Hotel La Pomme d'Or, a market-square stay in Oudenaarde
La Pomme d'Or is a hotel on the Markt in Oudenaarde, in Flanders, with a bar, a terrace and a restaurant. Rooms are large and tidy, and the breakfast is served at your table. It suits cyclists, couples and city-break travellers who want a central base.
Written by Valeria Romano
Published .
Updated
Mapiola is a travel blog: this is not the official website of La Pomme d'Or.
Where La Pomme d'Or is and how to get there
La Pomme d'Or stands at Markt 62, on the main square of Oudenaarde, a town in the Flemish part of Belgium. That puts you right in the middle of town, and one guest even mentions a room with a view over the market. Another sums it up in two words: location top.
I have no transport details in my notes, so I won't pretend to give you a route. The old hotel description says that larger train and metro stations in the region are within reach, which helps if you plan day trips. Check the journey yourself before you book. Parking isn't mentioned anywhere, so if you come by car, ask the hotel first.
What the rooms are like
Guests describe the rooms at La Pomme d'Or as big, clean and well looked after, with a good bed and a bathroom in perfect order. Several reviewers call the hotel renovated or beautifully kept, and the word "spacious" comes up more than once.
The hotel's own description gives a practical list of what to expect:
- a wardrobe and a flat-screen TV in the room;
- a private bathroom;
- room service and luggage storage;
- free wifi;
- a garden, a sunny terrace and a cosy bar downstairs.
Nothing flashy, then. It's a comfortable, sensible hotel room in a good spot, and for most trips that's exactly what you need.
Breakfast and restaurant in Oudenaarde
Breakfast is what people write about most at La Pomme d'Or in Oudenaarde, and almost always with enthusiasm. It's served at your table rather than from a buffet, and guests call it fresh, plentiful and a real surprise.
One reviewer describes bacon and eggs served hot and freshly made, fresh-squeezed juice, then melon with ham and a small bowl of berries. The hotel says you can choose between a continental, vegetarian or vegan breakfast, which is a nice touch.
The restaurant gets praise too, though mostly in older reviews. Guests talk about friendly service, a good-value menu, a lovely interior and a homemade limoncello after dinner. One person called it one of the best restaurants in Oudenaarde. Since several of those comments are a few years old, ask whether the kitchen is open on the nights you'll be there.
What guests say about their stay
Google gives the hotel 4.4 from 177 opinions, and the praise follows a clear pattern. Many guests mention the owners, a couple described as friendly, polite and professional, who make you feel welcome.
The other things that come back again and again:
- large, tidy rooms with a comfortable bed;
- a generous breakfast, the star of the show;
- a central position on the market square;
- a good fit for groups of cyclists, who say so more than once.
I like that the praise is so consistent. When different people, months apart, point at the same three things, it tells me the hotel does them reliably.
What to know before you book La Pomme d'Or
Not everything is perfect, and you should know the catches. The most serious complaint is recent enough to matter. A guest who had booked two nights was told by text message, a day before arriving, that only one night was possible because of a double booking. They were not happy, and I wouldn't be either.
If you book, keep the confirmation handy and, for a longer stay, it's worth a message to check that your dates are in order.
An older review, several years back, complains of waiting a very long time for a main course in the restaurant and of getting no apology at the table. Later reviews of the dining room are warm, so this looks like a past problem, but it's fair to mention it.
One more oddity. One of the one-star reviews actually reads as praise, with a super breakfast and a recommendation for cycling tourists. I'd weigh the star count with a pinch of salt and read the text instead.
Who this hotel suits and what to do nearby
I'd pick La Pomme d'Or in Oudenaarde for cyclists, couples on a short break and anyone on a work trip who prefers a human-sized hotel to a chain. Guests mention cycling clubs and cycling tourists, which fits a town with a strong cycling reputation in Flanders. If the hotel is full, look at Sint-Jacobshoeve in Oudenaarde, Hostel 28 in Bruges or B&B La Chapelle au Puits in La Louvière.
If you want a rooftop pool, a spa or a lift-and-porter service, this is not the place, and the notes say nothing about those things. But if you like walking out of the door and straight onto the market square, then coming back to a big room and a proper breakfast, it ticks the boxes.
Around the hotel, the simplest plan is to wander the Markt, sit on a terrace and let the town come to you. Dinner at the restaurant is the obvious easy option, as long as you've checked it's open.
Passionate about travel and about the kind of places that turn a getaway into something unforgettable. I love writing about hotels, country houses and charming hideaways, helping every traveller find the perfect place to rest and feel at home.
