In 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte was invited to stay at the 'Hotel du Commerce', Bruges, during an official visit to the city. He accepted the invitation. A superb triumphal staircase and a sequence of beautiful, 'Bonaparte halls' were especially commissioned within the then 200 year-old Hotel to mark the occasion. However, in what must surely have been a heartbreaking and insulting blow to all concerned, Napoleon cut short his official visit, and in the end he didn't even stay in Bruges at all.
Today, nestled behind the winding and cobbled St.Jakobstraat, a quiet side street in Bruges' town centre, stands the old 'Hotel du Commerce', or to draw upon it its new and rather clumsy, official title, the Best WesternPremier Hotel NavarraBrugge. It is a charming position for a hotel, just a brief stroll from Bruges' beautiful Market Square with its Belfry Tower, and perfectly situated for visitors wishing to explore the town's historic centre. The 'Navarra' is the most recent incarnation of a very old hotel, and one that draws, rather poignantly, from its very earliest origins.
In 1600, the official residence of Don Juan de Peralta, Consul of the Spanish Province of Navarra as well as Alderman of Bruges, had been built on the site of the present hotel. De Peralta now lies buried beside his wife, Maria Lauwers, in the adjoining St. Jakobschurch, beneath a white slab concealed behind the main altar. After his death, the building fell into the hands of a prominent local family, the Van Marckhoves, who converted it into a hotel.
The old 'Hotel du Commerce' has since passed from pillar to post,
and back again, undergoing a sequence of renovations, refurbishments and name-changes, but a hotel has now stood on the site for almost 300 consecutive years. A sense of this history is still very tangible in the Navarra, beyond the inevitable Best Western propaganda in the lobby, and the sleek fixtures of the hotel's modern rooms. This is in fact a reasonably good example of a period building with seamlessly integrated Twentieth Century comforts.
*****
Having negotiated Brugge's confounding one-way system and getting ourselves lost amidst a bewildering jumble of narrow streets, we finally sighted the hotel. It was a bleak and frosty January evening, and the snow-dusted cobblestones shimmered beneath the nearby streetlights. The hotel itself was lit up sedately, with an intimation of candles through the high, side windows. We left the car in a car park around the back of the hotel, beneath some very tall, leafless trees. There is a small private garden to the side, and I imagine that it must be rather lovely in the summer.
If arriving after dark, first impressions of the Navarra are really very impressive. The hotel is housed in a superb, listed building which dates back from the 17th Century, much of it built in the style of Louis XV. Its genteel, white facade is set back behind a paved courtyard, and framed by a pair of ornate, wrought iron gates. In the stark light of a winter's day, however, it appears a little less prepossessing. The white facade seems a little grey, upon closer inspection, and the forecourt, undoubtedly an elegant space in the days when it was graced by horse-drawn carriages, now feels a little compromised, filled as it is with carelessly parked cars.
The Main Entrance to the hotel consists of an almost perplexingly discreet and unassuming glass door, belying the grandeur within. Inside, an elegant and high-ceilinged salon leads towards a cocktail lounge and 'Jazz Bar' to the right, and through into the hotel's main lobby on the left. This, too, has magnificent high ceilings, and a couple of interesting oils hang here and there on the walls. There are a couple of small tables with upright, Lloyd Loom style chairs. This area, like the rest of the hotel, has been refurbished tastefully, if a little unimaginatively. Blameless shades of cream and beige predominate throughout.
The main reception was staffed by a brace of well-presented and multi-lingual young Belgians. Check-in was swift and efficient, and we proceeded to our room. The Navarra has ninety-four rooms in total, and its premises are certainly a good deal larger and more labyrinthine than they appear from the street. Having taken up the lift, we then had to ascend some stairs, turn left, turn right, and follow a disorienting and ambient (read: dimly-lit) sequence of corridors before finally arriving at our room.
*****
THE ROOM itself was a textbook 'Premier' Best Western affair, immaculate and ever so slightly soulless. The bathroom was large and spotlessly white, with both a bath and an extremely efficient shower. The floor-tiles were rather slippery, however. The bed was king-sized, and bedecked with a smart, quilted black bed cover. A token Belgian chocolate (encased in Best Western livery) rested upon each bedside table. A black-leather armchair sat on either side of the window. A wide-screen television was positioned on top of a long wooden desk, alongside a small magazine devoted to the stable of 'Premier' Best Westerns worldwide. These perennial little gems of cross-promotion never have (what I assume is) the desired effect upon me. Featuring sibling establishments in exotic destinations such as Cairo or the Caribbean, and presumably intended to evoke a sense of some glamorous International Club, they generally just lead me to wish I were somewhere else…somewhere, well, a little more interesting than a Best Western anyway.
