The 10 most romantic hotels in Bruges, from baroque mansions to cosy b&bs
The spires reflected in the canals, the winding cobbled roads, the old stone bridges, the soft street lighting beneath the step gables, candlelit restaurants – all conspire to make the little city of Bruges one of the great romantic destinations. The best way to appreciate all this is to stay a few days, luxuriating in the dreamily romantic boutique hotels, and visiting the rewarding museums and churches at your leisure. Above all, this is a place to walk and wonder, and there are still plenty of quiet corners to discover, where historic Bruges sleeps on. From historical and luxurious canal-side b&bs to grander hotels of deep charm, here's our pick of the most romantic hotels in Bruges.
C?té Canal and Huyze Hertsberge are two 18th-century houses joined together at ground-floor level on Hertsbergestraat, a quiet, cobbled street that runs parallel to the busier Hoogstraat, which in turns leads into the Burg, Bruges’ most picturesque historic square. Fourth-generation owner Caroline Van Langeraert is determined to preserve the historic flavour of her old family home, and it is her gift for design, attention to detail and charm that are the making of this exceptional b&b. There are four bedrooms, two in each of the houses. All are spacious, with high ceilings, and are individually decorated in pastel colours and elegant fabrics, offset by pieces of antique furniture.
Romantic, sumptuous, historic; de Orangerie is a rare hotel that has helped establish the city’s reputation for being not just a place to visit, but somewhere to stay and linger in pampered luxury. There is a theatrical opulence to the entrance, with a lobby swathed in fabric. Elsewhere the style could be called English Country Manor: light, floral and agreeably rambling. Each bedroom is individually decorated, with special emphasis on fine English and French fabrics, and there are marble bathrooms. A special feature is the full afternoon tea, inspired by the tea at the (London) Ritz, and served in the breakfast room or on the terrace outside.
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There is no other place to stay in Bruges quite like this: a small luxury boutique hotel in a neoclassical mansion with large terrace overlooking a pretty stretch of canal. It’s family-owned (with history going back to the medieval Van Cleef family) and designed with exquisite attention to detail; at once gloriously palatial yet intimate. The double rooms feature fabrics by Missoni (with its trademark zigzags), while the Duplex Suites are Hermès. All have super-comfortable box-spring beds, marbled bathrooms and whirlpool baths. Breakfast and afternoon tea are served in the elegant Green Room, with its spherical Italian crystal chandeliers.
Originally built in the 17th century, with a beautiful brick and step-gabled fa?ade, Huis Koning retains its atmospheric charm. But the décor is also alluringly modern, with a fashionable taupe paint scheme offset by antique and retro furniture and artistic details. All three rooms are very comfortable, with double beds made by the luxury Belgian brand Magnitude, eiderdown bedding and Egyptian cotton sheets. But it is the way that it backs onto a pretty, tree-shaded stretch of canal, the Augustijnenerei, that really sets it apart. Swans and ducks paddle past as you breakfast on the parasol-shaded terrace. This is a place to relax, sleep long and hang about in, a destination in itself.
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The Pand is a well-established boutique hotel of great comfort and charm. The property occupies a grand former town house. The high-arched entrance was once the passage through it to the carriage house. The intimate interior is redolent of the past, with a pine-panelled library/lounge with an open fire, antiques and curios, and old wooden floors. Ralph Lauren wallpapers and fabrics are a predominant theme. A selection of rooms have wonderful views of the Bruges skyline. Some of the marble bathrooms have whirpool baths. The hotel has a cosy little bar, and the breakfast features champagne.
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This is a fabulous place to stay: a medieval and 16th-century house, overlooking a canal, exquisitely decorated and equipped to the standard of a top luxury hotel. The label 'bed and breakfast' does not do it justice: 'Maison d’H?te de Charme' gets nearer the mark. There are just three rooms, each different, each beautifully decorated in modern-antique style, with Ralph Lauren and Toile de Jouy fabrics and wallpaper, elegant pastel paint schemes for the wood panelling, and a sprinkling of genuine antiques and interesting objets d’art. Granite bathrooms have whirlpool baths and separate showers.
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Bruges has a handful of truly exceptional b&bs, and this is one of them. Close to the centre, yet quietly located on a tranquil canal, it oozes charm, individuality, pampering luxury, antiquity and style. If a romantic place to stay in this city of romance is what you are seeking, look no further. Antique furniture, exposed beams, intriguing objets d’art and curios, log fires and huge beds – the stage is set for an immersive experience. There are five rooms and suites, each different and highly individual, yet sharing the same authentic sense of lived-in antiquity (with modern comforts). All overlook the canal, and two have small canal-side terraces. Some (but not all) have open log fires.
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This is an exceptional guesthouse in a stylishly refurbished 16th-century mansion close to the centre. The house has a beautiful red-brick, step-gabled fa?ade, topped by a gold-plated dragon, the symbol of protection for a guild of merchants involved in trade with the Far East. The interior was refurbished in the 18th century, and the lounge is decorated with original painted canvas panels depicting Rococo fête-champêtre scenes. Elsewhere, country-style pastel-shades and stripped-pine provide a backdrop for thoughtfully chosen antiques and curios. There are four suites, all featuring an eclectic range of antique furniture and furnishings, prints and paintings; some have a four-poster bed.
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Two adjoining 19th-century, neoclassical mansions – one formerly the home of the Baron de Peellaert – have been seamlessly combined to create this hotel. The impressive, high-arched lobby is, in fact, the old carriage entrance. The grand spiral staircase, with griffons supporting the treads, rises through the floors to a stained-glass skylight. The public rooms have chandeliers, oil paintings and antique furniture, and the overall impression is one of refined and stylish elegance, mixing the antique with the modern. A small, courtyard garden has seating, and sunshades. The wellness centre, with gym equipment, sauna and hammam, is in the 16th-century cellars; massage sessions can be booked.
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The two bedrooms of this delightful b&b have all the style and comforts of a top-class boutique hotel, but with the intimate charms and privileges of a private home. Tucked away in a quiet but central location close to the cathedral, it provides an enchanting base from which to walk out and explore the city. The king size beds have proper linen sheets, made by Libeco of Meulebeke, near Courtrai, Belgium’s historic linen town. Both rooms have wooden floors, limed wood doors, refined wallpapers and fabrics, and beautifully upholstered chairs and bedheads. Salvator has its own terrace with decking, which gets afternoon sun; Onze Lieve Vrouwe has charmed views over tiled roofs and gardens to the church.