Located a few steps away from the corner bus stop, across from the canal is an unassuming white building set back from the street with a few marble steps to enter the archway. As I stepped inside, I was instantly transported to a luxury hotel filled with history and famous guests as evidenced by the black and white photos, some signed, on the walls. Above me was a crystal chandelier and below me the black and white tiles both of which added to the historic building (15th century), the luxury four star hotel that lies beyond and the distinctive difference just a few steps back on the street facing the old town of Bruges. I chose to stay for two nights in Bruges at the oddly named and hard to pronounce Hotel De Tuilerieen, a Bruges luxury hotel and member of Small Luxury Hotels (note: if you book direct with hotel you don’t get SLH loyalty credit) I booked direct with the hotel using their website which offered discounts and lower prices than competitor websites.
Hotel De Tuilerieen Bruges Location
It doesn’t get any better than this – the hotel is across from the Dijver canal, many rooms have a view of the canal and the Bruges Belfry is in the short distance. This area is where the hordes of day trip tourists (yes, hoards that I saw descend starting at 10 am.) begin their tour of Bruges. With the small bridge over the canal, the main canal boat tours of Bruges start and end here. So you can sit on the grass along the canal and people watch. If you venture up the cobblestone road (use the sidewalks or run the risk of being trampled by the very quick horse led carriage rides) which is lined with souvenir and Bruges chocolate shops, you will arrive in the Grote Markt (market square) which is filled with all things tourist centered around the infamous Belfry. A bit further afield (10 minute walk) is the Friet Museum celebrating all things potato and the Choco Story Museum for chocolate history.
Arrival in Bruges
I chose to arrive by taxi from the train station but you can easily take the bus direct to the hotel (if you don’t have a lot of luggage). The standard check in was 3 p.m. and I arrived at 11 a.m. so my room sadly was not ready and wouldn’t be until at least 3 p.m. so the front desk did the pre-check in (passport scan, credit card hold, etc.) and held my luggage while providing me a map to get oriented with the town. I was off to explore on the unusually hot and humid June day.
My King Room at Hotel De Tuilerieen Bruges
I arrived back to the hotel at 3 p.m. on the dot because I was exhausted by the sun and craving a sliver of air conditioning. My room was ready and the bags were already placed inside. The front desk associate guided me to my room on the top floor. The small elevator fits maybe four people inside and quickly arrived to the hot hallway. When my door was opened, I felt the cool breeze inside as the air conditioning had been turned on to cool the room. I was surprised by the large room with sloped walls (yes, I hit my head a few times) and imagined that the stars of the movie “In Bruges” might have stayed in this lovely room with a view. I could tell that this wasn’t the lowest category room I booked online so I was happy with the upgrade.
The hardwood floors were the second thing I noticed before taking in the many windows that opened and looked out across the rooftops of the city and the prize view of the canal across the road and the Bruges Belfry. I rarely get a room with a view so I was enchanted by it day and night.
The room had a small divider between the coach (pull out) and the bed. The pictures above the bed were….interesting (art fans can appreciate). Along the wall under the windows were a desk area, television and space to store luggage. A separate table between two chairs would provide my daily free bottles of water. The closet area near the front door held the safe, robes and shelves.
Bathroom Hotel De Tuilerieen
Moving from the hardwood floors, I entered the modern tiled bathroom. The bathroom had a shower/tub combination, glass partition to open/close and for me, I thought it was a bit high to climb in/out of so take caution. The toiletries were branded for the hotel. The towels were laid out on a heated rack (love that) and I had a makeup chair with vanity near the hairdryer. Ample plush towels were supplied as was a robe (in closet).
Common Areas at Hotel De Tuilerieen Bruges
There is no restaurant onsite other than breakfast buffet option. I declined the breakfast buffet offer in the reservation as they didn’t offer an ala carte option to accommodate my food intolerance. The breakfast room was pretty from the outside but I didn’t visit.
The bar area was open at night, during the day it can be used as a quiet lounge. There is a larger living room area in the back of the hotel.
The common areas highlighted the architecture and history of the building unlike the guest rooms which are more modern and minimalistic.
Staff at Hotel De Tuilerieen Bruges
The front desk staff was split for me. There was the “by the book guy” who checked me in and was hard to engage with outside of the tasks at hand. The other staff member was “friendly guy” who smiled, engaged in conversation and was happy to make recommendations on the map. As the hotel key weights a ton, you can’t carry it with you so you need to engage with the front desk coming and going. Each were attentive and able to assist me with each request but overall it was a mix of personalities and styles.
Overall – Luxury Bruges Hotel De Tuilerieen
Sometimes “Location – Location – Location” often sacrifices something for the fantastic location and grand views (price, room size, etc.) but that wasn’t the case at Hotel De Tuilerieen, it was spot on start to finish. I enjoyed being able to feel like I had the town to myself in the early mornings and late evenings. The room was the perfect escape during the day when the crowds or heat became too much. And the highlight was going to sleep with this view from my comfy bed. Doesn’t get better than that.
