Moderate place, good location in Brugge
Hotel de Orangerie
My fathers family comes from Brugge. (One of the three european cities based around canals) I had not been there in nearly 10 years. I decided to head back through Belgium in September 2004 with a buddy of mine.
First of all, Brugge is in my opinion one of the most beautiful cities in the world. While Brugge does not have the 100% canal life of Venice, it is still very much based around the canals. The cites architecture is awe inspiring. Also the city is very clean, well run, and organized. I found the Belgians to be friendly and very efficient.
Now, I have discovered that Brugge is not the city to visit with a your buddy. It is a truly romantic city, made for lovers, not buddies.
We wanted to stay at the Die Swaene hotel, but it was fully booked. We instead stayed at the Hotel de Orangerie. The hotel is small and quaint. I think there are about 20 rooms on two floors. It is rated four stars, but I am of the opinion that this is a little ambitions for this property. The building and the public areas are very nice, cozy and homelike. I think the building is from the 1500s. The rooms on the other hand seemed a bit awkward. Perhaps this is due to the age of the building and the work arounds that had to be done to change an old nunnery into a hotel. The bathrooms were nice, modern and reliable, but on the small side. The location is great, just steps away from the town center. There is little reason to drive in Brugge.
Unique Quality: The hotel has one neat little feature. They have a bar that is open 24/7 What they do is that the bar (read living room) is located just 30 feet from the front desk which is manned full time. All you do is relax in the comfort of "the bar" and ring a bell for the desk clerk to come and make you a cocktail.
I felt like this hotel was a bit understaffed. English was perfectly spoken so communication was no issue. My suite had a small TV, but there were few if any English stations. The rooms include a light breakfast in the charge. There was no internet of any kind available, but there is an abundance of Cyber Cafes in the city.
We paid about $120 for a room. The hotel had no issue when we called late the night of our expected arrival, and pushed the date back a day. The hotel was a very good deal. I am not saying is was great, but it was also not expensive.
Two food ideas for Brugge. First of all there is a little hot dog stand in the corner of the town square. I had been there 15 years ago, and again 10 years ago, so I wondered if it would still be there. It is! In fact I was told it has been there for over 100 years. I love a good bratwurst, and these are some of the best I have ever had. I devoured 2 in a matter of minutes, and snook back latter that night for a third.
The second place is a fondue place called Sans Soucis. It is located right off the town square. The food was great, the service fast and efficient. We had the beef fondue. It came with large marbled chucks of beef, and about eight distinct tasty sauces.
I enjoyed my stay here, but would most likely look for another place to stay next time. I would also bring my girlfriend, not my buddy. : )
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