Hotel Van Cleef

My friend and I chose Hotel Van Cleef for our girls trip to Bruges and we couldn’t have picked better! |A truly stunning hotel, in a fabulous location with amazing staff. |From checking in to checking out, the staff were very attentive. Especially Arnaud. |We got an upgraded room with canal views. It was a definite WOW moment! |The decor is absolutely beautiful. |We were in awe of some of the pieces. |We had a cocktail in the bar after a busy day exploring and had a wonderful chat with Benjamin. |Breakfast was also a highlight of our stay. We both said it was the best breakfast we’d ever had! |If you’re looking for a stunning hotel in Bruges, with everything you could ask for, then the Hotel Van Cleef is it. |I can’t wait to return with my husband and stay longer. |Thank you for a truly memorable stay.

We spent two nights at the hotel. We could not have asked for more. It’s a family run hotel that does its very best for one to feel at home. Its luxury with character. Charming interiors, very well decorated and an awesome staff. The attentiveness is beyond most experiences we ever had. It’s a small hotel in a quiet part of town. 5 minute walk to all the attractions of Bruges. And steps away from a beautiful jogging route. Breakfast in the morning is great which makes for a great start to the day. Thank you Hotel Van Cleef. ||PS: If you are looking for a busy lobby, big groups of people, and the snazz of expensive cars parked outside, this is not for you.

This was a most delightful stay. Frederic, Pascale and son are a family owned establishment exhibiting a proud ownership with a most pleasant and polished demeanor. Stand out staff include Lucas, Rebecca, Benjamin, Chef Phillip and Suni. While no restaurant for lunch or dinner the morning breakfast is a FANTASTIC array of anything you might want. They are eager to help with reservations at outstanding local restaurants. Many within a walkable proximity. Hotel, Room, Canal-side patio and luxurious details abound. This is a luxury boutique hotel and Pascale’s design expertise is evident. The hotel is in an excellent location and delivers a 5 Star experience. We will return!!!! Really felt like being entertained at a friend’s home and we were blessed to find and stay there!

Having first visited the Van Cleef earlier this year we were so impressed so returned in the autumn. It did not disappoint. As before the hotel combines the highest standards of decor, accommodation and service with the most authentically friendly welcome we have encountered. ||After an excellent recommendation last time for a guide around Bruges, we spent a day with the hotels suggested expert to take us around Ypres. As before the guide was engaging, well informed and it was a most interesting day. On our next visit we will again take the hotels advice for a day out. ||We very much enjoyed our stay. The Van Cleef is great value for money and we will be returning in the Spring.

What a wonderful hotel! My husband and I are on our honeymoon and were fortunate enough to come across this little gem in Bruges. If you're looking for a smaller, more intimate guest experience, this boutique hotel will tick all your boxes. It feels more like an art gallery with beautifully, well designed and appointed guest rooms and sitting areas throughout. Breakfast on the terrace was lovely each day and the food, excellent. The staff's attention to detail was impeccable and made us feel extremely well taken care of. Well situated in the city just off the square, it's a quiet location within very easy walking distance to the main squares, shops, bars and restaurants. They're promise to make you feel more like a guest in their home is certainly accurate. |Would wholeheartedly recommend!

I cannot say enough about our wonderful experience at Hotel Van Cleef. From the moment we walked in, we were welcomed and made to feel more than just a hotel guest. A true boutique experience. The design of every room in the main lobby is impeccable. They are just beautiful serene spaces to sit and have a coffee or a glass of wine. Classical music is piping through sound system and there is lovely ambient smell as you walk through the space. We arrived on our daughter’s 23rd birthday and as a special surprise, they offered her (without hesitation) a glass of champagne to enjoy on the terrace. What a beautiful touch! We booked the canal facing suite and one of the large canal view rooms for the kids. The rooms were unique and stunning. We had breakfast on the second day and that is not to be missed. To sit leisurely with beautiful homemade preserves, cheeses, meats…..Followed by the most delicious eggs benedict any of us have ever had. It was a beautiful way to start the day! The service from the wonderful staff is so authentic and lovely I cannot say enough. I only wish we had booked an additional night so we really could’ve immersed herself even more into the Van Cleef experience. Make sure if you go in August to go back to the hotel at around 3:30 or 4 o’clock and sit on the canal terrace when the sun is shining and enjoy the afternoon the glass of champagne!

