A look back at 32 years of passion and craftsmanship

Luxury is in comfort, not complexity

After 32 years of dedication and professionalism, Johan Creytens, together with his wife Isabelle Declercq, bids farewell to Hotel Heritage and its accompanying Restaurant Le Mystique in Bruges. What once started as an ambitious project of a young and driven couple, grew into an icon of hospitality, with an exclusive Relais & Châteaux status and an award as a five-star hotel. In an interview with Hotelvak, Johan looks back on three decades of hotel management and shares his views on luxury, passion and the future.

When Johan and Isabelle started their dream project in the 1990s, they were ridiculed. "Everyone, including our family, thought we were plunging into the abyss financially," laughs Johan. "But when you are young and ambitious, you just have to jump."

And they did. In a time of economic uncertainty, they built Hotel Heritage from a modest three-star hotel to a five-star reference in Belgium. The key? Tireless commitment and an obsession with detail. "In this segment, every little imperfection is mercilessly punished. A light that flickers? A complaint. A room that doesn't smell perfect? A bad review."

Over the years, the hotel collected numerous international awards, including the World Luxury Hotel Awards and Michelin and Gault&Millau accolades for Le Mystique.

Restaurant as 'logical' next step

The demand for refined gastronomy within Hotel Heritage was growing steadily. "Guests were increasingly asking, 'Why don't you have a restaurant?'" says Johan. Passion and ambition flared up again and in 2009 they opened Restaurant Le Mystique.

Not everyone was convinced by that plan. "Fellow hoteliers declared me crazy. 'Do you know what you are getting into? You're not a chef, this is madness,' they said," Johan recalls. "But the more people told me that something was impossible, the more I thought: yes, it is."

With the same drive for perfection with which he had built the hotel, Johan plunged into the gastronomic world. "We wanted a fine dining experience that matched the class of the hotel. That meant not only attracting a top chef, but also making sure the service and experience were seamless."

These efforts did not go unnoticed. Le Mystique soon became a benchmark in Belgian gastronomy, receiving awards from Michelin, Gault&Millau and the World Luxury Restaurant Awards.

What is real luxury?

"Luxury is often associated with expensive materials and elaborate facilities, but that is just the backdrop," Johan argues. "Real luxury is in the human factor. It's a sincere smile at reception, a perfectly prepared room, and a team that runs for miles to give guests a unique experience."

This is exactly what Hotel Heritage excelled at. "Hospitality is a vocation, not a profession," Johan stresses. "If you don't live for it, you won't last 32 years. We were literally working on the hotel 24/7. Even on holidays, we were thinking about how to improve things."

A new generation is taking over

After three decades, the time had come to pass on the torch. "Not because we had had enough, but because our batteries had run out," admits Johan. The search for the right successors took a while. "We had several candidates, but often it felt too corporate, too distant. We wanted people with the same passion and energy." 

They found them in Alisa Rekhova and Matthias Vandekerckhove, a young and driven couple from a hotelier's family. "When I met Alisa, I immediately saw the same spark I had at her age," says Johan. "They understand what running a top hotel really means. It's not a copy-paste of our story, but it doesn't have to be. They will make their own mark, and that is just what the hotel needs."

The future of the hotel industry

Johan saw the industry change dramatically over the past 30 years. "The rise of the internet has turned everything upside down," he says. "Tour operators used to be the norm, now hotels are becoming dependent on online booking platforms and social media."

In addition, sustainability is playing an increasing role. "We pioneered green energy and ecological certifications in Bruges, but the sector is still limping along behind. The future lies in autonomous hotels that are smart about energy, water and waste disposal."

Yet Johan cautions against an excessive focus on technology. "Many hotels want to digitise everything, but guests are not always ready for that. A state-of-the-art room with tablets and home automation is nice, but if it takes a guest five minutes to get the light on, you miss the mark. Luxury is in comfort, not complexity."

Now what?

After years of non-stop work, it is time for a rest. "I'm in a kind of rehab period," confesses Johan. "The first days after the handover, I had a headache, something I have never had in my life. My head was spinning overtime, as if I still had to make decisions."

The future is still wide open. "We will travel, take a breather. After that, we'll see. I am a structural engineer, so maybe I will do something in real estate. But one thing is certain: I will always have a passion for hospitality."

With the handover of Hotel Heritage, Johan Creytens and Isabelle Declercq close an impressive chapter, but their story is far from finished.