About us

Vé - where history and hospitality come together in a unique whole

Located in two beautiful buildings in Mechelen, a former fish smokehouse and an old cigar factory, we are pleased to offer you a fascinating mix of the industrial past blended with the warmth of a 4-star hotel. We look forward to welcoming you!

The Fish

Welcome to De Vis , a characterful building on the Vismarkt, once the fish smokehouse and wholesale business of Verberckmoes. As soon as you step inside, you feel the rich history that is still present here.

Until 2003, fish was salted and smoked in this building, a place that has seen thousands of kilos of fish and just as many stories over the years. In 2005, the transformation into Hotel Vé began. A year later, in 2006, we opened the doors and welcomed our first guests.

During the renovation, the authentic character was preserved to the maximum extent possible. The imposing fireplace, where herring was formerly smoked, was given a new function and now houses the staircase. On the second floor, you can still find the original flywheel that once hoisted the fish cages up.

In the patio, you will discover the artwork 'De Voeten Van De Maan' by Luc Verschueren, a subtle nod to the Mechelen “moon extinguishers”.

The Cigar

The second part of the hotel is located in the former Windels cigar factory, a family business founded in 1875 by August Windels and continued for generations.

In 2014, this historic building was transformed into De Sigaar , an extension of Hotel Vé featuring 21 additional rooms, a second meeting room, and a modern wellness and fitness area. Authentic elements, such as the tobacco cutting machine and the old drying oven, were preserved as a subtle reference to the industrial past.

The commercial activities of Huis Windels continue today on the IJzerenleen, where you can go for tobacco and spirits.

Both parts of the hotel are connected by elegant bridges, which seamlessly link the rich history.

The tower

From Hotel Vé, you enjoy a beautiful view of the iconic Saint Rumbold's Tower. At 97 meters, it is already impressive today, although it was originally planned to reach a height of no less than 167 meters, an ambition that was never realized due to a lack of funds.

The tower also forms the backdrop for the famous Mechelen legend of the “Maneblussers” (Moon Extinguishers). On the night of January 27 to 28, 1687, residents thought the tower was on fire. An alarm was raised in haste, and water was carried up en masse to extinguish the fire. Only later did it become apparent that it was not a fire, but the light of the full moon shining through the mist and the tower windows.

The incident caused a great deal of ridicule, and since then the people of Mechelen have proudly borne their nickname: the moon extinguishers.

Hospitality with respect for people, the city, and the environment

At Hotel Vé, we believe that true hospitality goes beyond comfort alone. As a family hotel in the historic heart of Mechelen, we are acutely aware of the role we play as a business in society. We want to be not only a pleasant place for our guests but also make a positive contribution to our community and to the future of next generations.

That is why we are inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals . These seventeen goals form an important global framework for working towards a more sustainable and just society. As a hotel, we wholeheartedly support this vision and strive to align our operations with these principles. For us, this primarily means making conscious choices regarding how we use energy, handle resources, and collaborate with our employees, partners, and suppliers. In this context, sustainability is not a one-off action, but a continuous process in which we aim to make progress step by step.

In concrete terms, this translates into various initiatives within our daily operations:

Smart energy management – Thanks to building control systems, we continuously monitor and optimize our energy consumption, ensuring that heating, lighting, and installations function as efficiently as possible.
Green energy – We consciously choose to purchase exclusively green electricity from renewable sources. Even when this entails a higher cost, we make this choice to limit our ecological footprint.
Responsible water usage – We handle water consciously and strive for efficient use within our daily hotel operations.
Waste management – By limiting waste, sorting carefully, and making conscious choices in our operational processes, we try to keep our impact on the environment as small as possible.
Sustainable products – Wherever possible, we choose Fairtrade products and products with an eco-label, and we work with partners who value sustainability and fair trade.
Gender equality is a matter of course, just like providing training, creating fair opportunities for growth and development , and building an inclusive and respectful work environment for everyone.