There are places one visits, and then there are places one inhabits – if only for a short while – yet they remain part of you forever. The Van Cleef is such a place. To enter this house is to cross a threshold into history, into walls that once welcomed carriages and noble families, and to feel at once that the story now continues with you.||From the moment we arrived, there was no sense of transaction, no formality, only the quiet grace of being welcomed home. Benjamin unfolded a map not as a guide might, but as a storyteller, weaving Bruges into our hearts with every mark of his pen. His words were not hurried; they carried the weight of pride, of belonging, of love for his city. In those moments we realised that Bruges was not merely to be seen, but to be revealed, and what we received was more than information – it was connection.||Our Junior Suite, offered as an unexpected gift, looked out over the canal as though the water itself were an old companion keeping us company. Each morning the light spilled across the room with a softness that made time hesitate, and the terrace, hidden away for guests alone, became a stage where the city’s rhythm slowed to a whisper, where boats glided past like actors in a play that seemed written only for us. On the desk, a small box of Belgian chocolates awaited us – a simple gesture, yet in its sweetness it seemed to contain the very essence of Bruges: delicate, rich, and unforgettable.||The reason for our journey was my wife’s birthday, and it unfolded like a day set gently to music. The morning began with the promise of celebration: breakfast served with quiet elegance, the table touched by a candle whose flame danced in honour of her day. Later, the Green Room was ours alone, a haven of calm where Afternoon Tea became an unhurried ritual, with delicate sandwiches, warm scones, and the soft murmur of the canal beyond the windows. And then came the moment that no one could have planned – the sudden appearance of the family’s dachshund, rushing across the room, only to pause as if he, too, had come to offer congratulations. My wife gathered him into her arms with such joy that it eclipsed every other gesture; it was a gift of pure serendipity, and it lit her day brighter than any grandeur could. As the evening descended, we stepped onto a boat waiting at the hotel’s own jetty. The city stretched before us in silence, the canals glimmering beneath a soft sky, and we glided together as though Bruges had been reserved for us alone.||To leave the Van Cleef was not to check out of a hotel, but to close the pages of a chapter we had lived within. It is a sanctuary where elegance breathes alongside intimacy, where history and heart are inseparable, and where one does not simply stay, but belongs. Bruges may be the stage, but it is the Van Cleef that writes the memory — one we will carry with us always.

Hotel Van Cleef is a very special hotel.|A great location, wonderful rooms, superb breakfast and fantastic private terrace on the canal. However, what makes Hotel Van Cleef truly special, are the staff and the owner. I can’t remember a hotel with better service. Frederick, Rebecca, Benjamin and the team were incredibly friendly, welcoming and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble.||It was a true pleasure to stay at the hotel and I can recommend it without hesitation.

Tucked away in the charming streets of Bruges, this small boutique hotel offers an unforgettable experience with impeccable service and cozy elegance. It was the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary and they really went out of their way to make our stay special. From the moment we arrived, we felt right at home, we were greeted by name with warmth and the staff went above and beyond to ensure our stay was flawless. The rooms are beautifully designed, blending modern comforts with classic touches that capture the essence of Bruges' old-world charm. Each detail, from the soft linens to the well-curated decor, made for a truly relaxing and peaceful retreat. I loved the bathtub that had air jets and the huge rain shower head, getting out into a fluffy bathrobe was the best. The hotel's breakfast was a standout, offering a delightful spread that includes fresh pastries, local cheeses, and rich coffee and teas--perfect for starting your day in Bruges. My husband got the eggs benedict both days and loved them, a very unique take but amazing. The atmosphere in the bar was very inviting, with a cozy yet sophisticated vibe that makes it the ideal spot to unwind after a day of exploring and the bartenders were very kind and happy to offer suggestions. Whether sipping on a craft cocktail or enjoying a quiet moment, the service at the bar is exceptional, ensuring guests feel well taken care of. This boutique hotel is a hidden gem in Bruges, offering personalized service and a stay that combines comfort with character, and the parking was so easy which is a plus in Europe!

