Last updated on February 21st, 2020 at 11:14 am
The Montanus Hotel is located in close proximity to central Bruges.
On this particular weekend, we decided to go to Bruges for a couple of days. I emailed around for hotel accommodation that was more central to the city centre.
Table of Contents
After a few enquiries, I found the Hotel Montanus. We made a booking at the Montanus who promptly sent our confirmation via email and a map with directions. Ah-hah, the old hotel map… never clear and all written in Flemish and very small print, it made me smile at the number of times I have had to decipher one of these maps. I relied instead on my trusty navigator to get us there. One snag – I only had the street maps for France and the UK, with the base maps for Belgium meant there was still a fair bit of guesswork involved deciphering the hotel map which was saying something completely different to the navigator.
Car parking at the Hotel Montanus
The Hotel Montanus in Bruges is 15.00 Euros (2006) per night to park – a little overpriced considering I had paid for a large suite and they have a large parking lot that was empty (However it is consistent pricing with other hotels in Bruges). The Montanus is a refurbished hotel that is a half-attempt at being ‘modern' which failed on this count. We found it a little overtly sparse and unfriendly.
On arrival
We arrived at the Hotel Montanus and stood at the reception within sight of the manager for 10 minutes without him even acknowledging us. Eventually, he booked us in. I had reserved a suite. The hotel suite we stayed in was reasonably spacious with a high ceiling which I liked. It was clean and plenty of closet room to hang clothing and storage for bags.
Not an enjoyable experience at the Montanus
Sorry readers but the above are where my compliments end for this hotel. We did not enjoy our stay at the Hotel Montanus, though we had a splendid time in Bruges, our accommodation fell far below the standard that was expected.
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Montanus hotel beds
The bed was not the King size I was promised but two very small uncomfortable beds pushed together. The suite faced a small road and in the early morning, it can be fairly noisy from delivery trucks (I should add I requested a room away from the street). I came here to relax for the weekend. Instead, I ended up in a hotel that was less than hospitable. The room did not warrant the €220.00 Euros per night price tag for broken facilities and rude management.
Rude management don't make for a good hotel experience
In the morning I attempted to make coffee, the machine was broken and spurted hot water everywhere including burning my hand slightly. I called reception and requested coffee and was told to come down to reception. ”We don’t do room service.” I went ‘obediently’ down to reception.
Hotel management who don't like to be disturbed
Once in reception, the manager came out of his office. When I say he had a look of a person who had the bearing of the world on his shoulders – it would be an understatement – the receptionist stood behind him glaring at me with that look that said “how dare you make a fuss” the manager asked me where the coffee machine was and I told him it was in the room. He then asked me ‘why didn't you bring the coffee machine down to reception?’
“why didn't you bring the coffee machine down to reception?’
I was starting to get irate and was fed up with the attitude, I was after all on a weekend holiday break. The manager returned to his office and came back with another coffee machine and ‘told me’ to take it upstairs and plug-it-in myself and bring the broken machine to him, of course, I dd not.
Needless to say, I would not stay at the Hotel Montanus again and would not recommend this establishment.
Montanus Hotel address and location
Hotel Montanus
Nieuwe Gentweg 78,
8000,
Bruges,
Belgium
