Hostel review - The Bauhaus, Bruges, Belgium
In March 2014 I went on my first solo trip (you can read about my thoughts on my solo experience here); The destination was the beautiful town of Bruges in Belgium. Whenever I have been away previously, I have stopped in hotels; this time to save money and also to hopefully meet like-minded travellers I chose to stop in the Bauhaus hostel which is part of the St. Christopher's Inn chain of hostels. Overall I was extremely impressed with the Bauhaus - I wasn't sure what to expect and was a little apprehensive, however it proved to be a really cool place!
Location
The Bauhaus is located on Langstraat, and is in the North Eastern part of the old town centre inside the encircling canal. To get there I got a bus from the train station to the famous Market Square (The bus cost €1.20) and walked from the Market square to the hostel which took around 15 minutes and was easily manageable with a suitcase.
As Bruges town centre is fairly small, the Bauhaus was in a perfect location - close enough to walk to the main sights/attractions, and far away enough to avoid the crowds of tourists (like me!!!!! :p). At the end of my stay I caught the bus back to the station - there is a bus stop 20 metres from the hostel and both buses that stop there (6 and 16) go to the station.
Accommodation
The Room - I stopped in a four bed mixed dorm, I had no clue what this would be like but it was fine! The room had keycard entry and also a locker for each bed (bring your own padlock). As my main concern was safety this was a big plus and the doorlock/lockers put me at ease. There were also two bunk beds and a sink, plus some charger points - it was basic, but it was clean, comfortable and I had no complaints whatsoever.
Showers - The showers were again fine, on my floor there were two different shower blocks, both of which had multiple showers, sinks, toilets and mirrors. The showers were the kind where you had to keep pressing the button to make a continual flow of water - for me this wasn't a problem at all. On the Sunday one of the showers was out of order, however I never had to wait to use one.
Bar/Restaurant - There was no generic communal area as such, however there was a bar downstairs that served the same purpose (it was also where breakfast was served). It had an old traditional pub feel which I really liked, there were also cool candles on the bar that had years and years of dried wax on - quirky but a health & safety managers nightmare ;)
Food/Drink
Breakfast - Breakfast was served in the bar; there was a selection of cereal to choose from with milk and some bread/cobs (cobs are buns/bread rolls for you weirdo's who don't know ;)) plus various toppings for the cobs such as butter and jam. It was by no means a first class eating experience however it was more than adequate and more than enough to start the day on - for the price I paid, it was really good value. The only thing to bear in mind was that the food was limited in supply so it is advisable to get up around 8-8:30 to make sure you get something!
Drink - The bar was brilliant, such a fun, chilled out environment, with decent prices and good offers for people staying at the hostel. When checking in at the hostel you get vouchers for 2 for 1 on spirits and select bottled beers, and also for a €5 pizza and €1 shots. I spent every night in the bar and found it was a great way to meet new people - I spoke to someone different every night and met some really interesting characters who loved travel too and wanted to chat; it was just what I was looking for from a solo trip. Bruges locals also frequented the bars and it was great to speak to them and learn about the city from the people who live there.
Staff
The staff in a hotel/hostel always make a big difference for me, and the Bauhaus had some standouts. The bar staff were so friendly, funny and helpful - On the first night I got talking to Will (a fellow Englishman), he recommended beers for me to try, and also had a few cheeky Jaegers too, he was genuinely interested in my travels and likewise I found it fascinating to here about how he fell in love with a girl from Bruges. It's people like that, who I have unlimited time for!! The other staff were all spot on and made my stay at the Bauhaus that extra bit special.
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