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Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is such a charming and quaint town and the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We wanted to stay in a central area close to everything and Crowne Plaza Brugge was the perfect hotel.

GETTING HERE

We were already in Europe and staying at the InterContinental Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam, so traveling to the Crowne Plaza in Brugge was pretty simple. From Amsterdam to Brugge, it was about a 3-hour journey by train with one layover (either in Antwerp or Brussels depending on which route you go). We booked our train tickets online a few days prior to our stay and when we arrived at Brugge Station, we took a taxi to our hotel. There were plenty of taxis waiting outside the station and the ride to our hotel took about 10 minutes, which cost us about 11 Euros.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We were so excited to see that the Crowne Plaza Brugge was located right in the center of Bruges. We were facing multiple historic buildings like Brugge City Hall, Basilica of the Holy Blood, and just steps away from restaurants and the world-famous Chez Albert Belgium Waffles (seriously the best waffles in the world).

The lobby was gorgeous with colorful chairs and plenty of seating for guests. The decor was very modern and inviting. When we walked inside the hotel, it was a bit busy with a tour group in the lobby but despite the mini chaos, the check-in staff was quick to notice our arrival and swiftly checked us into our room.

THE ROOM

We stayed in Room 301 on the third floor and it was modern, clean, and we had an amazing view of Burg Square. It was plenty big for the two of us and we appreciated the extra space with the reading corner. On the desk, there was an electric kettle and a variety of tea and instant coffee options. There was also a handful of rolled wafers to enjoy with our hot drinks.

The beds were comfy and multiple pillows were provided. We loved that we each got our own queen size bed and also had our own outlet and nightstand. They even provided a complimentary deep sleep pillow spray to help us get a good night’s rest. We definitely needed this since we almost always experience some jet lag when we travel. We also received a complimentary bottle of water, which they provided daily during house keeping.

One of our favorite things about this room were all the outlets they provided. Not only did they provide plenty of outlets, but they also provided USB outlets which is always great to have since this eliminates the use converters. There were two normal outlets and two USB outlets in between the beds and we also got our own outlet next to our beds. There were also additional outlets and USB outlets on the desk. So yeah, plenty of outlets.

The bathroom was clean and plenty of towels were provided. We really liked the simplicity of the shower. It was the first time we saw a shower that basically only had two buttons to operate it. One button for the normal shower head and one button for the rain-head shower. Can’t get any simpler than that. The shower head was also adjustable so that we could get it to the perfect height we needed.

The toilet was sectioned to the corner with a door for some privacy; however, the space in the toilet area was a bit cramped. A few more inches of space would have been nice since we both have long legs, but other than that the bathroom was great.

There were basic toiletries provided like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, soap and a shower cap but if we needed additional things, there was a card on the counter that listed all the things we could request. The list included shaving cream, disposable razor, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, and female sanitary products.

EXTRAS

Since we are a Gold Elite Member of the IHG Rewards Club, at check-in, we were asked if we wanted the option of 400 Bonus Points credited to our account or one free drink (each) at their bar. We opted for the drinks since we like to enjoy a glass of wine at the end the day before heading to bed. Plus they had two bars that looked really nice and we wanted to wind down and relax there for a bit.

AMENITIES

There is an on-site fitness and wellness center with an indoor pool if you want to get in some exercise at the hotel. We also noticed that the hotel suggested jogging outdoors and provided a map of the route. We thought this was such a great idea for people who love jogging whether they are at home or on vacation. We highly recommend the jogging route as Bruges is beyond gorgeous everywhere you go.

DINING & LOUNGES

The hotel houses one restaurant and one bar, both located on the ground floor. We had our free drinks and also had lunch at the Plaza Café. This is also the restaurant where they serve their breakfast buffet if you had that included with your stay. For lunch, we ordered and shared the Cheese Croquettes and Spaghetti Bolognese.

We both loved the Spaghetti Bolognese and the side salad that came with the Cheese Croquettes. The Cheese Croquettes weren’t bad but it was a little too sweet for the both of us. We weren’t expecting them to be so sweet, but if you have a sweet tooth this is definitely an appetizer to order. The service was also attentive and fast. We kept reading reviews online that the service in Brugge isn’t the best, but everywhere we went, we experienced the opposite. All the servers we encountered were friendly, professional, and inviting.

STAFF & SERVICE

Everyone was very kind and the service was speedy. We were having issues with the remote control to the TV not working in our room and when we called the front desk for help, they came up to our room immediately. There actually was nothing wrong with the remote and it was a user error. Apparently we weren’t pressing the remote’s button strong enough.

When we needed a cab back to Brugge Station, the staff offered to reserve a taxi for us and they arrived right on time. The taxi driver even came inside the lobby to greet us and carried our luggage. Also, not sure why but the taxi ride back to the station was cheaper at 7 Euros.

LOCATION

You can’t pick a better location. You truly are in the center of it all. We were able to walk everywhere and had such an amazing time in Bruges. We walked to the City Hall, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Markt Square, Chocolate Museum, Lake of Love, Church of Our Lady, and more. We really enjoy visiting towns where we can get to places on foot and not have to hassle with calling a cab or public transportation.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you are considering visiting Belgium, we highly suggest skipping Brussels and head straight to Bruges instead. The entire city is picturesque and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The hotel was the perfect location to explore this gorgeous medieval historic city.

CROWNE PLAZA BRUGGE
ADDRESS: BURG 10, BRUGGE, 8000, BELGIUM (MAP)
PHONE: +32 50 446844
@crowneplazabrugge