Review of Hotel de Tuilerieen, by Gemma Pitcher

A patrician residence, dating back to the 15th-century, Hotel de Tuilerieen overlooks Den Dyver, one of the grandest canals in Bruges. With the dining room done in delicate hues of grey, a black and white marble floor and romantic trompe l'oeuil paintings on the walls, the luxury hotel has a confidently subtle decor.

The facilities

The lovely Edwardian-style indoor pool and Jacuzzi, housed in a beautifully lit glass-sided pavilion, steam and shimmer seductively 24 hours a day. The luxury hotel's sauna and Turkish bath are also open round the hour. Guests can curl up near the open fireplace in the 15th-century patrician, and enjoy the lavish daily breakfast buffet. For those guests using the luxury hotel for private meetings, lunch and dinner catering can be arranged.

The rooms

The 45 bedrooms in the luxury hotel vary widely in shape, size and colour scheme, but all display the same sure aesthetic touch, the work of Anglophile interior designer Pieter Porters, and all of the luxury hotel's guestrooms are very spacious. Rooms overlooking the canal in the 'old wing' are stunning - light and airy, with dove grey and pale yellow colour schemes and stripped wooden floors. Rooms and suites in the 'new wing' (formerly a bank) of the luxury hotel have wooden panelling and rich red walls, some with four posters or private terraces. Enormous bathrooms, both marble and palatial are an added treat.