On awaking on the first morning my fiancée was covered in bites which we assumed were spider bites. Returning later in the day we found an empty room with a bug "bomb" on the bed - all our belongings had been moved without our permission. The manager on duty and later the owner lied saying they had moved our stuff due to us breaking the toilet, not realising we had already been to the room. I then showed the owner photographs of my fiancée. The owner admitted lying to us and admitted a Bed Bug problem but offered no apology and dismissed us with a "we will give you a discount". My fiancée’s bites ended up as huge welts and we had to leave the hotel and stay elsewhere. So far we have not received any apology or refund for a totally ruined holiday at the hands of the De Barge Hotel.

Although we are not usually 'weekend break' people and prefer backpacking in the country to sight-seeing in the city, a long fascination with all things medieval prompted us to travel to Bruges for a few days last month. For our accommodation we wanted somewhere quiet but accessible, unusual but reliable with that extra something that can only be found locally. Chain hotels may be reliable but have no character. Bed and breakfasts may be quiet but are often too inaccessible to fully appreciate the local flavour.

In Hotel de Barge we found everything we were wanting and more. Upon arrival the friendliest and most helpful hotel employee we have ever met, Bram, welcomed us to the property and immediately went out of his way to ensure that our stay was perfect. The rate we had chosen included the use of bicycles for our stay and Bram provided us with a map showing us where the bicycles were stored. A canal cruise was also included and again the location was marked on the map for us. Despite being used to exploring for ourselves and at our own pace, his enthusiasm for Bruges and his in-depth local knowledge encouraged us to 'hit the tourist trail' and see for ourselves.

The hotel is permanently moored so there is no swaying. Inside every attention to detail has been paid with the entire hotel carrying the nautical theme from The Captain's Table restaurant to the anchor-shaped key fobs. The rooms are very small due to the physical dimensions of the boat but this adds to the experience. All are tastefully decorated in navy and white and lifejackets are included! The bathrooms are behind sliding doors within the bedroom. Due to their size, there are no bathtubs but the showers are excellent. A chilled bottle of champagne was brought to our room, which was facing out onto the canal. The ducks swam up to the window and we decided to buy some bread to feed them. On the other side of the canal, the locals whizzed past on bicycles along the towpath whilst barges slowly cruised past us on the water.

The hotel may be located outside the heart of Bruges but as the city is so small it is only a 15-minute walk from the main square. The narrow streets are more suited to pedestrians and bicycles but there is free parking opposite the hotel should you wish to have your car with you.

A meal at the hotel's own restaurant was also included in our rate. The Captain's Table, as the name suggests, serves a large range of fish dishes - all locally caught. In addition, there are a few local non-fish specialities. Fine dining is not something we are accustomed to, preferring to cook for ourselves, so we found the pace very slow. It took over 3 hours to be served all 5 courses. However, we were very impressed with the quality and freshness of the food and the fact that it was all sourced locally - something that is very important to us. The restaurant also serves a hearty buffet breakfast - again with local produce.

There were a few young children staying at Hotel De Barge during our stay there and we are not convinced that this is the best choice for families. The boat has steep, narrow steps, small rooms with windows that open directly onto the water and is generally aimed at couples market. We did not see a children's menu at the hotel (but we did not need one so that does not mean that the hotel does not have one) but rest assured that this hotel is definitely free of the dreaded chicken nuggets! In one corner of the restaurant is a small bar but being non-drinkers we did not order anything from it.

All in all, a fantastic hotel with attentive staff and a unique atmosphere. We would definitely stay here again if our travels take us to Bruges again - which they hopefully will.