Hotel Aragon

The Hotel Aragon lacks design finesse and the color palette can be less than appealing; the lobby lounge has red carpeting and green upholstered furniture. There is a small lounge/bar area, but the bar is just a cabinet. Free coffee and tea are offered in the afternoon in the lounge with limited hours. There is a breakfast room that is bright and open, but the design again falls short -- it is trying to be elegant but doesn't quite succeed. The exterior architecture of the Hotel Aragon is quite nice, but the inside detracts from the initial charm. The overall atmosphere is pleasant, but this hotel isn't winning any style awards.

The Hotel Aragon has an excellent central Bruges location on a beautiful, quiet residential street away from regular traffic. It’s within walking distance of public transportation, Grote, Markt, Groeningemuseum, and the Choco-Story museum, in addition to parks, restaurants, and shops. Minnewater is about a 10-minute drive away, but public transportation can easily take passengers to any of the must-see attractions and the Ostend- Bruges International Airport. Renting a car is only necessary if you plan on taking a trip to the countryside or other areas outside the city center.

Outdated decor fills the rooms of the Hotel Aragon. Although the rooms are bright, the yellow bedspreads, old pictures, floral curtains, and tired red armchairs detract from the natural light. The bathrooms are somewhat updated with gray or tan tile and slightly modern fixtures, with L’Occitane toiletries. Stocked minibars and flat-screen TVs are in each of the rooms but the TVs take up most of the desk space in some rooms and there are no coffee/tea facilities. In some rooms, however, there are balconies and lovely views of traditional Belgian buildings. 

In the holiday apartments, the brown curtains and bedspreads are a little more modern, but the space is dimly lit and includes tube-style TVs and a fold-down bed. The full kitchen has a microwave, oven, cooktop, and refrigerator, which are nice for longer stays, but the green armchairs and brown couches are showing their age. Bathrooms at the holiday apartments are large and more contemporary than the hotel and feature the same L’Occitane toiletries.

Even though the Hotel Aragon has room service and dry cleaning, it lacks many other typical features and includes just the bare basics. There is no on-site fitness center, business area, or meeting room, and the free breakfast receives mediocre reviews. On-site parking is limited to seven spaces that have to be reserved ahead of time and cost a daily fee. But there is a parking garage (De Biekorf) about a two-minute walk from the hotel and there is a small amount of street parking. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout and there is a full kitchen in the holiday apartments.