Skindles Guesthouse in Popertinge, Belgium has 5-star service at 3-star prices

Historic Skindles Guesthouse in Poperinge, Belgium
(Courtesy: Skindles)

POPERINGE, BELGIUM — Finding accommodations that suit your lifestyle when traveling can be a daunting task. There are almost as many options as there are personalities ranging from five star hotels to family operated inns, home stays, pensions, youth hostels, B&Bs and everything in between.

  

Historic, quaint B&Bs may be ideal for some for example, but not so much for those who prefer the comforts of services that can be dialed up with a single touch of the phone.

Obviously, a high percentage of travelers would enjoy five-star luxury more often were it not for the expense. That said, for many the next best alternative is a family operated establishment that is neat, clean, relatively inexpensive and allows you to interact with the proprietors who may ultimately become lifelong friends.

Skindles entrance hall today
(Courtesy: Skindles)

Using the familiar adage, "You can't judge a book by its cover", one such place is the Skindles Hotel and Guesthouse in Poperinge, Belgium. The classical 18th century mansion located at Gasthuisstraat 57 was once the residence of the Renynghe Voxvrie family.

Later, during and after World War I, Skindles was a British club available only to officers. Originally located on the same street as "La Bourse Du Houblon", the club moved to its present location at number 57.

Hunting Goddess Diana protects
the entrance (Courtesy: Skindles)

The fronton of the house is decorated with the hunting goddess Diana with all the interior furnishings dominated by the styles of Louiis XV and Louis XVI.   

While the house is charming with its casual ambiance filled with beguiling nooks and crannies that beg to be explored, there is no doubt that the key to Skindles' charm lies in the hospitable personalities of its proprietors, Chantal and Peter.

Proprietors Chantal and Peter make hospitality an art form
(Courtesy: Skindles)

Go online to read reviews of the guesthouse and, more often than not, Chantal and Peter garner rave reviews for their friendliness where each visitor receives royal treatment. In that sense, the owners would personally rate 6 or 7 stars when compared to their more elaborate counterparts.

The Meeting Room is quaint and quiet (Courtesy: Skindles)

Upon entering the inn, a cozy bar/library to the left welcomes visitors while the lounge and adjoining dining room are located to the right.

A few steps ahead lies the centrally located kitchen which is fully equipped with a refrigerator, desk, microwave, dishwasher and oven.

Continuing onward into the lovely courtyard, the "backpacker's room" provides spacious accommodations for 6 travelers who share a spirit of adventure.

Skindles garden
(Courtesy: Skindles)

The terrace overlooking the courtyard features garden furniture and barbecue facilities. Skindles also offers a large multi-purpose room for indoor activities as well as storage space for bicycles. There is private parking as well.

The three story guesthouse comfortably accommodates 16 people, thereby giving guests a sense of being at "home away from home" without dealing with hoards of anonymous faceless travelers. That intimate atmosphere is part of the charming character that is most appealing to Skindles' guests.

The salon was the place to
relax (Courtesy: Skindles)

The town of Poperinge with its history dating to medieval times, first became prosperous through the production of cloth.

Later, in the 15th century it thrived for its production of hops for beer, the favorite drink in Belgium.

Today, Poperinge also produces high quality lace.

During World War I, Poperinge was one of only two towns in Belgium that was not under German occupation even though it was less than 10 miles from the front lines.

As such, neighboring Ypres, just 8 miles away, was totally destroyed, while Poperinge became an oasis surrounded by the chaos of war.

Town Hall in Poperinge (Photo: Kenneth C Zirkel -- Creative
Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International License)

As a result, Poperinge, today, has dozens of quaint restaurants and sights for travelers to visit by using it as a base for nearby historic day trips.

A grim reminder of that period can be found at the town hall, where two death cells are preserved. Outside in the courtyard, there is a public execution post once used by firing squads. 

Tyne Cot Cemetery is the largest British war cemetery in mainland Europe (Photo: Gary Blakeley -- Creative
Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International License)

Another reminder is the location of a number of military cemeteries on the outskirts of the town such as Tyne Cot, the largest British war cemetery in mainland Europe.

The British Army lost nearly 300.000 men while capturing the ruined village "Passion Dale."

Talbot House was known as
"Little Paris"
(Courtesy: VisitFlanders.com)

Next door to Skindles is Talbot House. From December 1915 until the end of the war, "Every man's club" provided rest and recreation for soldiers, regardless of rank, to escape the horrors of war.

Known as "Little Paris", "Toc H", as it was also known, is, today, a popular museum as well as a small guesthouse.

St.George's Church is nearby
(Courtesy: Skindles)

Just 12 minutes from Skindles is the Pilgrimage Church of St. George's which attracts thousands of visitors each year to the World War I sites of the Ypres Salient. Today, there is a small resident congregation living in Ypres and the surrounding areas of Belgium and Lille in Northern France.

Ypres was leveled and the Cloth Hall was totally destroyed
(Courtesy: VisitFlanders.com)

Completed in 1304, and totally destroyed during WWI, the Cloth Hall has since been  rebuilt. The first floor now houses the In Flanders Fields Museum which opened in 2012.

Last Post buglers participate in the nightly ceremony at Menin Gate  (Courtesy: Last Post Association)

Other than St. George's Church, perhaps the best known of the memorials to the fallen in Ypres is Menin Gate where at precisely 8 p.m. every evening since 1928 the "Last Post" ceremony pays homage to the 54,896 British soldiers who went missing in action during the war. Needless to say the brief ritual is both solemn and meaningful.

You see, Skindles Hotel & Guesthouse is one of those off-the-beaten path places where everything a traveler desires unites into a classic journey through time with all the comforts of home. Chantal and Peter will see to it.