Floris Karos Hotel

Renovated in 2011, the Floris Karos features contemporary, Colonial-style interiors with a uniformly beige, white, and brown color palette
throughout the hotel. Guests enter a lobby that has an inviting sitting area
with hardwood floors, ochre-colored soft seating, and a photomural of a tropical
beach scene. Guests also gather in the breakfast room, which has a contemporary
cafeteria feel with blond woods, white tables, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV,
and another beach photomural. The stylish lounge bar has leather trunks, a fireplace,
and ample seating with chocolate-brown and beige sofas. A small garden patio is
a nice spot to sip a cold Belgian
beer on summer evenings. With its large public spaces, the hotel is geared mainly towards tourists
and tour groups. Family-friendly, the hotel has extensive
facilities for kids, including a play area with toys,
board games, movies, and Xbox video games.

The Floris Karos is on the Hoefijzerlaan (R30) ring
road in west Bruges, a good location for those traveling by car, with proximity to the
city center, surrounding areas of Bruges, and nearby cities like Ostende and
Ghent. The Hoefijzerbus bus stop is outside the hotel, with buses passing every
five to 10 minutes during the day, and less frequently in the evening. The
hotel is a five-minute walk north of the Het Zand, a bus depot with routes to all
parts of the city and beyond, and a three-minute drive, 10-minute bus
ride, or 15-minute walk north of the Bruges train station. The area surrounding
the hotel has restaurants, bars, and shops within a few minutes' walk. Market Square, Belfort medieval tower, and Provincial Court are a 10-minute walk east.
Basilica of the Holy Blood is a 12-minute walk east, and the Beguinage
Benedictine convent and de Halve Maan brewery are a 15-minute walk south.
Featuring Flemish paintings and tapestries, the Groeninge Museum is a 15-minute
walk southeast of the hotel. Ostend-Bruges International Airport is a 25-minute
drive west of the Floris Karos. 

The 63 non-smoking rooms at the Floris Karos are
arrayed on four floors in the main building (with elevator), with three rooms in a
cottage annex across the courtyard. Rooms come in Superior Single, Superior
Double, Family Room, and Royal Suite configurations. Some rooms have A-frame
shapes with features from the original building such as large wooden beams. Rooms
are individually decorated, but they all have a fairly minimalist, contemporary Colonial feel with parquet flooring and a neutral beige, white, and brown color
palette. Most rooms do not have air-conditioning but come with desk fans or
ceiling fans, and are quiet. All rooms have desks, free Wi-Fi, and 32-inch flat-screen TVs. Rooms do not have
mini-fridges or coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms are fairly spacious, clean and
well lit, and include counter space and hairdryers. Some rooms are
shower only. Small pets are allowed in rooms for a
nightly fee. 

A breakfast buffet is included in the room rate at the
Floris Karos, and the spread features cold meats, cheeses, toast, pastries,
cereal, coffee, juice, and a couple of hot dishes like eggs and bacon. The
lounge bar has ample space and seating, a working fireplace for cool evenings,
a small garden patio for warm evenings, and a fine selection of drinks and
Belgian beers on hand. As far as recreational facilities go, guests can swim in a small indoor pool with an atrium-style deck
with ample natural light. A small fitness room has one weight machine, hand
weights, an elliptical machine, yoga mats, a plyometric ball, and wall-mounted
flat-panel TV. A colorful, open-plan children's play area includes toys, board
games, Xbox video games, and DVDs, plus a comfortable seating area for adults
to read a book or magazine. A large-screen
Apple Mac computer is available for guests' use. The hotel also offers 24-hour
front desk service, tourist assistance, bicycle rentals (for a fee), and parking (for a
fee).