Ever since Colin Farrell's character expressed his hatred for the place, in 2008's cult movie In Bruges, the European city of Bruges has, ironically, never been busier. No surprises really as the city's stunning medieval centre has beauty and romance on every corner. The cobbled streets, winding canals and breathtaking architecture all work together in creating the ultimate in romantic weekend hideaways.
As you would expect from Bruges's first five-star hotel, Kempinski Hotel Dukes' Palace is situated slap-bang in the centre of this pretty city, and is a quick taxi-ride from the train station. As we make our way across the finely manicured lawns, past the giant, red, fibreglass poodle that stands guard and into the reception area I tease my Australian other-half with the fact that the hotel's building has stood here since 1429, long before his country was even discovered.
After being wowed by the grand exterior, the reception area isn't quite as spectacular,and instead of being greeted by the standard, luxurious check-in desk we are met by two receptionists sitting side-by-side behind tables in the manner of a business conference check-in - I half expected to be given a name tag. However, disappointment is short-lived as our receptionist is beyond helpful and spends more time than necessary offering advice on how to spend our 48-hours in the city — her main tip being that everything in Bruges closes at 10pm and seeing as it was now 9.15pm we needed to head out quickly for something to eat.
Before we fulfilled our pledge to enjoy the dual Belgian delicacies of moules and beer we head to our room to dump the bags and make the delightful discovery that our junior suite is the perfect combination of historical artefacts and five-star hotel expectations.
Portraits of past visitors to the building (which was built to accommodate Duke Philip III and his wife, Isabelle of Portugal) such as Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More and Jan van Eyck hang beside the 2010 necessities of 50inch Plasma TV and state-of-the-art coffee machine. The large bathroom is modern, resplendent in marble and adorned with Molton Brown toiletries and soft, fluffy towels, however, the icing on the cake has to be the pillow menu from which you can order an array of different 'stuffings' to help you get a good night's rest — the 'bolster' pillow being the perfect remedy for my partner's dodgy neck.
If I had to mention something disparaging about this comfy and spacious room it would be the view, or rather the lack of one. After seeing the beautiful gardens on our arrival it was a blow to discover that our private Belgian vista consisted of a brick wall, although, if you pressed your face up to the window and strained your eyes hard enough to the left you could faintly see a slither of grass and a slash of red from the aforementioned fibreglass poodle.
The next morning we decide to see what the hotel has to offer before heading out to enjoy the city's sights. First comes a sumptuous breakfast courtesy of room service, followed by a swim in the surprisingly large pool and a full-body massage in the spa. As well as the pool this modern spa area consists of a couple of treatment rooms, a well-equipped gym and separate steam rooms, plus a lengthy treatment menu. I choose an hour-long body massage to set me up for a day of being on my feet and it is exactly what I need — relaxing but with a 'livening' essential oil to ensure that I didn't go straight back to bed afterwards.
After our day of taking in the sights we head back to Kempinski's bar and sample one or two (or three) of their wonderful bellinis and then it's back to our personally selected pillows for a restful nights sleep, before getting up and heading back out into one of my newly favourite cities. Thank you, Bruges and thank you Kempinski Duke Palace, I think even Colin Farrell would approve.
Kempinski Hotel Dukes' Palace, Prinsenhof 8, 8000, Bruges, Belgium (+32 50 44 78 82; kempinski.com/bruges). Room rates start from £171 for a double room.