This is a lovely and charming boutique hotel with all the special touches you don't get in the bigger hotels. The fantastic staff also elevated the stay, along with the lovely furnishings, an amazing breakfast, and a great location. One nice thing that separates this hotel from others in Bruges is that the rooms themselves are modern. They aren't filled with gold encrusted fake fancy furniture, but rather a clean modern aesthetic. This is one of the reasons we chose it. One of the staff needs a special mention: Benjamin, who is there in the afternoons, made our stay especially wonderful. He was always friendly and professional, and willing to help with what we needed (usually a bucket of ice!) We went to a great restaurant that we had not considered based on his recommendation (and he made the reservation for us) and had a car that was big enough for us and our suitcases waiting for us when we left on our last day. A huge thank you goes to him. The breakfast was also outstanding; not only were the pastries (so fresh, with a French attention to crispness and butteriness), cheese/meat, rolls, fruit selection and tea/coffee service wonderful--but the made to order eggs were as well. The ham and cheese omelet was soft inside and the pancakes were light but substantial. The chef himself brings them out and there is definite pride in all the made to order dishes. The breakfast room is extremely comfortable as well...we found ourselves lingering there for a long breakfast instead of getting moving like we planned! The room was comfortable with an unusual setup; we had a duplex room overlooking the canal with a sofa upstairs. Though it had a canal view and a nice one, it's worth noting you had to stand at the window to see it as the windows are high off the floor. We didn't end up using the upstairs much as there was plenty of seating downstairs in our bedroom area. But the spacious feeling was appreciated with the extra height in the bedroom area. The toiletries provided were also very nice. The shower was not tall in height, but the rain shower was great--lots of water pressure and nozzles. We didn't try the oversized tub. Everything was very clean, and continued to be well cleaned during our stay. It was a lovely stay, and easy walking distance to all the sights in Bruges. We're very happy we chose the Van Cleef.

One of my favorite hotel experiences over the years. This small, charming hotel feels like staying in an upscale private home rather than a hotel. The decor for the Christmas holiday was gorgeous, but it would be so pretty all year round! Their location is also great for walking around Bruges and enjoying all of the history and art of this medieval city. The staff was friendly, warm, and helpful. The common areas as well as our room were comfortable, extremely clean, and impeccably decorated. Truly 5 stars! For a similar level of quality (although a different experience) in Belgium, the other hotel that was at this top-notch quality was the Botanic Hotel in Antwerp.

We stayed a few nights last week at the Van Cleef. Charming and very beautiful, this hotel is situated right along the canal with lovely views and swans swimming past. The interior is decorated boldly and features a ton of art. Each common area seems to share a theme. The outdoor patio is a great place to sit and enjoy a meal. Service is beyond excellent. This is a family owned hotel and everyone is committed to giving you the best experience possible. Friendly and more than accommodating staff. We had breakfast two days in a row on the patio. Cocktails in the bar were also great and the bar is intimate and cozy. Would definitely recommend this hotel.

The best hotel we've ever stayed at in Europe. The customer service was exceptional. Ben and Lucas gave my husband and I excellent recommendations for restaurants and recreational activities. The owners of this hotel were so kind and we had the best breakfast each day, plenty of fresh baked goods and wonderful scrambled eggs. Loved this hotel!

One of the best hotels I've stayed in. Excellent, friendly service; beautiful, unique decor; and perfect location. Could not be better.