Hotel de Bourbon - Spa

In the 18th century, Spa, with its healing waters, was a magnet for the beau monde from all over Europe. Emperors, kings, noblemen, writers, actors and adventurers flock to it. The Bourbon family likes to settle in a hotel that bears her name today.

The beautiful, neoclassical hotel Bourbon was built in 1774 , during the first heyday of the city of Spa. Ideally located, close to the Pouhon Pierre-le-Grand spring water , the hotel lives to the rhythm of its spa guests. In 1807 , the building escaped a fire that destroyed many 18th century buildings.

The facade is sober and symmetrical , built of bricks and limestone. Three floors that decrease in height, a stately staircase, a balcony with a railing in decorative wrought iron and high windows in the facade suggest a functional, elegant interior that is bathed in light. But that is only a guess, because nothing remains of the original interior: the mantelpieces are gone, the staircase and the oak furniture were sold by the previous owner.

In any case, the travelers who stay here now are more discreet than the 'Bobelins' in the 18th century , as the inhabitants of Spa called the mundane, foreign spa guests , and what 'foolish' or 'silly' can mean. Or would the term stand for 'good drinkers'? At the end of the 18th century , Spa formed a 'heart of pleasure' , as Casanova writes in his Memoirs.

The city is known for the healing properties of its water , which is rich in iron and mineral salts. Spa is also the 'cafe of Europe', where tourists gather. '(...) The water is only a pretext for most. People only go there for the affairs, the intrigues, to play, to make love and to spy (…),” writes Casanova.

A day in the life of a spa guest is indeed not exactly a punishment. The guests get up at 6 o'clock in the morning. They start the day with a glass of mineral water from the source Pouhon Pierre-le-Grand on an empty stomach. Then, together with the other guests, they make a trip on foot or on horseback along the springs in the woods above the city. After a day full of iron-rich water , they drink chocolate milk in the Waux-Hall and visit acquaintances who, like them, are staying in the hotels of the city. In the second half of the 18th century, these acquaintances can easily be traced on the basis of the 'Lists of gentlemen and ladies' on which the name, date of arrival and place of residence of visitors are recorded. In the evening, the spa guests go dancing in the Redoute, the casino in the center or they go to a concert.

Spa boasts an intense cultural life and the necessary entertainment for the royal and aristocratic families that reside there. Business is booming for the hairdressers, cloth merchants, tailors, milliners and hoteliers. Trade flourishes thanks to the beau monde , but people with bad intentions also benefit from the concentration of wealth. 'Spa brings a high degree of development to the principality of Liège. The streets in the city are soon paved, the houses are numbered and a post station ensures good communication,' says Vanessa Krins.

Willem Vandenameele