We didn't plan on going to Belgium anytime soon, but when we saw the Valentine's Day offers from Wizz Air, we couldn't help but think it's a good opportunity to visit the idyllic cities of Bruges and Ghent.
So we didn't hesitate and booked tickets to Charleroi, the closest location to the two cities with direct Wizz flights from Romania. We didn't do much research beforehand, and since the tickets said Charleroi-Brussels, we thought that was the name of the city's airport. However, upon arrival, we found out that there is also an airport in the city itself. Charleroi is about an hour by bus from Brussels, and a round-trip bus ticket costs around 40 euros, about the same as we paid for the plane ticket.
We quickly got over this disappointment when we saw how close we chose our accommodation to where all the buses stop and to the main train station and one of the most important metro stations: Gare du Midi. Besides Gare du Midi, they still have two more stations: Nord and Sud, but this is the most important one. And we took both the Flixbus and the train to Bruges and Ghent from here, so it was perfect that we chose to stay at Urban Yard Hotel.
It's an absolutely superb boutique hotel, one of the most beautiful we've stayed in so far. Everything - from the reception to the bathroom - was impeccable. And it's no wonder it's called Urban Yard Hotel because everywhere you turned, you saw something green or flowers. In the reception area, they always had fresh flowers, absolutely gorgeous bouquets, which they changed daily, and the ceiling here was covered with plants and flowers.
The hotel's 77 rooms also followed the theme, each having a corresponding name and design such as: Le Botaniste, Gardener, or Florist Room.
Even the bathroom had green tiles, reminiscent of the lush green of grass, and the products offered were from Nuxe, a prestigious company known for its portfolio of products made from natural ingredients.
The hotel lobby seemed like it was taken straight out of an old movie, filled with vintage furniture and objects; it struck us as the most beautiful among all the hotels we've stayed in so far. To further solidify its name, Urban Yard also had a very charming interior garden, a green and peaceful oasis where you could relax on warm days.
As for practical aspects, prices at Urban Yard Hotel start from 100 euros per night for two people and offer three types of rooms: Florist (the smallest, for 2 people), Gardener (for 3 people), and Botanist (for 4 people).
We really enjoyed Urban Yard Hotel and highly recommend it if you're looking for accommodation in Brussels and want something that's close to all public transportation options as well as many attractions.
