Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Dukes' Palace

Set in a 15th-century former residence of the Dukes of Burgundy, it lies off the main drag of one of the city's more upmarket shopping areas---and in terms of sheer grandeur, nothing in Bruges can compete with this. In a city where space comes at an extraordinary cost, possessing a 3,000-square-meter garden is next to sacrilegious. Remnants of the original city walls exist on the grounds, though are sadly confined to a few crumbling bits of stonework. The hotel boasts one of the oldest elevators in the world (a genuine Otis dating from 1882). Rooms are gloriously over the top and recently refurbished, with gold-striped walls and portraits of dukes-gone-by. The spa is equally so: a hammam, sauna, U.V. cabins, and a salt wall complete the experience. Meanwhile, the restaurant and lounge bar are worthy indulgences, with prices that reflect the setting.