Having booked a "double-deluxe" room with canal views for a romantic break with my partner to ease us into the Christmas holiday, we were sorely disappointed by my choice. Having looked around the Belfort Hotel's website and finally selecting this hotel, I'd assumed that rooms of the same standard and of a similar price would look much the same. Our double bed was in fact two old and cranky single beds pushed next to one another. They didn't really like being next to one another either, judging by the number of times I woke to find part of my body wedged in the gap that had appeared between the two. During the night, the heating went off, bringing the temperature of the room down to a drafty 16 degrees. That, combined with my tendency to hog the duvet, or in this case both duvets, led to a rather uncomfortable night for my boyfriend.

Perhaps if the owner had made it clear at the time that the view was worth 140 euros and room worth 2, we'd probably have been very satisfied and I wouldn't have shed a tear when it came to handing over the money at the end of our stay. (Being typically British we decided not to complain, just to never go back there again.) As it was, we'd have been much better off and probably enjoyed our accommodation more if we'd opted for a small, friendly hostel or B&B and enjoyed the view for free as we walked around.

So, what's the moral of the story? Because tourism is so prolific in Bruges, it's worth shopping around for hotels and being really clear on the room that you are paying for before you turn up. Hostels and B&Bs are probably the best bet and we'll definitely be going down that route when we go back next time.