Canalview Hotel Ter Reien

The canal view was a bonus, and the location seemed ideal, so we booked Ter Reien despite being a bit wary of its TripAdvisor rating. We’re very glad we did. The staff were fantastic, and both the rooms and continental breakfast were great value. It isn’t a luxury hotel, but we weren’t expecting one. Highly recommended.

The heating was poor, leaving the room uncomfortably cold, and the bad service continued throughout our stay. We couldn’t get into our room until 3:30 PM, later than expected, and nobody gave us proper directions or help finding it. When we arrived, we had to leave our belongings on the floor in a shared room with other guests’ luggage. We were explicitly told the hotel wasn’t responsible for any loss or damage. That felt extremely unsafe and unprofessional. Our experience at Canalview Hotel was terrible from the start. It didn’t meet even basic expectations for comfort, organisation or customer service, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

The canal view was lovely, and the location was amazing, just a few minutes’ walk from the city centre. Open the window and it felt like you could dive into the canal. For one night, if all you need is somewhere to sleep, it’s perfect. For a longer visit, less so. This is a low cost budget hotel, and the room was tiny. The bathroom wall seemed to be plywood or something similar, so after a shower the whole room felt humid.

Awful management. After we complained, the manager was rude and said everything was on the website and we should have checked in advance. The roof had a big hole, which we were told was due to renovation. Breakfast was poor, and I found hair on the cheese platter. We left after three days because the mould and humidity made me ill. I slept in my clothes. The room was the worst I’ve ever stayed in. We paid 520 euros for four days and got somewhere dirty, old, mouldy and smelly, with dirty sheets and mosquito blood on the walls. The bathroom was tiny, plastic and smelly. There was no soap or shampoo, and they even charged for a hairdryer. It was minus 5 degrees outside, but they refused to heat the room above 20 degrees unless we paid around 15 euros extra. They also demanded an extra tax on arrival without telling us in advance. There was no one at reception to ask for help, though they call themselves a hotel. Do yourselves a favour and never book here. I honestly wonder whether this is even legal, and hope Bruges city sees this and does something about this horrible “hotel”!