Despite having been opened since 2016, the concept of Daft Music Hotel & Studios still feels ahead of its time. Situated in the Belgian Ardennes between Spa-Francorchamps, Malmedy, and the High Fens nature reserve, Daft is one of Europe’s rare destinations where a world-class recording studio and a boutique hotel exist as one.
Founded by Stijn Verdonckt and Tine Blondeel, Daft was born from the bones of La Chapelle Studios; once home to Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing sessions and now reimagined as a place where hospitality and artistry could finally share the same roof. Architect Christophe Stembert handled the structure, all concrete, glass and timber, while inside, Blondeel’s Scandinavian sensibility takes over with timber walls, soft textiles, vintage instruments and forest views.
With just 14 guest rooms, what the hotel lacks in size, it makes up for in soul. Think a heated pool where you can hear music underwater, a vinyl lounge, a home cinema, a sauna, and a wild 5,000 square metre garden dotted with hammocks, firepits and a geodesic dome for concerts and workshops.
At its core lies one of Europe’s largest residential studios, a 200 square metre live room with eight metre ceilings, isolation booths, and a Dolby Atmos control room that has hosted everyone from symphonic orchestras to pop hitmakers. The entire property is designed to adapt with writing sessions taking place in bedrooms, listening parties in the cinema, and brainstorming in the sauna.
Daft has evolved into a kind of creative ecosystem, a place where touring bands, design teams, and weekend wanderers collide. Whether guests come for the music, the silence, or the sauna, they end up gathered around the same fire, proving that inspiration sometimes lives exactly where it shouldn’t.
Photography, courtesy Daft Hotel Malmedy.
