My husband and I stayed at the Adornes for one night when returning from a European holiday. We were lucky enough to be able to book a room the day before our visit - it was fully booked by the time we arrived. I can echo the comments of other reviewers - the receptionist was exceptionally helpful, and we were offered help with our luggage, the free use of hotel bikes, recommendations about where to dine, and given a map of the city with a walking tour marked on. The hotel is very conveniently situated for the city centre but is also easy to reach if you are driving and the hotel has free secure parking, a few minutes walk away, which was really useful to us and made a change from having to either walk miles, or pay a fortune. Our room was at the back of the building overlooking the courtyard. The room was quite large and comfortable, with a modern appearance. The toilet was seperate from the bathroom. There was only a hand-held shower in the bath which can be a bit of a tricky operation, however there was a waterproof stool provided to assist! The room was quiet, and the beds were comfortable - the usual continental style of twin beds pushed together, with seperate duvets for each person. Television reception was pretty poor but it did receive some British TV channels. There was free WiFi in the reception area and also a computer for guests' use, under the stairs. Breakfast was smashing, baskets of fresh bread were brought to our table as well as all the food that was displayed on the buffet, which was replenished throughout. The ham, cheese and fruit was as good as we had experienced in two weeks on the continent. The dining room is small and was a bit cramped when several guests were eating at the same time, with a lot of chair shuffling going on. That said, I would not hesitate to stay at the Adornes if I returned to Bruges.

A family room wasn't available during our stay, so we opted for a double room with an extra bed in it (our 2 children are small enough to share a single bed). Our room was on the ground floor, directly facing the canal and the cobblestoned street. Views were lovely, but there was occasional traffic in the morning , although it wasn't too loud. We were also very close to the kitchen preparing the morning breakfast, so we were presented with the sounds and smells of breakfast very early in the morning. Like many European hotels, our shower lacked a curtain.

All of these are small quibbles, though, compared to our overall experience at the hotel. Our family has travelled much in Europe over the past 2 years, and this is one of the 3 best hotels we've stayed at during that time. As stated many times elsewhere, Rik, the host, is very eager to please -- he's like a golden retriever with constant energy who just wants to make you happy. The beds are comfortable, the room had a fan (a rarity), breakfast was filling a delicious (with classical music playing lightly in the background), and Rik had many guides and maps and numbers for local sights and restaurants. There is a large selection of well-maintained bikes (even bikes for kids, and bikes with attached seats on the back) and free underground parking a short 2 blocks away (a very nice perk in Bruges). There is even a play room for the kids, and Rik sells good Belgian beers for decent prices.

The Adornes is a bit removed from the very center of Bruges, and fully across the old town from the train station, but it's all relative, because Bruges is fairly compact. It was about a 10-12 minute walk to the Markt.

A bike ride out to Damme (only 4-5 miles from the Hotel) makes for an easy and lovely day out. (Kids can easily bike it.) The canalside windmills in Bruges can also be added to the ride.

I learned from one of the receptionists that the hotel is packed in May and then July - mid October. It's somewhat less crowded in June. It also fills up quickly on weekends even in the off season. If you're even thinking of going to Bruges, then by all means go ahead and call or e-mail them and book a room. They have a generous cancellation policy, because they know they'll be able to fill the room anyway.

This is a lovely hotel at a very affordable price. It is centrally located, so you can walk to all of the attractions. There are also free bicycles for use, so you can partake in Brugge's cycling atmosphere.

The staff is all very friendly and helpful. Although a smaller hotel, I can easily see why it's considered one of the best in Brugge. We had nothing but praise for this gem for the 3 days that we were there.

Positives:
Room was quaint. It felt like we were staying in an old Belguim house attic. You could not hear the street noise, although limited.
Bikes were free to guests to use.

Staff was always pleasant, as we all know, can make all the difference. Breakfast included many options to choose from.


Negatives:
Elevator is tricky; we did get stuck once...but not long.
No shower, just a shower hose. Quite different to stand in a tub and shower yourself off with no curtain as well.