15 years of Holiday Suites: Joachim Debucquoy’s vision on fifteen years of growth!
Fifteen years ago, the story of Holiday Suites began with a single building on the Zeedijk in Blankenberge. Today, Holiday Suites operates more than 500 suites spread along the entire Belgian coast, with three new locations still in the pipeline. At the heart of this story is Joachim Debucquoy, who founded Holiday Suites fifteen years ago and has remained closely involved ever since. It is a great moment to look back together with Joachim Debucquoy at how Holiday Suites has grown, what has changed in the industry over the past fifteen years, and why we are still just as enthusiastic about giving every guest a wonderful holiday.
From One Building to More Than 500 Suites
It all started on a modest scale: with one building on the Zeedijk in Blankenberge and a simple but clear idea. To offer families and couples an affordable, comfortable holiday by the sea, without unnecessary frills, but with everything they need to feel at home from the moment they arrive.
“The idea clearly struck a chord,” says Joachim Debucquoy. “In the years that followed, we steadily expanded: Nieuwpoort, Westende, Zeebrugge and several other locations along the coast followed.”
Today, fifteen years later, Holiday Suites operates more than 500 suites itself, and with three new locations in the pipeline, the company continues to grow. According to Joachim Debucquoy, what has remained unchanged is the principle that was there from the very beginning: a holiday at Holiday Suites should be accessible to everyone.
What has changed since the beginning?
“Fifteen years ago, we were primarily a local player with just one location. Today, we have grown into a trusted name along the entire Belgian coast,” says Joachim Debucquoy. “That scale brings advantages: we can invest in more professional management, digital check-in and a consistent quality standard across all our locations. It also allows us to offer additional facilities, such as indoor and outdoor swimming pools or wellness facilities at various destinations.”
According to him, however, the essence of the concept has remained the same. “We are not a traditional hotel chain, nor do we want to be. We offer holiday suites with a fully equipped kitchen and a separate living area, so guests can feel at home from the moment they arrive. We are the ideal solution for families, including those travelling with three, four or even five children. Pets are welcome, arrival and departure are flexible, and thanks to digital check-in, there is no need to queue at a reception desk. We simply took the concept that started in Blankenberge, refined it over the years and rolled it out across all our locations.”
An Industry in Motion
For Joachim Debucquoy, fifteen years in this industry also mean fifteen years of changing guest expectations and evolving market conditions. A number of developments stand out to him in particular.
Airbnb and the rise of alternative accommodation.
Where holidaymakers once mainly chose between a hotel and a traditional holiday park, the offering today is much broader and more fragmented. “Especially during the summer, we see a real proliferation of accommodation on platforms such as Booking and Airbnb. Unfortunately, we know that not everyone takes the necessary permits or legal obligations equally seriously,” says Joachim Debucquoy. “This means we constantly have to demonstrate why staying at Holiday Suites offers an advantage: professional management, consistent quality standards and a dedicated point of contact for any questions or problems,” Joachim Debucquoy explains.
Weather dependency.
A stay by the sea inevitably remains partly dependent on the weather. A beautiful summer leads to fully booked calendars, while a less sunny summer is also felt by Holiday Suites. These fluctuations have now become a permanent factor that needs to be taken into account when planning and creating offers. “At the same time, we have seen a clear shift in recent years,” Joachim Debucquoy notes. “The coast is gradually developing into a genuine four-season destination. Local authorities are investing heavily in new attractions and events, including outside the high season, and we feel the impact of this directly in our bookings. Whereas we used to be mainly fully booked in July and August, we are now seeing increasing demand for stays by the sea in spring and autumn, and even in winter. This makes us as an operator less dependent on a few good summer months, and that is a development we can only welcome. It also gives a boost to overnight tourism along the coast: the more reasons there are to visit outside the high season, the more people will actually choose to stay overnight.”
More last-minute bookings.
Where guests used to book their holidays months in advance, decisions are increasingly being made at the last minute. “People check the weather forecast, look at whether they have a free weekend, and only then make their booking,” says Joachim Debucquoy. “That requires flexibility on our part: sufficient availability, a smooth booking process and attractive last-minute deals.”
Higher expectations.
Expectations around comfort and experience are higher today than they were fifteen years ago. Guests expect a clean, fully equipped apartment, fast Wi-Fi, a seamless digital check-in and additional facilities such as a swimming pool or playground. “What used to be an added benefit is now a basic expectation,” Joachim Debucquoy observes.
How Holiday Suites responds to these trends
Under the leadership of Joachim Debucquoy, Holiday Suites is consciously responding to each of these developments without losing sight of its core principle: an affordable holiday for families, with a basic level of comfort always guaranteed. Whether you book a midweek stay in
Westende or a last-minute weekend in Zeebrugge, you can count on a clean, fully equipped apartment where the whole family has room to feel at home.
To meet the demand for last-minute bookings, Holiday Suites maintains a high level of booking flexibility and offers attractive deals for spontaneous getaways. To counter the unpredictability of the weather, the company offers indoor swimming pools, indoor playgrounds and wellness facilities at various locations, ensuring that a holiday can still be a success even when it rains. And to meet guests’ higher expectations, Holiday Suites continues to invest in maintenance, comfort and digital services across all its locations. In addition, Holiday Suites also offers companies a solution for mid- or long-term rentals for employees who are staying at the coast for an extended period.
“Ultimately, Holiday Suites is about something that never changes, regardless of trends or technology: creating memories,” concludes Joachim Debucquoy. “Building sandcastles on the beach, going to a festival together, enjoying a family dinner on the Zeedijk or spending a weekend away with the family. Those are the moments we do it for, and they remain the common thread running through fifteen years of Holiday Suites.”
Tourist tax: calling for transparency and reinvestment.
As a major operator on the coast, Holiday Suites collects a substantial amount in tourist tax from its guests every year, with the full amount subsequently transferred to the municipalities where the suites are located. Joachim Debucquoy fully supports this approach but does have a clear question for those same local authorities. “We transfer a significant amount in tourist tax, and we do so wholeheartedly, because this revenue is needed to keep a municipality attractive to visitors. At the same time, we would like greater transparency and insight into exactly where that money goes and, above all, how it is being used.”
“As far as we are concerned, that money should be reinvested as directly as possible in events that genuinely generate overnight tourism,” Joachim Debucquoy continues. “Think of Oostende voor Anker, the Zoute Grand Prix, the Ostend Film Festival, or a champagne weekend. Or the Beach Festival in Nieuwpoort, which attracts thousands of visitors every summer and generates overnight stays well beyond the surrounding municipalities. These are exactly the kinds of events that encourage people to book an extra night instead of simply coming to the coast for a day trip.” For Joachim Debucquoy, this transparency is not intended as criticism, but rather as an outstretched hand: the better operators and municipalities work together in this area, the stronger the coast can grow as an overnight tourism destination throughout the year.
Opportunities for our employees
According to Joachim Debucquoy, the growth from a single building to more than 500 suites would never have been possible without a strong team. “At Holiday Suites, we strongly believe in giving young people opportunities. Over the past few years, many of our employees have gradually taken on more responsibility and have been able to grow and develop within our company.” This internal growth, combined with the increasing number of locations, creates a dynamic organisation where people are given every opportunity to progress and develop their careers.
Ready for the next fifteen years
With more than 500 suites today and three new locations in the pipeline, Holiday Suites, under the leadership of Joachim Debucquoy, continues to build on what started fifteen years ago on the seafront promenade in Blankenberge: an accessible, comfortable holiday on the Belgian coast, for everyone. Here’s to the next fifteen years, and to many more unforgettable holiday memories.