I like something a little bit different and out of the ordinary. When looking for accommodation for a night in Bruges in Belgium I stumbled across De Barge ,which is a hotel in an old converted canal barge and immediately was drawn to it. It looked very cosy, quirky and more importantly was within our budget. My instincts were right. I am not a seasoned traveler and a night in a hotel is a bit of a treat for me so I wanted it to be fairly special. It seemed to have decent enough reviews on travel websites and 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 using Booking.com, which was easy to use and efficient. I received an email the next day from the hotel with my booking confirmation and instructions to get to the boat/hotel. We managed to get a very good deal. 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.

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 the canal side 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?). I am not sure how easy the boat would be for disabled people to navigate as th steps down to the lower deck are quite steep and the corridors fairly narrow.

We did not have to lug our heavy bags far as our room was just down the corridor from the reception on the left hand side. I was pleased that it was a canal side view so we could sit and watch boats and ducks sailing past us, 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. (I really prefer this as I find blankets and sheets a right faff). 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 en suite bathroom was compact but simple, stylish and clean. . The shower (there was not enough space for a bath) was large and powerful. More importantly there was a small range of not bad freebies such as shower gel,

Pictures of De Barge Hotel, Bruges

We did not need to use the life jacket

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If you turn left when entering the lower deck you enter the public rooms. There is a very small comfortable looking lounge with a variety of leaflets to peruse and also a case of cigars. We did not really use the lounge at all apart from storing our luggage after check out in the morning of our stay. 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 so I did not have to hunt for a 20 cent coin.

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 in the morning and is a buffet so you can help yourself to as much as you like. 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 svoury 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, proper coffee in a pot 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.

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.

http://www.hoteldebarge.be/