Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Egmond

Editor's Note: This location is no longer in operation.

A gorgeous, gabled, yellow-hued 18th-century mansion near the Begijnhof, this is just the place to play lord of the manor, with an interior positively creaking with charm—thanks to any number of hearths and chimneypieces, beamed ceilings, and antiques—and an exterior so pretty you may not wish to leave the grounds. Breakfast is served in an oak-beam hall right out of a Rubens painting, replete with a giant fireplace adorned with pepper-pots. Each guest room has a special period feature or two, and all are airy, with garden views. The hotel lies on the edge of Minnewater Park, one of the city's prettiest, and quietest, expanses, while it is still only 10 minutes' walk from the bustle of central Brugge.