Novotel Bruges Centrum Hotel

Had read on various web sites that the Novotel Centrum was "Basic with no frills" but the opposite was true. As a hotel it had all the facilities including a very pleasant heated outdoor swimming pool, which wasn’t overcrowded at all. I would highly recommend the hotel and it certainly deserves higher than 3 stars and is situated in a good central location.
As for Bruges itself, restaurants tend to be over-priced and things like horse drawn carriage rides are not worth the money, you are better off exploring by foot. Avoid the day trips to First World War monuments etc. These are very interesting but come with a very hefty price tag.
Bruges is not really for children but more for culture vultures, cafe lizards, determined strollers and continental life lovers. There are attractions like theme parks outside the city if you have time to take the kids there. If you have kids with you allow at least a week, if not then about three days is enough to see everything within the city.
Avoid going there by Eurostar, too many transfers with heavy luggage can be a pain. Best to travel directly by coach, making sure it doesn’t stop at too many places on the way.
If you are disabled you should be aware there are many cobblestone streets in Bruges which won’t make for easy walking. You can also take your life in your hands in some areas of the city due to the many types of whizzing traffic. The bikes and horse drawn carriages are a particular menace and I didn’t see one pedestrian only area in the city. So if you are slow to cross a road, be very careful.