Brewery Het Anker
A working brewery hotel since the 15th century
About this hotel
Brewery Het Anker is one of Mechelen's most distinctive stays: a three-star hotel built around a brewery and single-malt distillery that has operated on the same site since the 15th century, eight minutes' walk from the Kazerne Dossin memorial. Free breakfast and free parking are both bundled in, and pet-friendly rooms mean a family travelling with a dog doesn't need to compromise on the setting. The restaurant serves beer-infused dishes drawn from the brewery's own production, giving the evening after a Plopsaqua day a genuinely local flavour rather than a generic hotel menu. It's a short walk from Grote Markt and a short taxi or bus ride from Plopsaqua's Nekkerspoel site, making it one of the more complete central bases in Mechelen.
- Historic brewery
- Free breakfast
- Free parking
- Pet-friendly
Our take
Brewery Het Anker suits a family who wants breakfast, parking and a pet-friendly policy all bundled together with a stay that has real local character, a working brewery rather than a themed one. It's a strong all-round pick for a Plopsaqua trip, with the beer-infused restaurant menu as a genuine bonus for the adults in the group.
- ✓Book the restaurant for at least one evening, since the beer-infused menu is part of what makes this stay distinctive.
- ✓Confirm your dog's stay in advance even though pet-friendly rooms are standard here.
- ✓Use the free parking if driving in, since central Mechelen's own parking is more limited and often paid.
Why we love it
- Working brewery since the 15th century
- Free breakfast and free parking
- Pet-friendly rooms
- Restaurant with beer-infused dishes
Why guests love itWhat sold us was the combination: free breakfast and parking bundled in, our dog welcomed without a fuss, and a restaurant serving dishes built around the brewery's own beer. It's a short walk from Kazerne Dossin and a short taxi from Plopsaqua, which made it an easy base, but the real reason we'd come back is the sense that we were staying somewhere with genuine history rather than a themed replica of one.