After reading reviews and perusing the website of Number 11 Luxury Guesthouse in Bruges, Belgium, I was expecting great things. What I was not expecting was to absolutely fall in love with this place to the point I want to live there to this day. We arrived in Bruges after a wonderful 4 days in Antwerp. We took a cab from the airport as the center of town is quite a walk and formidable on cobbled streets with lots of luggage. We arrived and were greeted by Karen who was warm and stylish (fashion radar blinking...simple and elegant). She set aside our bags and took us through to the stunning communal living room (If this was featured in a catalog, I would want to order everything), and brought us espresso. She then went over the property, incredibly useful information about Bruges, and made our first evening's dinner reservations at one of her personal favorites.
She showed us the lovely dining room which overlooks the garden and the kitchen. We were then informed that not only does the owner run this lovely gem of a B&B, but also has a boutique chocolate and coffee line. We then sampled the truffles which were outrageously delicious (and proved to be at the top of my list of chocolate we sampled in Bruges...no small feat). You can use the kitchen whenever you like to make coffee and grab some truffles!
Tanya then escorted us through one of the loveliest walled gardens I have ever seen. We entered the Deluxe Suite from our beautiful patio which overlooks the entire garden. Walking into the suite was dreamlike, almost as if someone had created every detail just for me. There are two entrances, one from the street and one through large sliding glass doors onto the garden. There is a long hallway from the street side, with a handy private half bath off the end. Then through gorgeous French doors, you step into the living room/library. The room has two incredibly comfortable leather chairs facing a fireplace (ready to go with wood and starters), a work desk and chair and a huge wall of bookshelves, filled with a staggering variety of books. One could easily spend their vacation in this room reading in front of the fire with a bottle of wine. We tried to keep it to the rainy evenings we luckily experienced while there! Off the living room is the bedroom, which also has glass doors onto the garden. From the gorgeous ceiling beams and the most luxurious linens to the soothing shades of white and pale blue, this room could not be more comforting, luxurious and serene. The main bath is off the bedroom and I still want to create a bathroom like this in my own home someday. The beautiful shades of white and blue, a gorgeous large framed map on the wall and wood floors are the setting for a separate shower and a free standing, huge bath tub, sparkling clean and just perfect. If you are a bath person like me, you will greatly enjoy a long bath with a glass of wine after a long day exploring this tremendously fascinating city. There is also a full kitchen off the living room, stocked with basic food items and glassware. The full fridge is so handy if you want to bring home wine and cheese or other finds from the various markets around Bruges.
Breakfast is included and you will most likely be waited on by Hilda, who was one of my favorite people I met on this trip. She cooked us delicious eggs and brought out fresh squeezed juices, fresh pastries and the most delicious coffee. She was so warm and helpful, it was an amazing way to begin each day.
The hotel is located right off the main canal in the heart of town. It is so central, yet due to it's location on a side street over a beautiful bridge, absolutely quiet and free from throngs of tourists.
I still dream about this place. It was a sheer joy coming "home" to this every evening we were in Bruges, and can't imagine ever staying anywhere else when we visit again someday. If you want to stay in a place that feels like a luxurious home, but with the conveniences of a small expertly run hotel, this unique property is for you.