There wasn't a 'welcome tray' in evidence, so we called down to reception and one was brought up almost immediately. The tea and coffee facilities provided were really pretty good, with a decent selection of teas, and even some complimentary biscuits. The mini-bar was well stocked, and included some very nice Belgian chocolates, amidst the beers, miniature spirits and all the other, usual suspects. I've a rather unfortunate tendency to make use of hotel mini-bars, something that can send any hotel bill skyrocketing, especially when a single G&T sets you back 10 Euros. It's perhaps worth mentioning that there's a very comprehensive little newsagent/off-license just around the corner from the Hotel Navarra, so you can always stock up there (or even re-stock the mini bar yourself & save a small fortune) if you're that way inclined…
Other than the facilities mentioned, all rooms also have a radio, two direct dialtelephones, an in-room safe, a trouser press, hairdryer and air-conditioning. Complimentary newspapers are available on request. There is a health centre in the basement, with a gym, spa, sauna, steam room, and an exquisite, tiled pool.
The location of the hotel is such that most of central Bruges' attractions are right on your doorstep. There is an art-house cinema on the opposite side of the street, and dozens of restaurants within walking distance. I wouldn't recommend the restaurants on the square, however, which are generally touristy places with depressing & competitive set menus displayed out the front, and insistent waiters touting for business as you wander past. Brugge's popular horse and carriage tours of the city depart from the near corner of the market square, which is just a couple of minutes' walk from the hotel.
BREAKFAST is served in an elegant, light-filled room overlooking the forecourt. Large, potted palms contribute very nicely to the ambience. The 'Continental' buffet provided was extremely good, with an excellent selection of breads, pastries, cheeses, cold meats and so forth. I didn't partake of the hot buffet, but my husband did, and apparently the boiled eggs were very good indeed. Breakfast generally provides a fairly good indication of a hotel's clientele, and in this instance, most of those breakfasting around us appeared to be business people. However, we were there during the week, and I imagine the demographic is probably slightly different on weekends.
FINALLY: The 'Premier' Best Western Navarra is a very pleasant hotel in a faultless location. It is immaculate, attractive, efficiently operated and reasonably well priced. Despite my reservations about chain hotels, I probably would stay there again.
In any case, I imagine it's fairly safe to wager that there weren't many potted palms or mini-bars on St.Helena… Furthermore, the old 'Triumphal' staircase and Napoleonic Banqueting halls are absolutely splendid. Poor Napoleon never knew what he was missing.
Standard Doubles at the Navarra start from 152 Euros. Parking on the hotel grounds costs 13 Euro per night.
I've only visited Bruges once and never stayed over but this hotel sounds quite impressive and worth trying.
hiker 19.02.2006 20:19
Immaculate, efficient and slightly souless... yep, that sums up my experience of Best Western too. In the unlikely event that their bigwigs read this: please note...it works in places like Coventry or Birmingham...but not in Brugge or Bath. If your clients are more likely to be there for the history than the conference, perhaps you could help out a little...especially if you're lucky enough to have comandeered an historic hotel for the purpose! As for the literature...you can hand us the company profile with the bill, while we're there (wherever there is) tempt us beyond your door, trust me, we'll thank you for it. Lx
killiefan 13.02.2006 17:19
Excellent review, sounds like a great place. Scott
The Best Western Premier Hotel Navarra in Bruges is setin a 17th century mansion house, ... more
which has retained much of its original style and is just 50 meters from the historic market square in the center of the city. The 94 rooms have plain modern décor ...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Best Western Premier Hotel Navarra in Bruges is set in a 17th century mansion house, ... more
which has retained much of its original style and is just 50 meters from the historic market square in the center of the city. The 94 rooms have plain modern décor...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Best Western Premier Hotel Navarra is ideally located a 3-minute walk from the main square ... more
of Bruges with its famous Belfry Tower in an elegant 17th-century listed mansion.Begin the day with an excellent complimentary buffet breakfast. Energize for the...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
incl. Breakfast - HRS Rating: 6,81/10 - The hotel has been completely renovated. All rooms ... more
are spotlessly clean and enjoy air conditioning. Our buffet breakfast is complimentary as well as the use of WIFI, the pool, sauna and fitness room. City: Belfry...
exceptional by (13%):
very helpful by (87%):
