PANDHOTEL, Bruges

In walking distance from all the major sites and Bruges* best restaurants is The Pand, an 18th Century carriage house now converted to a 24-bedroom boutique hotel. It is privately run by the owner whose pride is very evidently expressed in the opulent, if not eccentric, choice of furnishings, objets d*art and assorted antiques that makes this more of a home than a hotel. The fact that the owner is also an antique dealer has everything to do with it! You get the impression the pretty bedrooms were specially made up for you; all you ever needed seems to be on hand within a Ralph Lauren ambience, luxury bathrooms and comfort levels that run really deep. The Junior suites go a step further with private whirlpools. Breakfast is the only meal you will be served here so it has become a bit of a speciality; it is country-style served with freshly baked bread, an extensive buffet and your eggs cooked anyway you like on an old-fashioned range.