In the hamlet of Parike, in the heart of the Flemish land, you will find it the brainchild of Jamie Anderson and Bernard Moerman: the Flandrien Hotel. A home base for all cyclists. ‘A home away from home’. In the Spring of 2022 We were guests at this boutique bike hotel In Belgium, and even before that, we already knew: this is a place that breathes cycling. A place that we would love to visit and where we would recommend everyone to go. The Flandrien Hotel is a cycling destination that we absolutely recommend. Is the Flandrien Hotel ‘approved’? It could just as well be. Read our findings below.
Everything in theme
Why do several cyclocross teams, the NextGen women’s team as well as other (soon to be) professional teams, stay in Parike? It’s so small on the map that you can drive right through it. The Sint-Lambertuskerk church is a recognizable landmark, but you drive right past it along the main road. The reason is simple: Bernard and Jamie thought of everything and everything in this hotel is themed around cycling.
A beautiful one Anecdote The next one who loves Jamie and Bernard is: when they went to view the property, a former farm, with the real estate agent, they saw the cobblestones at the gate. ‘Oh the cobbles’ exclaimed Jamie enthusiastically. To which the real estate agent quickly replied: ‘yes, but we can have them paved over’. It should be clear that the cobblestones are still there.
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Club house, museum, training center, hotel
The image of Briek Schotte, a true Flemish, the choice of the Peugeot team colors, the (original?) Peugeot team car, the gallery. Everything breathes cycling. The clubhouse is the place where you gather for your ride or training and where you return later for the stories. While enjoying a drink, you can watch the race or the beautiful cycling collection that has been carefully put together by Jamie. It is also the place where the (rich) breakfast buffet is served and where the self-cooked, sports-oriented dinner of Jamie is served in the evening. Rich in the right nutrients for a tough day on the bike.
In the heart of the Round
Anyone who takes the map of Belgium and places the course of the Tour of Flanders on it will see that the Flandrien hotel is perfectly positioned. Just under ten kilometers from Geraardsbergen, where the wall always calls. With a nice ride, you can take in all the well-known climbs from the race. The Oude Kwaremont, Kanarieberg, Bosberg, you name it. It’s all around the corner. You don’t have to worry about routes; you can simply choose the well-known loops from the Tour of Flanders, which, among other things, take you through Oudenaarde and past the Centre of the Tour. Or you can ask expert Bernard about where you can test your legs, or where you can find that one, yet unknown climb. As a former team leader, he knows the (laws of) the race like the back of his hand. At the Flandrien Hotel, everything is there for the cyclist.
Read also: Chasse Patate – Cycling Destination Approved
All is well
Not only the looks of the hotel appeal to the imagination. The basic facilities are also more than adequate. Of course, you can safely store your bike in a real bike garage. There are slippers in the hotel so that you can save your shoes from the pedals. The maintenance is top-notch and with Jamie as a fully-fledged mechanic, every problem is solved in no time. During our visit, Jamie even helped a cycling tourist on the Paterberg to continue his E3 Cyclo. That also translates into the rooms, which are more than adequate. There are options to take one last inner tube to the club house or to provide you with sports nutrition.
Cycling Destination Approved
What we didn’t know at the time was that we would develop our own quality label. A label that we lovingly award to places where we immediately want to return. A true ‘home away from home’ when it comes to hotels. That’s why we are delighted to be able to award this label to a place like the Flandrien Hotel. The Flandrien Hotel is rightly and successfully Cycling Destination Approved. Would you like to stay here one day? An unforgettable stay Book here
Cycling Destination Approved is the label we give to locations that we recommend for cyclists. Read this article To know what criteria are associated with it. The most important criterion: the label is NOT for sale.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.