's a (separate) restaurant next door and this is busy, so book if you can. The hotel is part of the Lodge Group who have several hotels in and around Leuven. This one caters primarily for business travellers - male at a guess, given that the only mirror is in the bathroom and there's no means to dry your hair. This does mean that at the weekend its nice and quiet. The staff here are friendly, in particular the Dutchman who is also very knowledgeable about the history of the mill. This place is good for a stopover or base, and we will probably return.

This is certainly an interesting hotel! It's a renovated water mill on the Demer River, and it would appear that all rooms have a river view (ours certainly did, and it was a very scenic view indeed). The renovation has clearly been done with the intention of keeping the spirit of the building's history; high beamed ceilings and various artifacts from the old mill can be seen throughout the hotel, which gives it great character. Our room was very comfortable, with everything you'd expect of a modern hotel (including a safe, flat-screen TV and free wi-fi, although we didn't use this -- ask at reception). The bathroom was spacious with a bath and a shower (and plenty of towels). The room was spotlessly clean and there wasn't a single scratch or scuff on any of the furniture, and it still had that distinctive woody smell. My favourite thing about this hotel was the location. When you reach the hotel the only sound you can hear is the rushing of the water; it feels tranquil and private. It is, however, only a few minutes walk from the train station (it's best to print out a map because, while the hotel isn't difficult to find, it is down a side street and you can't see it until you've got a bit closer). Everything in Aarschot is within walking distance so it's perfect if you're on foot or bike. The staff member we met during our stay was lovely, and even made sure we knew which platform we needed for our train back to Brussels (advice from locals is always welcome!). I would certainly return to this hotel, and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a bit of tranquillity! (And if you're wondering, the name of the hotel apparently means "The Duke’s Mills"!).