we stayed here for 2 nights and loved the historic character of the building

the steep staircase, long landings, curved banisters, wooden wallpanels all added to its charm

our room was a good size looking over the garden, and we found it a good size, with plenty of hot water, and quiet. from the window we could see the back entrance to the cathedral and visited it as soon as we saw it open in the morning (limited openings for viewers)
most of the surrounding streets are being recobbled, but again this was not a problem and added to the experience

the hotel location was ideal, near so many places of interest. didn't eat in as so many cafes around the corner

in conclusion, if you want Travel Inn conformity don't go there
if you want character and an experience, it is the place to go

If, for some reason, this is your only option in Bruge, still dont take it. Postpone you trip instead. I have never experienced anything like it. It is the first, and will hopefully be the only, time I have ever walked out of a place. Considering it was around 7pm in the evening on the busiest night of the year in Bruges and everywhere was booked, this may sound senseless, but I would literally have rather slept in my car.

Firstly, the description was wrong. We wanted a double, not a twin pushed together. I also paid more money than I usually do in order to book somewhere simple but nice. The room was awful. Overlooking an open drainage ditch dug up in the road, it smelt unpleasant and was dank, dark and claustrophobic. For some reason the ceiling had been artificially lowered to give it a more oppressive feel and the grimy net curtains did not let much light in. Not that we really felt they could be opened with any degree of privacy as the room was right on the street.

The decor in both the bedroom and bathroom could best be described as battered utilitarian, and at worst grubby, cramped and unpleasant. Certainly not the place you would like to come back to after a night in town on a romantic break. Or any other kind of break for that matter. This Hotel was claerly only aiming for Travelodge-type style, but still came up woefully short.

The staff, after admitting that the mistake was theirs refused to offer a discount or do anything in order to compensate us or entice us to stay. Whilst the receptionist was polite and apologetic, the manager/owner was obnoxious, dismissive and rude. I could not quite believe what was happening when speaking to the manager, and I am sure it is only because they do not rely on return trade, ie one-off tourist trips instead, that they survive at all.

They then proceeded to charge me for the room. They even charged me twice, so I have two expensive european transaction fees on my card, despite not spending more than an hour in the place, the majority of which was spent being admonished by the manager.

I am now having to go through the courts and the fraud squad to get my money back.

Avoid this place at all costs. Nearby and and within a five minute walk there are some really beautiful places to stay. I found one, much cheaper, which was a modern boutique-type place and absolutely gorgeous. This however could have really ruined our trip.

Having read other reviews after booking I was a little worried. The room was therefore a pleasant surprise. We paid £64 per night f( a deal with eurostar) for a small double room and it was well worth the money. Our room was on the third floor and had brilliant views. It is in an ideal location for sightseeing.
The room was clean and had a mini bar, safe and telephone as advertised. The television worked perfectly and had some english channels. The shower worked perfectly and we had no problems whatsoever. The staff were very friendly and helpful and we were able to check in at 11am as the room was ready. On leaving we were able to leave our luggage in a locked room until we left in the middle of the afternoon. The room was small but adequate for two people on a short break.
There are roadworks on the narrow road but work was limited to between 7 and 5 and did not disturb us at all and did not start that early. It should soon be finished.
The desk was not manned but there was a clear note telling you to go to the sister hotel accross the road which was permanently manned.
The hotel is very old and the stairs are steep with no lift but we found them no problem and we are retired. The bannister is a little rickety and the place could do with a lot of money being spent updating the communal parts but it does have character and a certain charm.
If you want an antiseptic modern hotel and want to spend a lot of time in your room this is not for you. If you want an older character filled central hotel where you can go to clean up and have a good nights sleep after a day sightseeing its ideal.
We were offered breakfast for 10 euros but did not sample this, although the bread we saw on view looked delicious. Also we did not eat at the hotel.
We would certainly go back

I've never felt compelled to write a review about a hotel before as I don't feel it's fair on the owners, however today is the exception. This Hotel was basic to say the least. The room was small, with no air conditioning, no tea or coffee making facilities the bedding wasn't clean and the shower was very bad. There was very little water pressure and it didn't stay hot for long enough.
If you're just looking for a bed for the night, then it's functional, other than that it's disappointing.
My advice would be to book into the sister Hotel which is situated across the road which looked a lot nicer and where we had to go every morning for breakfast which, by the way, was very nice.
You just don't get your moneys worth at the Gheestelic.
However - that said... it's location was fairly central and you are perfectly situated to all the main attractions that Bruges has to offer.
Don't expect much from the hotel and you wont be disappointed.