The medieval city of Bruges in Belgium is perfect for a weekend away. A compact city centre of stunning architecture set amidst quaint cobbled streets, Bruges is a wonderful place to explore by foot. To make the most of the city a centrally located hotel is ideal, with numerous restaurants, bars and chocolate shops right on the doorstep. During our weekend break, we stayed at the Grand Hotel Casselbergh which was a great base to explore Bruges.
This four star luxury hotel is located in the centre of the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bruges, a mere 150 metres from the bustling Grote Markt and the Burg Square. Situated in a historic building with a large new annex extension to the rear, the hotel oozes charm and opulence.
A great base to explore Bruges
Marble tiled floors, ornate pillars and large chandeliers are on display from the moment you step inside the building and up the steps towards reception. Checking in, we were greeted warmly by the front desk staffed who were friendly, offering us a wealth of information about the hotel and the city. Despite us checking in early, our room was ready and we set off down the beautiful corridors of the hotel towards our room.
The rooms at Grand Hotel Casselbergh
The Grand Hotel Casselbergh offers 118 rooms separated into Comfort Rooms, Luxury Rooms and Family Rooms. The Comfort Rooms, at 25m2 in size, are located in the newer modern annex to the rear of the building, some offering views over the Groenerei Canal. The rooms are bright and airy, and stylishly decorated in tasteful colours.
The Luxury Rooms are located in the historic part of the hotel, with the suites having views across to the Burg and the Belfort. Within the Luxury Rooms range, the Executive Rooms are 32m2, while the Deluxe Rooms measure in at 40m2 and the Junior Suite being a generous 55m2. These rooms, whilst similar in style to the Comfort Rooms, add a touch more elegance and lend some style from the historic elements of the building.
Our room was an Executive Room, which overlooked the street to the front of the hotel. At first I was concerned about noise, but Bruges seems to be generally a quiet city once it gets late. The room was beautifully decorated with sumptuous and comfortable furnishings, as well as a very large and modern bathroom with a separate bathtub and shower. The Executive are smaller of the rooms within the Luxury range, but there was plenty of space for all of our luggage, along with a comfortable seating area. Tea and coffee facilities were provided and the mini-bar was very reasonably priced.
The public areas at the Grand Hotel Casselbergh
Breakfast was served in a large dining room located on the basement level. The breakfast offering was a typical European buffet style along with some hot options including bacon, egg, sausage and baked beans. The room was large and bright, with attentive staff on hand if anything out of the ordinary was needed.
The Grand Hotel Casselbergh does not have its own restaurant that serves lunch and dinner, instead recommending visiting their partner hotels in the city, which are members of The Swan Hotel Collection. We didn’t find this a problem given the hotel is located so centrally, there are numerous options nearby. We ate one evening at a wonderful restaurant across the road called DILIGENCE – a great choice, and fans of the movie In Bruges would recognise the interior as one of the filming locations.
Winding down
Whilst there is no restaurant on site, there is a fantastic bar area leading to several lounges. After a long day exploring the all that Bruges has to offer, the lounge bar was a fabulous spot to grab a drink before heading out for dinner, or to grab a night cap before bed. Comfortable furniture, high ceilings, fireplaces and chandeliers created a lovely ambience, and there was a great range of drinks and beer in particular, as you would expect in Belgium.
The hotel also has a spa and wellness area located within the historic basements which offer a sauna, steam room and relaxation room. The Spa can be used free of charge by guests throughout their stay. Treatments are also available at an additional cost.
The Grand Hotel Casselbergh has had an extensive refit early in 2021, therefore the images on this page may not accurately reflect the current décor of the building.
USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE GRAND HOTEL CASSELBERGH
Located in the centre of Bruges, the Grand Hotel Casselbergh is situated on Hoogstraat, near Burg Square and Grote Markt. The hotel has 40 parking spaces which can be reserved prior to visiting for a price of 25E per day.
Rooms can be booked directly on the HOTEL WEBSITE.
Grand Hotel Casselbergh, Hoogstraat 6, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
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Wowser! What an opulent place…but I have to say, that huge arrangement below the chandelier is lopsided! But really, in the face of all that grandeur, what a minute detail!
Haha, I had a few issues with that photo due to the (lack of) symmetry, but thought I would share anyway. Actually the more I look at it, everything is lopsided! Its a great hotel, and despite the looks it’s actually very reasonably priced!
That’s funny you noticed it too… at first I was reluctant to say something for fear of being accused of “trying to find problems in such a lovely place” but I had too haha. All I know is someday I want to go see the lopsided flowers myself!
Say what you see! Maybe the hotel can straighten them up if they come across this post.
Stayed there myself, very comfortable!
Wow, the warm glow of that bar and lounge area. 😮
[…] Bruges in fairly recent times, and stayed in a gorgeous and centrally located hotel called the Grand Hotel Casselbergh. This was the style of hotel I was looking for, so after some searching I arrived at the Hotel […]