LUXURY HOTELS BRUGES
Antwerp
From Bruges, Antwerp lies at a little over an hour by train. Choosing a hotel in Antwerp right in the historical centre, will here and there remind you of your hotel in Bruges. Ofcourse most hotels in Antwerpen will have more urban characteristics (due to the size of the city) than hotels in Brugge, although they are fully comparable for most other quality features.
A visit to Antwerp, known for its diamonds, its international harbour and its role as Fashion Capital of the Lowlands, is absolutely worthwile. It also hosts one of the most famous zoos in the world, which can be a fun and interesting trip when the weather during your stay in Bruges turns out to be real bad.
Brussels
Getting to Brussels by train is very easy. From Bruges this only takes one hour and usually your hotel won't be further away than 1,5km from the train station.
Hotels in Brussels are very comparable to hotels in Bruges, although a hotel in Bruges is usually somewhat smaller. Also, hotels in Brussels are generally located further away from the historical city centre than hotels in Brugge.
There are various 5 star hotels in Brussels, so those who are prone to absolute luxury, might find Brussels more appealing as a starting point to explore Belgium's historical cities. During weekends, hotels in Brussels are also a lot cheaper than their counterparts in Bruges.
Ghent
When you want to stay in a city that offers a lot of possibilities but is still peacefully quiet, it's recommended to visit Ghent. By train from Bruges, you're only 20min away from this 2nd largest city in Flanders.
Its beautiful historical settings, its high quality luxury hotels, and its sparkling atmosphere at night are only a couple reasons why you should stay in a hotel in Gent. A lot of people hold the prejudice that hotels in Gent don't offer the same charm than hotels in Brugge, but this doesn't necessarily need to be the case. A lot of luxury hotels in Ghent are as good as those in Bruges.
The biggest difference is that hotels in Brugge are usually more expensive than their counterparts in Ghent, mainly due to the fact that less tourists visit Ghent. The biggest stream of visitors arrives in summer: every year a ten day long street festival is held called the "Ghent Fests" (Gentse Feesten in Dutch). About 2 million visitors attend the festival every year.