Quality Lodgings honours QL top hoteliers at gala in Belgium

QL Hotel of the Year Award goes to Rüssels Landhaus (DE)

The European collection of independent quality hotels, Quality Lodgings (QL), hosted its annual QL Gala Dinner on Monday 23 June at one of its renowned members QL Hotel La Butte aux Bois in Lanaken. This festive evening brought together 140 hoteliers and partners from eight European countries. Under the theme A Forest of Elegance, the event reflected on what unites Quality Lodgings: characterful hospitality, culinary sophistication and personal commitment.

Belgian hospitality as a backdrop

Host venue La Butte aux Bois is a fixture within the QL collection. With its elegant atmosphere, high-quality gastronomy and personal service, the hotel offered an ideal setting for this exclusive event. The hotel is managed by General Manager Jessy Brepoels and, together with Stiemerheide - The Urban Hotel & Golf Retreat, also affiliated with Quality Lodgings, belongs to owner Jochen Leën. His passion for gemstones, natural history objects & fossils, are reflected throughout the hotel and formed a special match with the evening's theme.

"It is a great pleasure to welcome my fellow hoteliers here in Lanaken," said Jessy Brepoels. "Together we form a warm community where quality, hospitality and individuality are paramount - and you can feel that in every detail tonight."

Dinner was provided by bistrôt Le Ciel (13/20 Gault&Millau), where chef Pieter Beurskens surprised guests with his French-Belgian cuisine with worldly influences.

Growth of QL in Belgium

Quality Lodgings today counts 15 unique hotels across Belgium, good for 8 Michelin stars and 2 Green Michelin stars. Earlier this year, the elegant Castle of Ordingen joined the collection; recently, the renowned Hotel Bütgenbacher-Hof, located in the German-speaking East Cantons, also followed. The new QL Magazine also announces the stylish Hotel Beach Palace (Knokke-Heist) as a future addition to the Belgian QL collection.

Growth in the QL collection

Eleven new hotels joined the QL collection in 2025, bringing the total to 127 member hotels in eight countries. Managing director Pauline Verhoef underlined the collective growth in her speech:

"Especially now, connection is important and especially now, our guests need the warm heart of a QL Hotelier. We are growing not only in size, but also in connection. Tonight we bring that to life with the theme 'A Forest of Elegance' - an ode to the power of your hospitality: authentic, individual and of exceptional quality," Verhoef said.

As a symbolic gesture, a tree will be planted for every QL Hotel this autumn, in collaboration with Hotels for Trees. To this end, Pauline Verhoef handed over a bonsai tree to Jochen Leën, owner of La Butte aux Bois.

Award for Rüssels Landhaus

The prestigious QL Hotel of the Year Award annually crowns a hotel that stands out exceptionally within the collection. This year, De Nederlanden (NL), La Butte aux Bois (BE) and Rüssels Landhaus (DE) were nominated by fellow hoteliers. The winner was chosen by an independent expert jury, consisting of Sjoert Klein Schiphorst (Grand Marshal of His Majesty the King), Hans Steenbergen (Food Inspiration) and Ron Nijhof (Home Partner SA).

The jury particularly praised the consistent top quality in hospitality, gastronomy and guest experience that Rüssels Landhaus manages to offer. It also praised the authentic leadership of Harald Rüssel - a chef and hotelier at heart - as well as the focus on sustainability, both in the kitchen and in operations.

The award was presented by Duco Salomons (CEO Hotek Hospitality Group) to Harald and Ruth Rüssel.

Launch of QL Magazine

During the QL Gala, the new QL Magazine was also launched. Jessy Brepoels accepted the first copy as hostess. This magazine introduces eleven new QL hotels, including Hotel Beach Palace (BE), Hotel Bütgenbacher Hof (BE), Hotel Die Sonne Frankenberg (DE) and Kasteel Steenenburg (NL). The QL Magazine is published annually, is in the rooms of all member hotels and can also be ordered via the QL Giftshop.