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About us

History Park Hotel

Started at the beginning of the 20th century as "Luna Park", a kind of amusement park.

Later the name was changed to "hotel du Parc" and the hotel was run for years by the owners, J. Bruynooghe-Van Hoecke.

 

The family van Hoecke had 7 children including the 2 sons and 5 daughters. The sons Gustaaf, Victor and the daughters Clara and Margriet worked in hotel du Parc. Clara took charge and was especially known as "Clara of Park" .

Margriet's husband was a French Jewish cook who was executed in Auswitch.

 

Afterwards, the hotel was taken over by André Beghin. (He was "maître-rôtisseur" in a famous hotel in London and in the hotel "Metropole" in Brussels). You can admire his impressive CV on the right. He also made sure that the restaurant got a star in the Guide Michelin. His most famous dish was Sole au vin blanc et poulet archiduc.

According to reliable sources, during the war, there was a German bunker in the garden, side Hoge Duinenlaan, which is still under the garden.

 

A permanent resident was hero pilot from W O I, Willy Coppens d'Houthulst. He was an opponent of mayor Raf Verstele and wrote several pamphlets against him. These were for sale at the Leroy bookstore, Zeelaan. 
One of the regular customers was Achiel Van Acker, three times Prime Minister of Belgium 
(in 1945 - 1946 - 1954).
The banquets of Horeca-Westkust (then De Panne-Koksijde-Veurne) , chaired by Michel Demeyer (Hotel Royal) and Lucien Pelfrene , always took place here.

Afterwards the Parkhotel was bought by the social service of the post (Pensoc) as a holiday home for their employees.

Since November 2007, we are the proud owners of the Parkhotel, which has again become a green haven for the people of Pannen and our guests.


Our Team

It is very important to us that everyone feels welcome and at home in the Parkhotel. A room in the Parkhotel is not just a place to spend the night, it is an experience in itself. Hospitality is our top priority. All employees of the Parkhotel work hard to make you feel at home. Therefore we would like to introduce ourselves to you.

Burcho Van Den Kerkhove
Owner / Managing director

Burcho Van den Kerkhove : Born in Sint Amandsberg and graduated from the Erasmushogeschool Brussel (hotel management), Burcho has been in contact with local farmers from the start and has made sure that the Parkhotel gets its sustainability label 'Green key'. Burcho is the man with the right progressive ideas. He has a passion for his soccer club 'Club Brugge' and for sustainability.

Kathleen Devinck
Owner / Managing director

Kathleen Devinck: born in Bruges and graduated from the Erasmus University College in Brussels (Hotel Management). She comes from an entrepreneurial family and Kathleen has always had a passion for hospitality and has gained her experience in beautiful businesses. After working as assistant manager for the Campanille group, she and Burcho took over the Prinsenhof hotel in De Panne. Since 12 years they are together the owners of the Parkhotel.


Judith

Judith is a fixture in our team and has been with us since Hotel Des Princes. As the reception manager, her work is very diverse and no two days are the same. She knows the ins and outs of every department and is the contact person for our guests.
Her favorite spot in the hotel is the garden, where you can relax well and in De Panne she can definitely recommend the Dumontwijk and the nature reserve de Westhoek


Jhon

Jhon is married to Judith and has been with us since the beginning of the Parkhotel. Many guests have already experienced his cooking skills during the weekly BBQ or during meals in the garden and our restaurant.
Jhon's favorite place in the hotel is his kitchen. During his free time he likes to go fishing on the beach.


Fabiola

Fabiola joined our team 4 years ago in housekeeping. Her work ethic and ambition did not go unnoticed. After a year, we used her talent to help in the kitchen. Here too, she quickly made her indispensable. Her commitment to the Parkhotel is very strong. Her favorite place in the parkhotel is the kitchen. She is eager to learn and enjoys cooking for the guests. She likes to walk by the sea and in the Dumont neighborhood.


Kassem

Since the beginning of the Parkhotel, Kassem has been 'the face' of the operation in the garden and the restaurant. He is loyal and has a positive attitude. He is also the ideal person to inform, motivate and support new employees so that they quickly feel 'at home' with us. His favorite place in the hotel is the garden because it is unique. In De Panne, he recommends Plopsaland, PlopAqua for the children and the nature reserve Westhoek.



Alex

Alex is married to Fabiola . He is with his wife in the kitchen where they form a perfect tadem . Alex mainly helps with preparations and passing during busy times. Alex is studious, therefore his favorite place in the hotel is the kitchen.
In De Panne, he can recommend the bustle of the market and the sea lane or a walk in the dunes.


Anita

Anita will welcome you every morning with a smiling face for breakfast! Many people still know her from 'the coffee moment' in De Panne. We know her especially as a dear colleague and a very good worker. Her knowledge of quality and coffee certainly benefits our guests and customers. Her favorite place in the hotel is the veranda because there is so much light and because you have a nice overview of the garden there. In De Panne she loves the beautiful long beach with the dunes behind it, the many green walking routes and so much more


Isabelle

Isabelle has been with us since Hotel des Princes and is a fixture on our team. She works in housekeeping and helps us realize the perfect business card. Every day she makes sure that our guests can crawl into a clean room and a beautifully made bed. We can trust her blindly that everything is always perfectly clean and finished. Our guests also know her for her great helpfulness. Her favorite place in the hotel is the garden with the original bridge. In De Panne, she recommends the tranquility of the Dumontwijk and the beautiful walks in the woods and dunes.


Natti

Natti is our sunshine in the house ! She joined our team a few years ago and we are very happy about that. She always comes to work with us in a cheerful mood. She is very helpful and nothing is too much for her. In housekeeping, she makes sure that the rooms are always neat and tidy. Her favorite place in the hotel is the rooms on the third floor which have a nice view of the neighborhood. In De Panne, she prefers to stay at home, in the Dumont district, where she has a nice view of the district from her balcony. view of the neighborhood


Yvette

Yvette has been with us since day one. So she is our most loyal employee (21 years)! Currently, she makes sure that all the hotel's laundry is cleanly washed and neatly ironed. She is very efficient and younger generations sometimes have to give way to her work ethic. In De Panne, she is also a well known good smiling person who is always ready to help someone. Her favorite place in the Parkhotel is the view from the upper rooms where you can admire the beautiful Belle époque homes. Her favorite place in De Panne is the Saturday market where she enjoys chatting with the market vendors and the residents of De Panne.


Our working students

Our job students are indispensable throughout the year to fill busy times. We are happy to see our motivated students again and again. Andra is present almost every week to help in the hall, rooms and at breakfast ! Also our thanks to Margot, Lenka, Mirthe, Louis, Lauke and Neelis for being ready again soon !