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De Barge Hotel

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  • Bargeweg 15
     Bruges, Belgium
    +32 50 38 51 50Website
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duskmaiden
duskmaiden
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5 out of 5
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Editor Pick

De Barge Really Floats My Boat

  • September 27, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by duskmaiden from London, United Kingdom
De Barge Really Floats My Boat

I like something a little bit different and out of the ordinary. When looking for accommodation for a night in Bruges I stumbled across De Barge which is a hotel in an converted barge and immediately was drawn to it. It looked very cosy, quirky and was within our budget. My instincts were right. Luckily a colleague had coincidentally recently spent a night at De Barge and really sang its praises saying it was "the best hotel she had ever stayed at". After this recommendation I immediately booked De Barge for one night midweek in late June. I booked our room, a double cruise cabin online. We booked a double cruise cabin which is normally 115 Eros per night. We paid only 89 Eros for the room (about £60) which I think is very good value.

First things first do not go to De Barge if you want to be right in the centre of Bruges and have views of the market place and bell tower. De Barge is located on the outskirts of Bruge town centre by a coach park. It is only a five minute walk from the railway station. This was ideal for us as we were arriving by train and I doubt I could have walked into the town with our heavy bags.

We found the hotel very easily due to the very accurate and easy to follow instructions sent with our booking confirmation. Do not be put off by the coach park you have to cross to get to where the boat is moored. Once you find the boat you are greeted to a well maintained wooden boat with a small terrace, path and garden out front on the backside. It looked very welcoming and appealing. The hotel is rated three star and has 22 bedrooms (or should I say cabins?), a restaurant and lounge on two floors (or is that decks?).

Enter the boat and head downstairs for the reception. Check in is supposed to be from the standard time of 2pm. However we arrived extra early at 8am after an overnight coach journey. We were tired and just wanted to rest. The best we could hope for was to be able to put our bags in a left luggage room. Instead the room was all ready for us when we arrived. I was really impressed with their flexibility and their friendliness. After completing the paperwork the receptionist gave us a map of the town explaining where the best areas were to go and also gave us a complimentary discount card. We found this invaluable as it gave us discounted rates for most of the tourist attractions in Bruges. Little touches like that are what makes or breaks a hotel for me.

We did not have to lug our heavy bags far as our room was just down the corridor from the reception. I was pleased that it was a canal side view so we could sit and watch boats and ducks sailing past, as the boat very gently bobbed up and down. It was a little strange at first but I soon got used to the feeling, as it was very soothing. The first thing I noticed about the cabin was how nicely it was decorated. It is kitted out in dark wood paneling and maritime navy blur and white. It was nice to be away from the floral chintzes of some of the hotels I have stayed at in the past. The bed covers were monogrammed and had a duvet rather than blankets and sheets. . The bed had two life jackets laid out on the bed. I hoped these were for effect rather than any practical reason! Even the key fob was in the shape of an anchor. The theming was stylish and appropriate rather than tacky. The second thing I noticed was how small the cabin was. I was glad we were staying there for one night only and using it mainly for sleeping. There was not much room in between the double bed and the other pieces of furniture. However this was the basic double cabin and I am sure the more expensive one would have been roomier.


The room was not over blessed with hanging and storage space. There was a small open hanging rail and some shelves to fold your clothes on alongside drawers in the desk along the wall. There was a television with a variety of channels. We did manage to get ITV along with other English channels. There were a couple of complimentary bottles of soda water on the side which was a nice touch but there was no tea and coffee making facilities. I do not always use the tea and coffee in a hotel but it being Murphy's law I did feel like a hot drink that night and it would have been nice to have had the option of making myself a cup of tea or coffee.

The en suite bathroom was compact but simple, stylish and clean. . The shower was large and powerful. More importantly there was a small range of not bad freebies such as shower gel, shampoo and shower caps in a basket on the side.

After arriving we had a little nap so we would be refreshed for an afternoon of sightseeing in Bruges. I can report the bed was warm and comfortable. During the night we slept really well and wire only disturbed by the happy quacking of our friendly neighborhood ducks.

There is a very small comfortable looking lounge with a variety of leaflets to peruse and also a case of cigars. . Opposite the lounge is the bar area, which stocks a mixture of local drinks and well known brands. I decided to get a glass of Baileys as a night cap and it was not too bad value for a hotel bar. The measure was a decent measure more a double than a single and cost 5.20 Euros. The bar staff like the reception staff were extremely friendly and rounded my drink bill up to 5 euros.

A good breakfast is very important to me when staying in a hotel and I can tell you the breakfast at De Barge is pretty good. The breakfast is served between 8 and 10 and is a buffet. The choice of food was pretty good. There was a couple of different cereals and three or four different breads that could be toasted. There was a wide range of sweet and savoury toppings including a selection of preserves, cheeses and ham. There was also a selection of various very tasty pasties and this really nice honey cake that tasted like a honey infused moist gingerbread. In the corner there was a little fridge full of yogurts. They also catered for those who wanted a hot breakfast wish bacon, scrambled egg and sausages (no veggie ones though). You could also boil your own egg using an ingenious egg boiling gadget that was like a shallow kettle with holders to put your egg in. I've never seen one before but it seems a very clever invention. All this glorious food was washed down with a selection of fruit juices,coffee, and a good selection of teas including a number of herbal and fruit ones. All that was missing was a streaming pot of hot chocolate. If you are still hungry after this tasty breakfast may I recommend a little baker nearby on Maria Straat that sells the most divine custard filled croissants.

There are a couple of public toilets for non residents using the restaurant (there is a notice on the front door saying toilets are for guests and diners only) however they did have a slot for 50 cents to get in them. This is the first time I have seen this in a hotel .

Checking out was just as easy as checking in and we were able to store our luggage in the lounge for a few more hours so we could see bit more of Bruges. It was at this point we paid our bill. It was nine paying it at the end of the stay as you did not feel that all they were interested in was your money. We received the same level of friendliness and helpfulness from the gent who checked us out as the lady who checked us in. He was very good when we were asking questions about other towns in Belgium.

II enjoyed my stay at De Barge. The staff were friendly, the rooms were comfortable and the food was good. It was an ideal place for a base to explore Bruges. I am not sure I would like this hotel if I were spending a lot of time there. The rooms and the public areas are quite small and I think I would want more facilities. However it was good value and suited our requirements realty well. Go on jump aboard and don't forget your life jacket!

From journal Belgian Waffles

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